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Karel Costa-Armas: The Condo Detective

Karel Costa-Armas, consultant and expert witness for the community association management industry, has more than two decades of experience investigating everything from personal injury claims, security negligence, animal attacks, shootings, and other matters involving litigation with HOAs and condominiums. Although he has served plaintiff and defense, approximately 80 percent of his work is for the defense.

“Integrity is important. It’s pretty tough to shade something in a different light when there is a possibility of a highly experienced attorney or another expert witness with just as much skill, information, and experience as you on the other side who can easily call your bluff. When I get inquiries, I always tell the attorney, ‘Please understand, I’m going to tell you the same information, the same opinion, whether you represent the plaintiff or the defendant.’” Many of his expert cases involve work for attorneys representing insurance companies defending associations and management companies.

As to the consulting work in general, he discovered many of the homeowner groups were frustrated or angry because they could not find the help they needed to investigate their complaints. These complaints ran from the spurious to the serious. “Most complaints come as criminal allegations and accusations of theft and other criminal activities. The average homeowner with serious concerns felt like they had no one to turn to, so I would get calls and emails. One day I said to myself, ‘I’m going to put myself out there and I’m going to help and do some consulting for these people. I found myself just having a lot of chats and a lot of talks. And then the legal firms heard about me, and I started getting calls,” Costa-Armas says.

Integrity is important. It’s pretty tough to shade something in a different light when there is a possibility of a highly experienced attorney or another expert witness with just as much skill, information, and experience as you on the other side who can easily call your bluff.”

Karel Costa-Armas

Delving Into a New Chapter

His investigation style involves intensive paperwork, document and other information reviews combined with traditional police-style legwork, which generally revolves around the standard of care issues in an HOA or condominium association. Most issues he investigates involve condominiums rather than HOAs because they have larger projects and have multimillion-dollar budgets, such as luxury high rises. The quality of his work has earned him the unofficial title of “the condo detective.”

He reviews a lot of contracts between the association and vendors and contracts between the association and management. He examines protocols and the different procedures and operational processes that are in place, or should be in place, or could have been in place. He also looks at governing documents and applicable state statutes as to who did what they were supposed to and who did not. Once his services are engaged, he receives dozens of documents, requiring 10 to 30 hours for just the initial review.

Field work includes on-site visits to gauge circumstances, distances, and different environmental situations that might lead to a stronger or a different opinion.

 

He joined the U. S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and after leaving the military served as a police officer in Miami-Dade County for about eight years. Those experiences assist in his helping law firms, insurance carriers, frustrated homeowners, and board members by sharing strategies. In-depth analysis into community association procedures and practices are part of his job.

He is aided by a creative and investigative nature, which created a desire to look at the legal documentation and discovery and lawsuits to sift through it to find what was done properly and what was done improperly. “I help legal counsel find the needle in the haystack and help them strategize their case, develop the questions for depositions or trial, or maybe just help them realize the strength of the case and help them settle,” he says.

Initially, Costa-Armas lacked experience in the consulting field and as an expert witness, but he was not intimidated by the challenge. He immediately began researching and educating himself through books, podcasts and even trial depositions.

While studying his soon-to-be profession, Costa-Armas invested considerable time in court observing how the process worked in the real world. He says he was always in awe of how adept attorneys on each side are in asking questions and changing angles and then coming back to the same point from an entirely different approach. “That, to me, is one of the most impressive things I observed. Now, being on the receiving end of that interrogation is not always the most comfortable position to be in. Skilled and experienced attorneys will have a fantastic strategy and they’re there to trip you up. As an expert witness, you have to always be in top form.”

His expert witness investigations run the gamut from the simple slip and fall to the serious wrongful death. Personal injury, trip and fall, premise liability cases are the most common. Occasionally, his cases are more dramatic such as an animal attack in which a dangerous animal breed has mauled someone. Wrongful death cases can involve a shooting or some other form of homicide.

Costa-Armas says his job is to provide an honest opinion. Even though the “ugly truth” of a situation may sometimes prove to be uncomfortable for his client. He says that even the most uncomfortable truths in a case will help the attorney’s firm develop a sound strategy for depositions, settlements or trial. “I have an inclination into finding details. I am a fault finder and a nitpicker. I sift through the details. I like to look at things, pick them apart and put them back together. In my community management profession, I’m known as a fixer. I’m the guy that they call to find out what and how something really happened.”

Karel Costa-Armas

I am a fault finder and a nitpicker. I like to look at things, pick them apart and put them back together. In my community management profession, I'm known as a fixer. I'm the guy that they call to find out what and how something really happened.”

Karel Costa-Armas feature
Karel Costa-Armas

Finding the Right Expert Witness

Costa-Armas advises attorneys seeking a qualified expert witness in his field to find someone who has real-world experience. Conduct online research to see if the individual person has any published work or appearances in interviews that indicate they are qualified. He advises looking carefully at body language, mannerisms and patterns of writing.

An expert witness must not only be an expert, but to be effective must also look the part. “You’re not there just to provide an opinion. You’re providing an expert opinion based on experience and training. When you’re testifying or in a deposition, you want to appear professional, number one. You want to be perceived as an honest and caring person. You care about the case, and you want to competently explain the answer to the question you’re being asked.  And when it comes to a trial, you want to be perceived as a professional, experienced, knowing expert, so you had better be and appear the expert you are,” Costa-Armas says.

Not only has he studied how to be an expert witness, he shares his knowledge and experience.  He produces a series of online videos on YouTube addressing the subjects related to community management and how to handle the legal challenges in that industry.

 

His extensive background in law enforcement is especially helpful during depositions when body language and the details of investigation are at play. He says that picking up on someone’s “tells” can be a key element in discovery of the truth. Minute nervous twitches that an inexperienced investigator might miss could be essential in determining if the individual person is telling the truth. Stuttering, hesitation, nervous laughter or squirming movements can reveal significant information to the trained eye. He says that the nervousness in someone is an obvious “tell,” but also apparent over-confidence can be equally revealing. “These little things can make a big difference, but you need to be aware of them and have the ability to really ‘read’ someone.”

Discipline is also key to his success, and he gives much credit to his skill in jiu jitsu, the Japanese martial art of close, personal combat. He is a purple belt. The skill is a way of maintaining good physical shape, developing confidence for tense situations, and in disciplining the mind for unexpected challenges. “It helps with being able to put in long hours of work. It also sets a good example as a dad. I have four kids and being physically fit is critical to having a good balance in life.”

Karel Costa-Armas
Costa-Armas at his jiu jitsu studio

Costa-Armas says that being the parent of four kids is also a pretty good aid in his work, particularly in depositions. “I just know that even though I haven’t been in this business very long, I’ve been on this earth a little bit and I’m a parent, so having four kids also gives you the experience of being a walking lie detector.”

“I feel that after five decades of being on this earth, I have found my calling. I was not expecting when I started consulting to have such serious cases and such involved participation in litigation. I enjoyed a great deal because it is interesting, and I really do feel that I am helping.”

At a Glance

HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION
CONSULTING
Odessa, FL 33556
786-205-3235
HomeownerAssociationConsulting.com
www.CondoDetective.com

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

  • Premises Liability
  • Homeowner Associations
  • Condominium Associations
  • Condominium Security
  • Liability Insurance
  • Luxury Highrise
  • Property Management
  • Commercial Real Estate
  • Inadequate/Negligent Security
  • Landlord/Tenant
  • Property & Casualty Insurance
  • Residential Real Estate
  • Slip, Trip & Fall

EDUCATION

  • Law Enforcement Academy, Miami Dade College, 1995
  • PCAM, Community Association Institute, 2022

ASSOCIATIONS & Accreditations

  • PCAM Designation, Community Association Institute
  • AMS Designation, Community Association Institute
  • CMCA Designation, CAMICB
  • Licensed Community Association Manager, State of Florida
  • Real Estate Broker’s License
  • Mortgage Broker’s License
  • Law Enforcement Academy Miami Dade College

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