Allegations of Theft and Mismanagement at Windmill Lakes
A longtime resident of a Florida condominium community describes how her property manager operated the complex like a dictatorship for over a decade, allowing maintenance problems to worsen while allegedly diverting funds. Michael Christopher Curtis, 38, faces charges in three criminal cases for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from condo associations in Broward County.
The anonymous resident, who has lived at Windmill Lakes Condominium Community in Pembroke Pines for more than 20 years, reports that Curtis took over as property manager in 2014. He had previously worked for the prior management firm, TD Sunshine, and raised concerns about theft by his predecessor, leading residents to hire him.
Lack of Transparency and Neglected Amenities
Once in control, Curtis provided little insight into the homeowners association’s (HOA) finances, the resident recalls. “I had general questions, and he’d say, ‘Don’t worry, I got it,'” she states. Community members raised funds for a new gate that never materialized. The clubhouse and outdoor pool have remained closed for years, with visible mold growing on the pool area’s concrete surfaces.
Residents paid $300 monthly in fees but received minimal services, primarily lawn maintenance. “You have all of these unit owners paying and you have nothing—no amenities whatsoever, not even a swimming pool,” the resident explains. No HOA board elections occurred for years, according to both the resident and the Pembroke Pines Police Department. Melissa Mendez served as the sole board member and president, appointed by Curtis, without any resident vote. “We didn’t vote her in. Nobody voted for her, but she appeared as the president,” the resident says. “He had us in a dictatorship pretty much for years. We had no voice.”
Business records indicate Mendez remains president for two of Windmill Lakes’ five subdivisions. The resident’s subdivision now operates with an independent HOA board and no longer uses Curtis’s services.
Details of the Alleged Fraud
A probable cause affidavit reveals Curtis cashed over 350 checks by forging signatures of former HOA board members at Windmill Lakes. These former members, including one who sold his home in December 2019, provided sworn statements denying they authorized the checks. The total amount exceeded $1 million, directed to Curtis’s companies, with investigators confirming nearly $600,000 as fraudulent, states Amanda Conwell, public information officer for the Pembroke Pines Police Department.
The multi-year probe began after complaints from Windmill Lakes residents. Authorities also uncovered lapsed insurance coverage and fabricated management fees of $46,000. Curtis pleaded not guilty to first-degree grand theft and two counts of criminal use of personal identification information.
Additional Charges from Other Complexes
Prosecutors in Broward County have filed two more cases against Curtis, alleging he stole over $500,000 from two other condo associations he managed. These involve insurance proceeds intended for Hurricane Irma damage repairs from 2017.
For instance, on December 16, 2020, Curtis issued an $87,500 check from the Colonies II Condo Association to his firm, BDM Property Management, but cashed it at a check-cashing service, incurring a $1,750 fee to obscure the transaction, investigators assert. In another case, he allegedly took $439,000 from Fairways of Sunrise meant for storm repairs. However, a jury in October 2025 ruled in favor of Curtis and BDM, finding no breach of fiduciary duty.
Defense and License Revocation
Curtis’s attorney, Elias R. Hilal, maintains his client’s innocence. “This is Mr. Curtis’s third arrest, tied to the same personal vendettas and the same underlying dispute,” Hilal states. “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.”
On January 7, 2026, the First District Court of Appeal revoked Curtis’s community association manager license and that of BDM Property Management. As a result, Curtis cannot legally manage condos, HOAs, or cooperatives in Florida. Efforts to contact Mendez for comment were unsuccessful.
