Miami Real Estate Dynasty Hits Back With a One-Two Punch Regarding False and Hurtful Allegations of Discrimination Against Company and Employees

MIAMI, Oct. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Property Management brand is part of the booming real estate community in Miami. Its reputation is top notch for several reasons: it has been a leader in the growing rental market for many years, the owners of United Property Management, the Miltons, have a Cuban-immigrant-family rags to riches story that is legendary, and the family is known, by all that truly know them, as treating everyone (employees, residents and friends) not only fairly, but like family.

So when their Beverly Hills Club Apartments d/b/a Aventura Harbor Apartments were charged with alleged discrimination and racism, AGAIN, by Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence Inc. (HOPE), they knew something smelled fishy right away.

"We believe HOPE and its other plaintiffs are targeting us once again because they thought United Property Management was an easy target because we were targeted in the past," said Mike Paul, spokesman for United Property Management.  "Well they could not be more wrong. On the contrary, we have some of the best fair-housing and anti-discrimination policies and procedures in the business and stand by them through action and necessary records. We believe when all is said and done with this legal case, we will not only prevail, we believe HOPE and all its fellow plaintiffs will owe us a well-earned and deserved apology. The facts far outweigh the terrible lies, frivolous allegations and what also appears to exhibit unethical behavior by the plaintiffs," Paul continued. 

United Property Management says HOPE, its unethical testers, including what appears to be "pro testers" seeking a percentage of dollars won in lawsuits, and the plaintiff employee, did not follow proper procedures and guidelines and worse, allegedly sought to "set up" United Property Management employees as part of their fair-housing and alleged discrimination investigation. "If HOPE is doing anything illegal or unethical itself, HOPE and other plaintiffs in this case should be very concerned about their relationship with U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other state and local government agencies providing them with financing and other support," said Mike Paul.

"HOPE appears to be a 'suing machine' seeking to throw many pieces of pasta against the wall to see which one sticks," said Paul. "That is not only inappropriate, it is just plain wrong ethically, morally and legally, especially with a real estate company which treats all like family," Paul continued.

"They never called our office or sought to have a meeting about any of these hurtful and false allegations, nor did the plaintiff employee seek a meeting to discuss false, alleged discrimination which she says she saw or experienced herself after working for a long time within the company and ironically, she still works for the company today," Paul said. "HOPE also seems to file lawsuits focused on Latino-owned real estate organizations, and HOPE appears to not follow the full mission of their own organization."

OUR FACTS AGAINST THE FALSE AND FRIVOLOUS ACCUSATIONS BROUGHT BY THE PLAINTIFFS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES:

*  49.7 per cent of tenants at Beverly Hills Apartments d/b/a Aventura Harbor Apartments are black. That is more than 3 times the number of white tenants living there. These numbers speak louder than the false and irresponsible accusations brought by the plaintiffs. We take fair housing and discrimination seriously and have the facts to prove it.

*  Our crystal clear corporate policies and culture at United Property Management demonstrate there is zero tolerance and blanket prohibition against any and all forms of discrimination. Our policies are made clear at the point of hire, reinforced during initial training, conspicuously posted throughout the work place, ongoing additional yearly training and again reinforced during performance reviews, which are done twice a year.

*  Any employee who witnesses any unacceptable behavior, especially any forms of discrimination, is required to report the prohibited behavior or risk termination. All is set forth in applicable corporate policies and procedures manuals, as part of all employee training. The Plaintiff employee in this case DID NOT follow company procedures.

*  Leasing agents are incentivized to fill empty apartments as quickly as possible. Every time a leasing agent places a new tenant in a Beverly Hills Apartment d/ba/ Aventura Harbor Apartment, she/he is rewarded with a payment nearly 5 times greater than her/his hourly rate. Therefore, not only is discrimination unlawful and prohibited by the owner, management company and employer, it is financially punitive to any leasing agent who would discriminate and thereby hurt their own earnings and risk job termination for a clearly prohibited act.

*  Existing tenants, nearly 50% of which are black, are also incentivized to refer family and friends to Beverly Hills Apartments d/b/a Aventura Harbor Apartments. Any such referral that results in a new tenant rewards the existing tenant with a rent credit or a incentive payment. Meaning tenants living at Aventura Harbor apartments are diverse, happy and enjoy living in our apartment community.

"Beverly Hills Club Apartments d/b/a Aventura Harbor Apartments are proud of its excellent track record for diversity, inclusion, fair housing and lack of discrimination," said Mike Paul "Anyone who says otherwise better present clear and convincing proof because we intend to fight these frivolous and hurtful false accusations in court with facts and behavior which clearly show we treat all like family," Paul concluded.

Please see link below with our answer to the legal complaint Case No. 1:15-CV-23450-KMM: https://upm.egnyte.com/dl/nMyzqqe5SL 

MEDIA CONTACT: Mike Paul, Spokesman, United Property Management, 917-359-1431, [email protected]

SOURCE United Property Management