Who is: Masoud Shojaee?

A A A Comments Thursday, Apr 14 2005

Masoud Shojaee and his wife Maria, both 46 years old, incorporated Shoma Development Corporation in 1988. Today it is one of South Florida's preeminent residential builders. Masoud is listed as the company's president; his wife is Shoma's secretary (she is the daughter of José Lamas, founder of Medley-based Aljoma Lumber).

Aixa Montero / Daily Business Review

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Though Shoma has been active in the tri-county area, lately it has concentrated on West Miami-Dade, Doral in particular. Last year the company spent $39 million for the 45-acre Ryder Systems property. More recently Shoma paid $69 million for the Greens at Doral, a 440-unit apartment complex the developer intends to convert to condos. Shoma is also converting a portion of the Fontainebleau Golf Club to a 1900-unit condominium complex.

Last year homeowners living in the Courtyards at Nautica in Miramar filed a class-action lawsuit against Shoma and Masoud Shojaee, charging that their homes cannot withstand hurricane-force winds, as required by the South Florida building code. In 2002 the Miami Herald reported similar problems at the nearby Harbour Lakes development, also built by Shoma.

Lawsuits haven't distracted Shojaee from his interest in politics. According to federal campaign-finance reports, Masoud Shojaee donated $10,000 to the state Republican Party in 2004. He also contributed $2000 to the U.S. Senate campaign of Mel Martinez. Shojaee and his wife each donated $250 to the 2004 campaigns of county Commissioners Carlos Gimenez and Natacha Seijas, and to mayoral candidate José Cancela. Through seven of his corporations, Shojaee contributed $3500 to state Rep. Ralph Arza's unopposed re-election. In 2003, through three companies he controls, Shojaee donated $5000 to the winning candidates in Doral's inaugural election to create a city council.

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