Shoma Group developed a shoddy luxury boutique condo project in South Beach, a new lawsuit alleges.
The Ten30 Condominium Association is suing the Coral Gables-based development firm led by power couple Masoud Shoajee and Stephanie Shojaee for alleged construction defects at the three-story, 33-unit building at 1030 15th Street in Miami Beach. The complaint, filed last week in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, also names the general contractor, Luke & Sons Construction, as a defendant.
Luke & Sons executives and Chris McShane, the attorney representing the condo association, did not respond to requests for comment. In an email statement, Shoma attorney Christopher Utrera said the firm is aware of the lawsuit, and stands by “its excellent work product.”
“While we believe there is nothing significant or unusual about these claims, we are nevertheless committed to continue working with the association to address their concerns,” Utrera said. “Unfortunately, these sorts of claims are common place and part of the condominium development environment in South Florida.”
The lawsuit was filed on the heels of cable television network Bravo announcing that Shoma President Stephanie Shojaee is joining the cast of the reality show, “The Real Housewives of Miami.”
Shoma completed Ten30 in 2022, the same year that buyers closed on all the units. Prices ranged from $566,000 to $1.9 million. In 2015, Shoma paid $6 million for the site.
After Shoma turned over the condo association, the new board hired engineering firm Indian River Construction Services to inspect the building. During three inspections between last year and March of this year, Indian River found extensive defects and damages in various areas of the building, the lawsuit alleges. The complaint also accuses Shoma of misrepresenting the upscale quality of the units to buyers, which is not the first time the firm faces allegations of not delivering as promised at Ten30.
Last year, Ten30 penthouse buyer Jose Angel Diaz sued Shoma for allegedly failing to install a rooftop terrace, a private locker and a wine freezer in his unit, despite previous assurances that those features were included. The complaint is still pending in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.
In the latest suit, the individual condos “were developed as affordable housing units, yet the limited marketing materials available advertise the property as a luxury high-end South Beach condominium community,” a July report by Indian River attached to the lawsuit states.
As far as construction defects, emergency exit staircases and the underground parking garage accumulate rainwater because Shoma and its contractors failed to install a rainwater management and mitigation system, and installed driveway pavers over a nonporous surface that does not drain properly, the report alleges.
Indian River inspectors also noted numerous cracks throughout the stucco of the building; the materials used to build the roof do not match the materials listed in building permits; artificial turf installed on the rooftop recreational areas is coming apart; and some common areas and units have excessive humidity due to a poorly designed heating and air conditioning system, the report alleges.
The roof defects are so numerous that the condo association will have to replace it entirely, the report also alleges.