by Javier Manjarres
It was only a matter of time before the political dirt started to surface in the Miami-Dade Mayor’s race between Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina, County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez, and Former State Legislator Marcelo Llorente. Back in 1994, Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and his old real Estate company Univest Realty & Managment, Inc., were served with an Administrative Complaint from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Real Estate alleging 10 separate counts including fraud and other improprieties.
In the first count of the 10 charges filed against him, Julio A. Robaina was found guilty of “dishonest dealing by trick, scheme, or device, culpable negligence, or breach of trust” in any business transaction, a violation of Florida Statute 475.25(1) (b).
A copy of the complaint, stipulation, and the order can be found here.
This count is based on a forged check deposited by Mr. Robaina back in late 1993. The complaint states that Robaina, without the knowledge or consent of the owner of a property he was hired to manage, endorsed the owner’s name to an insurance check dated on October 15, 1992 in the amount of $10267.88 and deposited it into his companies escrow account. When the owner learned of this forged check deposit, he fired Robaina and demanded the funds be transfered to the new property manager, including interest and legal fees. Robaina obliged and refunded the $10267.88 our the 10th of December 1992. The check in question was for an insurance claim paid out to the owner of the property for damages the property sustained from Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
Robaina and Univest were later served with a subpoena to produce the escrow and property management records. In counts 7 and 8 of the complaint, Robaina and Univest were charged with failing to comply with a subpoena- apparently he attempted to address the subpoena by supplying ‘fragmented’ statements and cancelled checks. However, in doing so, failed to produce all the records that the subpoena requested.
The punishment levied on Robaina and his company for violation of Chapter 475 of the Florida Statutes was a settlement where Robaina did not admit or deny the allegations made in the complaint about him or his company- in essence, Mr. Robaina plead ‘no-contest’ in this matter. The official punishment, as published reads:
Hialeah: Julio A. Robaina; Broker: Reprimanded, fined $2000, required to take a 30 hr pre-licensure bk. mgmt. course with 1 year.
Robaina’s company, Univest Realty & Mgmt. Inc., was reprimanded for failing to properly account or deliver trust funds in a timely fashion; maintain trust funds in an escrow account; failed to fully comply with subpoena; failed to properly preserve records for 5 years.
4 Responses to “Robaina’s Past Now Front and Center in Miami-Dade Mayor’s Race”
javier, is this the beggining of another seige against robaina, like when you sided with Marco?
How much $ has marcelo and Carlos given to your “blogspot”/gossip column. This used to be a great source of news, until you became, just like the rest of the media outlets, till you sold yourself and your integrity to “:the devil” Quite frankly we all know robaina is the only one that can handle getting this COunty back into shape and the other two clowns sell themselves to special interests and personal divinity. they only care about their egos, Robaina is a self-made millionaire. He does this cause he wants to, not cause he needs to like the other two. Gimenez’ c rack addict son and daughter in law need him to be in office to keep jobs, as does his other “lobbyist” son for a big firm in miami/ft lauderdale (talk of cronyism and scammers), not to mention his ties to Unions and being a beuraucrat. And what can we say about pretty boy Marcelo, cant even keep up his own household, without Financial support from his parents, cheating on his wife throughout his tallahassee tenure, and taking great advantages from tallahassee lobbyiist. .We do not need more of the same, Lets get a proven leader. Hes the only one we can count on.
@Peter You are wrong. I have been trying to reach Robaina for several weeks now and not one email, or telephone response. So yesterday right after the post went up, I received a call. The post from yesterday is all ligitimate, if Llorente or Gimenez have stuff like this onthem, I will put it up. As far as personal attacks on family, I do not go there. Think what you want, Univision did a piece on this before, and Robaina refused to discuss it. Personally, I can care less who wins in Miami-Dade, just reporting the issues that matter on election day.
Peter, have you ever work with Mr. ROBAINA????…..I don’t think so….everything that Javier wrote is true and tight your seat bell cause more of his shit is coming…if you think He is the perfect man for that position, man you are soooo wrong!!!!…but, let the time speaks by itself….
Peter, have you ever work with Mr. Robaina?????….I don’T think so…everything that Javier wrote is true….He is not the gentleman that he pretend to be, as a matter of fact, tight your belt cause you will hear a lot of things and a lot of shit that this “gentleman” has said or he has made in the past and a lot of people don’t know….the time will be my witness…..he is the Robin Hood but in the wrong side….