Lawyers Push to Regulate Condo Managers Amid Fraud Surge in Quintana Roo

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The Quintana Roo Bar Association is pushing a citizen initiative to regulate condominium administrators in the state, following a spike in embezzlement, fraud, and theft of maintenance fees that directly harm property owners.

Natalie Monserrat López Gómez, vice president of the bar association, said the proposal is part of working groups with the Builders Association and other entities aimed at updating the Condominium Property Regime Law.

“We are working on an initiative regarding the condominium property regime, together with other associations, with the goal of gathering proposals from builders, notaries, and certifications for administrators,” she said.

Key points include mandatory certification for administrators and the creation of a single registry, as there is currently a proliferation of civil associations causing disorganization.

“We want only one association to oversee all condominium property assemblies, because ultimately it is the owners who make the final decision,” López Gómez said.

With the growing number of vacation rental condominiums, Quintana Roo attracts individuals looking to exploit this expanding market.

A recent high-profile case occurred in Playa del Carmen, where an “administrator” through the firm MAFE is accused of defrauding at least 24 condo owners through a scheme of advance payments and fictitious projects, amounting to several million pesos.

López Gómez acknowledged the problem has become recurrent in the state: administrators disappearing with maintenance fee money, often deposited into personal accounts without proper oversight.

“There are administrators who disappear and the owners are the only ones affected. Maintenance fees, not being 100% regulated, can be misused. This practice has become very common in Quintana Roo,” she lamented.

The initiative aims to modernize a law that lawyers say is “poor” given the current needs of the real estate and housing sector. The goal is to provide legal certainty, professionalize condominium management, and protect owners’ assets.

The bar association plans to present the initiative to the state Congress and, if possible, push for it at the federal level in the Senate. More details are expected in the coming weeks.