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1669-18 Social, Society,& Local News 1946-1993 T 1 Y ? k , JACK • ROBERTS • Sunset Island No. 2 =1.a paradise picky, . The newspaper ad under homes for sale said "open house," so Dr. Carl Baumann and his wife, Josie, went to ia4rni Beach's Sunset Island No. 2 and took a look. They laited what they saw: a big old two-story place on the water, asking price was $140.000 but offers were being invited. This was early last September and Baumann recalls ask- the salesman on the premises if Sunset Island No. 1 and 2 e restricted against Jews.tr MAY 5 1972 z He says he was told no and subsequently submitted an • r of $135,000 on,the house. The offer was accepted but umann had to sign an addendum to the contract stating he . - : • . . .•• i•.' roved by the 41r: set Island Property Owners Association. OF Baumann,a 38-year-old dentist, says he asked Paul Wim- bish, the realtor who had the listing on the home, what his chances were for being approved by the association. "Wim- bish said there was no chance for approval," says Baumann, • "but I told him to submit my application anyway." Like joining a fraternity ' . ' Wimbish denies having told Baumann he had no chance for approval and explained to this reporter that buying prop- erty on the two islands was akin to joining a fraternity—you ziped the approval of fraternity members first. Anyway,Baumann submitted his application for member- ship, filling out a form which required him to state his reli- gion and the maiden names of both his mother and his wife's mother. r .." , "We made no pretenses,"says Mrs. Baumann,a pert bru- nette of 32 and mother of three. "I knew there were secret ri Jews on the islands but we had nothing to hide." Mrs. Bau- mann also added that her father, Leonard Wien, had been turned down years ago when he tried to purchase property on the island. In his application for membership Baumann;had to list 15 references. Five of these were contacted by tine association, he says, and he knows that replies were favorable to him. Among those contacted were such people as Mitchell Wolf- son, head of Wometco Enterprises; Leonard ll,bess, the well known financier; Aldo Simmons, principal of North Beach El- ementary,and Dr.Robert Magoon. • , Three weeks after submitting his application Baumann was invited to the Miami Club for lunch with 'Walter Godbold, who was then vice president of the property owners group; John Shuey, long identified in the developmemk of the islands, and Jack Steward. „ Baumann said he thought the luncheonwent well and was given the impression by two of the three men that they favored his application. • Nevertheless,on Sept. 30 Baumann wee;notified by God- bold that the directors of the Sunset Islam} Property Owners Association had denied his application and;were returning his $100 initiation fee. j Godbold, an a' n ..,,_ ' y, •se_ jo' uss-the turndown, stating that he is no longer representing the association. He referred all questions to the new attorney, H®ward Setlin, - k' Hun steps in ; • . ` After being turned down, Baum ann contacted the U.S. J'astice Department, which in turn!gave the complaint to • housing and Urban Development (HI JD). This agency sent an investigator to Miami and suhccoupT, tt,, u.-, c.,•-•--, ,_, ... r was invited to the Miami Club for lunch with 'Walter Godbold, who was then vice president of the property owners group; John Shuey, long identified in the developme!nk of the islands, and Jack Steward. • Baumann said he thought the luncheon went well and was given the impression by two of the thoee men that they favored his application. -• Nevertheless, on Sept.30 Baumann WM;notified by God- bold that the directors of the Sunset Island Property Owners Association had denied his application and;were returning his x100 initiation fee. ‘fGddbold, an.attot n y, (uses o't s cuss-the turndown, stating that he is no longer representing the association. He referred all questions to the new attorney, Howard Setlin. HUD / . t . steps in After being turned down, Baur}ann contacted the U.S. Justice Department, which in turn! gave the complaint to 1-lousing and Urban Development (HI JD). This agency sent an ilivestigator to Miami and subsequesi tly the Sunset Island as- sociation was asked to make sweeps ng changes in its restric- tions — the key change being removal of the clause that membership in the association be a.: requirement for owning property on either of the islands. h' • This "reconciliation agreement',° was never approved by the association, although members'did agree to a statement that they would not discriminate on,4hebasis of race,creed or national origin. • Baumann's dispute with the .*+pi7.perty owners became a moot question in December when the owner of the house he wished to buy said he was no long tr,bound by the association rales since the property owners ch ar ter would expire Dec. 31. He said he wanted to sell to Baum an nand the deal was closed last February. So what's Baumann's beef? Wel lohe still smarts from the turndown, although he says he teas--'been invited to property owners meetings and has been trey ited cordially by several members. At least two other Jewish . families have purchased • property on the islands since Baurna nn began his struggle. Baumann says he never intend( sd to get involved in a cru- sade.-All'he wanted was a sort of di ream house for his family. "I've lived here 25 years awl:my wife has lived here all her life," says Baumann. "We belong to this community and it offends me to think that we're Excluded from certain places because we're Jewish. There art!'other islands and three clubs which remain restricted against J ews." ' Baumann rattled off the min les of some of Dade County's best known Jews,saying that tint IT told him they would like to buy homes on restricted islands but won't do so because they don't wish to offend certain ett ments of a "gentile establish- ment." I, "I have no strings on mei," g says Baumann. "As a dentist, rwork alone. As for the prof )erty owners association, I no longer wish to be a member, although I do want to pay my $ 50 a year dues for island MA intenance." . '. and moralLi A. turpitude r. I Howard Setlin, the pro] )erty owners' new attorney, says Baumann has been accept& d as a member and can't under- •and why Baumann feels i resentment. Setlin says he would "till like to see ownership of property on the islands left to the approval of the asset* ition . . . but with the provisions at financial ability and ti+ moral fitness be the only require- ents. r, After this repOrter is lked with Wimbish by phone, the ell known realtor follows :d up the conversation with a letter which he said it would' be a service to the community not to "publicize incidents a''..d alleged facts which somehow get distorted." Wimbish said he ores• y asks clients their religious prefer- ence because as a broker' ,he must know their needs. "Ortho- dox Jewish people," says Wimbish, "must be close enough to a place of worship to yea' kit to service." - As for HUD, Wirr}i,,.,ish says: "They want to tell us how to run our business. Wes :know what our clients need and have proved it fairly succet rs1 'ully over a period of years." strTrIIimasP"°',IN F[111'11 I IR I Library here give en $12,500 U.S. grant The Miami Public : Library the library resources center has received a federq_ ,l grant grant," said Florida Secre- totaling $12,500 to 1 io lster its tary of State Richard Stone, collections for par t6 zipation in the statewide int:er •-library who is in charge of the state loan network. library and the`Division of "This is half pay ment of Library Services.