A Florida homeowner has described her former property manager as running their community like a "dictatorship" for over a decade, while authorities now accuse him of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from multiple condominium associations.
Years of Alleged Mismanagement and Theft
Michael Christopher Curtis, 38, faces criminal charges in three separate cases where prosecutors allege he stole substantial sums from homeowners associations in Broward County. The most recent charges involve nearly $600,000 allegedly taken from the Windmill Lakes Condominium Community in Pembroke Pines.
A Resident's Account of Community Control
One long-term resident, who requested anonymity fearing retaliation, told how Curtis became property manager at Windmill Lakes around 2014 after previously working for the complex's management company. She described an immediate lack of financial transparency once he took control.
"I had general questions. And he'd say, 'Don't worry, I got it,'" she recalled. "I was smelling something that was not right."
The resident claimed Curtis began by accusing the previous property manager of stealing, which made community members think giving him control would be "a great idea."
Deteriorating Amenities and Missing Funds
According to the resident, the community's clubhouse and outdoor pool fell into disrepair years ago and remain closed today. Photographs show apparent mildew or mold growth on the pool area concrete.
"We were all paying $300 a month, and we weren't getting anything but the lawn cut," she said. "You have all of these unit owners paying and you have nothing, no amenities whatsoever, not even a swimming pool."
She also alleged that members fundraised for a new gate that was never installed, with funds apparently disappearing.
Alleged 'Dictatorship' Structure
The resident told investigators there were no elections for the HOA board for years, a claim supported by Pembroke Pines Police Department statements following Curtis's arrest. She said Melissa Mendez served as the sole board member and president during this period, appointed by Curtis without community voting.
"We didn't vote [Mendez] in. Nobody voted for her, but she appeared as the president," the resident explained. "He had us in a dictatorship pretty much for years. We had no voice."
Business records indicate Mendez remains board president for two of Windmill Lakes' five subdivisions, though the resident's subdivision now has an independent board and no longer employs Curtis.
Forgery and Financial Investigation
According to a probable cause affidavit, Curtis allegedly cashed more than 350 checks by forging signatures of former HOA board members at Windmill Lakes. Former board members provided sworn statements that they hadn't signed these checks, with one having sold his home in December 2019.
These checks totaled approximately $1 million, directed to Curtis's various companies. Investigators established that nearly $600,000 was definitively fraudulent, according to Amanda Conwell, public information officer for Pembroke Pines Police Department.
Multiple Criminal Cases and License Revocation
This represents the most recent criminal case against Curtis, who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree grand theft and two counts of criminal use of personal identifiable information. Prosecutors have charged him in two additional cases alleging theft of over $500,000 from other condo complexes he managed.
Previous cases involve insurance settlement money intended to cover Hurricane Irma damages from 2017. In one instance, investigators say Curtis wrote an $87,500 check from the Colonies II Condo Association to his company, BDM Property Management, then cashed it at a check-cashing establishment while paying a $1,750 fee, allegedly to "conceal the transaction."
Despite a jury finding in October 2025 that Curtis and BDM Property Management didn't breach fiduciary duty to one HOA, widespread misconduct allegations led to his community association manager license being officially revoked by the First District Court of Appeal on January 7, 2026. BDM Property Management's equivalent license was also revoked, meaning Curtis cannot legally manage condos, HOAs, or cooperative associations in Florida.
Defense and Ongoing Legal Proceedings
Curtis's attorney, Elias R Hilal, told media outlets: "This is Mr. Curtis’ third arrest, tied to the same personal vendettas and the same underlying dispute. He unequivocally denies wrongdoing, and we will be litigating aggressively to defend his name. When the evidence is laid out, the allegations won’t hold."
The multi-year investigation began after detectives received complaints from Windmill Lakes residents. Police also found evidence of "lapsed insurance coverage" and allege Curtis fabricated management fees of $46,000.
The resident who spoke about the "dictatorship" management style has lived at Windmill Lakes for over twenty years and described a decade-long pattern of control and financial opacity under Curtis's management.
