North Miami Beach mayor says he lives in city, but his family moved to another town

North Miami Beach Mayor Anthony DeFillipo, facing questions over his residency, said he lives in the city, but his family moved to the town of Davie partly because of marital problems and crime.

In an hours-long deposition related to a claim questioning his residency, DeFillipo sought to explain that he lives in North Miami Beach and also owns a home in Davie, according to a transcript posted on the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts website.

“We were having marital issues,” DeFillipo said about why his wife moved to Davie without him. “My wife had gotten assaulted. We had a drive-by shooting at my house and my wife was fed up with it.”

DeFillipo maintained he doesn’t live in Davie, but pays the expenses for a home, has belongings there and has taken his children to school in Broward County.

He could not say how many nights he’s slept at the Davie home. “I’m a family man and I’m trying to make sure I keep my family together,” he said. “It’s very hard what I’m going through, but God is great and this too shall pass.”

Under North Miami Beach’s charter, all elected officials must live in the city in order to remain in office. They must also be a “bona fide resident” of the city, described as having “a permanent, fixed place of domicile within the City of North Miami Beach, to the exclusion of all other places,” according to the charter. If an elected official moves outside the city, the seat on the council is vacated.

The deposition was conducted by Luis Suarez, a partner with the Heise Suarez Melville, on March 3.

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DeFillipo and his family had lived in a home along Northeast 117th Street in North Miami Beach, which was sold at the end of December 2021. After the sale of their home, DeFillipo said he moved in with his mother, who also lives in North Miami Beach, who was experiencing health problems. He lived with her until October 2022 before moving into a one-bedroom condo he owns in the Eastern Shores section of North Miami Beach.

DeFillipo said he filled out documents updated with a new address in North Miami Beach to the city clerk, prior to the sale of the home. “So, everything was done in an orderly fashion,” he said. DeFillipo never told the clerk of any other address than the one listed as his permanent home.

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DeFillipo said he and his wife first purchased a home in Davie with the intention of giving it to his father. “Long story short, he decided he didn’t want the property,” DeFillipo said. At that point, he said his wife and children moved into the newly purchased home and lived there until they bought a second Davie home in the Sierra Ranches subdivision.

“The house is a very valuable house and we bought it with the intention of being able to make a good investment and a good return on our money at some time in our life,” he said.

DeFillipo’s family has lived in the second Davie property since August 2022, he said.

Davie HOA board

In his deposition, DeFillipo also discussed serving on the board for the Sierra Ranches Community Association. He joined the board “to make sure that the funds were being managed properly during this transition and turnover,” DeFillipo said.

The Miami Herald first reported on DeFillipo serving on the association board in January.

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According to the deposition, DeFillipo applied to be an officer on the board in September and resigned on Jan. 19.

The deposition also revealed DeFillipo gave conflicting information regarding his reasoning for resigning. According to a Jan. 19 email sent to the Sierra Ranches Community Association property manager, DeFillipo cited personal issues as his reason for stepping down.

However, in his deposition, DeFillipo said he resigned once the transition from the developer was complete. “When it was done, I resigned from the board because I already saw the process take place and that was the end of that,” he said.

Firing city attorney

Three commissioners — McKenzie Fleurimond, Daniela Jean, and Vice Mayor Michael Joseph — have refused to show up to North Miami Beach commission meetings as long as DeFillipo is mayor amid concerns about his residency. Their refusal to attend has resulted in there not being a meeting with a full quorum since October. Earlier this month, a judge ordered all commissioners to attend the March 21 meeting.

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DeFillipo also discussed his intention to fire City Attorney Hans Ottinot, who he claimed has acted unprofessionally “for quite some time” and never asked him directly about his residency.

At a December meeting, DeFillipo called for Ottinot to be fired, but Fleurimond walked off the dais before a vote was taken, breaking quorum.

Ottinot hired the firm Heise Suarez Melville that issued a public opinion regarding DeFillipo’s residency. That same firm is also representing the city in its claim against DeFillipo.