The Daily Soak - August 1

Condo Tragedy: 80-year-old Murders Neighbor During Altercation

Life was good for Maximiliano DeVita. The 38-year-old Argentine opened a chain of three successful Argentine restaurants in Miami; his wife was pregnant with their first child. DeVita also owned a North Beach condo and had just rented it to a new tenant who was constantly being harassed by another condo resident, 80-year-old Orlando Alonso. The tenant complained to DeVita who went to the condo on Harding Avenue to find out why Alonso was harassing his tenant. The meeting between DeVita and Alonso quickly escalated into a full-blown argument which Alonso ended by pulling a revolver and shooting DeVita in the chest. According to CBS4, "The police report states Alonso never called 911 and left the man to die outside his front door. He told police that DeVita 'began to insult him verbally' and his insults made him angry. Alonso has been charged with second-degree murder." (VideoLink)


Online Auctions Will Save Money, Expedite Foreclosure Process

With 2,600 homes currently in foreclosure, Manatee County officials have been searching for a better way to save money, attract more bidders and accelerate the foreclosure process. Now that Florida Statutes allow online auctions of these properties, Manatee is following Duval County's lead and turning to online auction site, Real4close, a division of Realauction.com. Manatee Comptroller Chips Shore describes the move as a win-win, "Our office looks forward to an increase in the number of bidders on each property. The more bidders we attract, the more likely the property will sell at the highest amount possible. Reducing the paperwork in this process yields a direct savings to taxpayers and saves our staff time." Realauction will offer training and instruction for bidders through August prior to Manatee's first online foreclosure sale in September. Real4close currently lists a handful of auctions across four states, but it's easy to imagine this idea really taking off across the Sunshine State.


IRS, FBI Building Case Against Deceased Orlando Developer

Orlando developer Steve Walsh and his company, Broad Street Partners, were involved in some strange land deals. Broad Street partners and investors long questioned the firm's allocation of their capital, and Walsh's suicide last month at his Winter Park home only confirmed their suspicions. A former FBI criminal investigator has conducted a review of Broad Street's books and unearthed the following extracurricular investments: "Walsh made unauthorized money transfers to help Broad Street meet its bills...Walsh used partnership funds to maintain his family lifestyle, including operation of 'expensive residences' in Charleston; Highlands, N.C.; and Winter Park...Walsh made at least $1 million in improper payments to his wife (Paula) during 10 years...Walsh took more than $238,000 to buy an unspecified amount in life-insurance policies...Walsh pledged $2.5 million from a Charleston apartment project to an unknown entity." Former partners are suing Paula Walsh and five life insurance companies for $21.4 million.