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Miami, FL

In Miami Beach, you can live on your boat, but getting to land is not so easy

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In Miami Beach, you can live on your boat, but getting to land is not so easy


More than 100 people live aboard sailboats and other vessels anchored just off Miami Beach. For years, some in the posh seaside community have not been happy about people just offshore.

Greg Allen/NPR


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Greg Allen/NPR

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — For Carlos Leon, living on a boat anchored off this posh seaside community, is the ideal lifestyle.

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The weather is good, except for the occasional hurricane, and the water is inviting. During the COVID pandemic, he and his girlfriend, now wife, bought a 41-foot sailboat and anchored it in Biscayne Bay. “It’s like 400 feet, 500 feet from Miami Beach land,” he says. They share their floating home with a long-haired German Shepherd.

But, because of some new policies adopted by Miami Beach, for Leon and more than 100 other people who live on their boats, getting to land for shopping, work or just to take a walk, is no longer an easy proposition.

To step on land in Miami Beach, Leon says, “I have to bring my dinghy with a paddleboard, tow it 150 feet from land.” His wife takes the paddleboard and “me and my dog swim to the dock.”


When he wants to go to Miami Beach, Carlos Leon leaves his dinghy 150 feet offshore and swims to the city-owned boat launch.

When he wants to go to Miami Beach, Carlos Leon leaves his dinghy 150 feet offshore and swims to the city-owned boat launch.

Greg Allen/NPR


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Under an ordinance recently adopted by Miami Beach, Leon and the other liveaboard boaters can’t leave their dinghies or even their paddleboards at a city-owned boat launch or they’ll face a $1,000 fine.

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This small community is anchored in state waters and legal, as long as they remain 150 feet offshore. Leon says. “Obviously, we have to have our tanks, our toilets, our anchors, anchor lights, everything, up to code. But if everything is up to code, we’re good. We’re legally here.”

But being legal isn’t the same thing as being welcome. For years, some in Miami Beach have not been happy about the small community boats just offshore.

In December, Miami Beach commissioner David Suarez spearheaded a move that cut off an essential lifeline for the liveaboard boaters.

At his urging, the commission voted to remove a public dock next to a supermarket. At the meeting he said, “I’m going to try to limit the amount of access that the people who live on these boats that come to the mainland. Because they can’t live on a boat forever. They have to come to the mainland to get food, water and necessary supplies.”

With their dock gone, liveaboard boaters began using a city-owned boat launch as a place to leave their dinghies while they picked up groceries or ran other errands. But the commission soon responded, banning dinghies and imposing a big fine for violators.

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That’s made things difficult for the liveaboard boaters, Leon says, especially those who are elderly or not up to swimming 150 feet to the only place where they now can legally come ashore. “Every other area is illegal to use,” Leon says. “So, I’m becoming a criminal just to get to land.”


Liveaboard boater Barbie Wynn can't leave her paddleboard at a city-owned boat launch for more than 20 minutes without facing a possible $1000 fine.

Live-aboard boater Barbie Wynn can’t leave her paddleboard at a city-owned boat launch for more than 20 minutes without facing a possible $1000 fine.

Greg Allen/NPR


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Suarez calls the liveaboards “boat squatters,” and in an interview said the regulations are “justified and necessary.”

Members of the West Avenue Neighborhood Association agree.

The group represents Miami Beach residents who live in the condominiums that line Biscayne Bay and look out on the community of live-aboard boaters. The association has raised concerns about pollution from boats that illegally dump their waste into the bay, about the damage their anchors cause to seagrass and about the cost of dealing with derelict vessels abandoned by their owners.

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Susanna Purucker, a condo owner active with the group, says liveaboard boaters are enjoying the benefits of living in Miami Beach without the responsibilities. ”You’re not paying property taxes. You’re not paying to even keep your boat in the water. It’s just, if I can use the word, free-loading, because it is.”

The liveaboard boaters have formed their own group, the Miami Beach Boaters Association. Carlos Leon says they’re considering suing the city for what they believe is a violation of their civil rights. He says, what’s at stake is a whole way of life. “Because if we move, then Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, everybody’s going to say, ‘Okay, let’s follow what this guy did because it worked.’ And then, guess what? No boaters will be able to get to land,” Leon says.

Miami Beach is in talks with the state over plans for a mooring field for boats in the bay. Depending on how it’s done, it could bring regulation to the liveaboard community or it could be used to drive them away.



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Miami, FL

Brandon Miller’s widow moves into $10M Miami condo owned by a VERY wealthy socialite

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Brandon Miller’s widow moves into M Miami condo owned by a VERY wealthy socialite


Candice Miller, the widow of developer and financier Brandon Miller, moved to Miami Beach shortly after her husband’s suicide and is now living in a multimillion dollar condo owned by a member of the von Fürstenberg family.

Miller, 42, listed her new address in a bond petition filed in mid-August with a New York court, The Real Deal reports. 

The new address is the glitzy Continuum South Beach complex, located at the very bottom of Miami Beach.

After her husband ended his own life on July 3 due to mounting debts, Miller sought a fresh start with her two daughters in Miami Beach and abandoned the Hamptons where she was a prominent face in the extravagant social scene. 

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Last year, a trust tied to Alexander von Fürstenberg paid $10 million for the luxurious three-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom unit Miller is now living in.

Candice and her late husband Brandon Miller are pictured together. Since Brandon’s death, she has fled the Hamptons for Miami Beach

Pictured: The Miami Beach condo complex that Miller and her daughters now live in

Pictured: The Miami Beach condo complex that Miller and her daughters now live in

A trust tied to businessman Alexander von Fürstenberg, pictured with wife Ali Kay, paid $10 million for the luxurious three-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom unit inside the complex Miller is living in

A trust tied to businessman Alexander von Fürstenberg, pictured with wife Ali Kay, paid $10 million for the luxurious three-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom unit inside the complex Miller is living in

Diane von Fürstenberg’s net worth is said to be around $300 million, much of which comes from her famous fashion label that’s named for herself. 

Decades after she divorced her first husband, who came from a princely family in Germany, von Fürstenberg married media mogul Barry Diller.

The pair, who wed in 2001, bought a waterfront plot of land, also in Miami Beach, for an eyewatering $45 million in April.  

It’s unclear what, if any, relationship exists between Miller and the exceedingly wealthy couple. 

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Miller is known to be friends with Alexander von Fürstenberg’s wife, Alison, also known as the model Ali Kay.

IAC chairman Barry Diller, 82 - who is married to fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg - closed on a $45 million deal for a residential lot in Miami Beach in April

IAC chairman Barry Diller, 82 – who is married to fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg – closed on a $45 million deal for a residential lot in Miami Beach in April 

The 1.5-acre plot of land overlooks the Biscayne Bay and is situated on one of Miami Beach's most exclusive and affluent residential communities

The 1.5-acre plot of land overlooks the Biscayne Bay and is situated on one of Miami Beach’s most exclusive and affluent residential communities 

Miller, left, and her sister Jenna Crespi launched a popular lifestyle blog called Mama and Tata in 2016. Alexander and his wife Alison, also known as Ali Kay hosted a launch party for it at their Beverly Hills home in 2017

Miller, left, and her sister Jenna Crespi launched a popular lifestyle blog called Mama and Tata in 2016. Alexander and his wife Alison, also known as Ali Kay hosted a launch party for it at their Beverly Hills home in 2017

In 2017, Alison and Alexander hosted a launch party for Miller and sister Jenna Crespi’s fashion and lifestyle blog called Mama and Tata at their Beverly Hills home.

Part of what likely influenced Miller’s exodus from Southampton, New York after her husband’s death was the fact that Crespi and her husband live in a $25 million mansion in Palm Beach, which is a little over an hour away by car from where she now lives in Miami Beach.

Miller’s life was turned upside down in July when her husband Brandon committed suicide at age 43 by inhaling carbon monoxide inside the garage of his Hamptons home while she and her daughters were away in Europe.

Reports have since emerged that she was aware of the rising financial troubles before jetting off on vacation but that her husband had reassured her that everything was under control.

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Friends told the New York Times Brandon Miller encouraged his wife to go on vacation by insisting everything was paid for. 

According to legal documents, Brandon left behind nearly $34 million in debt and had just $8,000 in his bank account.

Brandon, pictured with his daughters on his wife's lifestyle Instagram account, was millions of dollars in debt and was facing serious litigation at the time of his death

Brandon, pictured with his daughters on his wife’s lifestyle Instagram account, was millions of dollars in debt and was facing serious litigation at the time of his death

Brandon had a substantial unsecured loan of $11.3 million from BMO Bank. Additionally, he owed over $6 million to Donald Jaffe, a lender who had previously funded Miller and his father on various projects

Brandon had a substantial unsecured loan of $11.3 million from BMO Bank. Additionally, he owed over $6 million to Donald Jaffe, a lender who had previously funded Miller and his father on various projects

He was found unconscious in the garage of the couple's $15.5 million Hamptons home which has since been listed for sale

He was found unconscious in the garage of the couple’s $15.5 million Hamptons home which has since been listed for sale 

Beyond the property debt, he had a substantial unsecured loan of $11.3 million from BMO Bank. Additionally, he owed over $6 million to Donald Jaffe, a lender who had previously funded Brandon and his father on various projects. Jaffe is still pursuing legal action to recover the unpaid balance.

Other creditors include American Express and Funding Club, a Brooklyn-based cash advance lender, to whom Miller owed over $300,000 and $266,000, respectively.

Another significant portion of his debt was tied to his Hamptons estate at 25 Cobb Isle Road, which is now on the market for $15.5 million.

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Miller has now had to pick up the pieces. Her first move was to file a bond petition detailing four outstanding loans on the property, including a $2 million mortgage from Titan Capital, which has recently sued her over missed payments.

In his suicide note, Miller explained that a last-minute make-or-break business deal had fallen through leaving him feeling he had no way out.

Her saving grace could be found in two life insurance policies he mentioned in the note. These, he said, could be used to pay off creditors, The New York Times originally reported.

There are limited cases where beneficiaries of a life insurance policy can receive benefits if the policy holders dies by suicide, according to Bankrate. 



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Miami, FL

Family fears body found in North Miami nursing home is missing senior: ‘He was stuffed in a closet’

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Family fears body found in North Miami nursing home is missing senior: ‘He was stuffed in a closet’


NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – Loved ones were experiencing heartbreak and anguish as a body was brought out of a North Miami nursing facility on Monday.

Family members told Local 10 News they believe it’s 71-year-old Elin Etienne, who was reported missing from North Dade Nursing and Rehab, located at 1255 NE 135th St., nearly two weeks ago.

Now they’re not sure he ever left.

“He was stuffed in a closet the last 12 days,” said a family member. “The officer advised he was so decomposed that they couldn’t recognize him.”

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Loved ones say Etienne was a cook, a loving father and grandfather. They said he suffered an aneurysm, which is why they took him to North Dade Nursing and Rehab.

On Aug. 22, he was reported missing.

The family says they got a call from a nurse.

“She told me that they lost him, then they transferred me to another nurse who said he signed a form to leave,” said a family member.

“Do you think he would have signed a form to leave?” asked Local 10′s Janine Stanwood.

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“No, he couldn’t even feed himself,” she replied.

The doors to the facility were locked when Local 10 News arrived on Monday. A staff member had no comment when asked about the situation.

Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.



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Fatal hit-and-run causes 3-vehicle crash in SW Miami-Dade – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

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Fatal hit-and-run causes 3-vehicle crash in SW Miami-Dade – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale


SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – An investigation is underway after one person died in a hit-and-run, which led to a three-car crash in Southwest Miami-Dade.

Miami-Dade Police arrived at the scene in the area of 43rd Avenue and Southwest Eighth Street, Monday morning.

7News cameras captured several officers at the scene and a car that was totaled.

MDPD handed the investigation to the City of Miami because the initial crash happened in the City of Miami’s jurisdiction.

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According to the City of Miami Police, the victim was a 29-year-old male and was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is unclear how many people were involved in the crash or their conditions.

Following the crash, two cars ended in a Walgreens parking lot.

Miami Police said that the third vehicle fled the scene. No description of the vehicle was provided.

The roadways in the area has been closed as police continue to investigate and the parking lot at Walgreens is partially closed down.

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Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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