A Miami-Dade jury just turned a modest Golden Beach deal into a legal thunderclap, awarding nearly $48 million to a local broker who claimed he was cut out of a waterfront home sale. What started as an $84,000 commission fight over a roughly $2.8 million house has ended, at least for now, in a verdict packed with both compensatory and punitive damages after a six-year court battle.
The Case In Brief
Broker Alexander Goldstein began working with a buyer in 2018 on a waterfront home listed around $2.9 million that ultimately sold for about $2.8 million. According to court filings and trial testimony, Goldstein relayed the seller’s so-called “magic number” to the buyer. Less than two hours later, the buyer’s sister, Irene Ezekiel Ishay, allegedly stepped in as the buyer’s broker, submitting a new offer and collecting roughly $5,000 in commission while Goldstein’s commission was credited back at closing.
As reported by The Real Deal, the jury found fraud, tortious interference and conspiracy, and handed Goldstein a blockbuster win through his brokerage, Miles Goldstein Real Estate LLC.
How The Award Was Calculated
The jury’s written award came to about $47.83 million in favor of Miles Goldstein Real Estate LLC. That total breaks down to roughly $19.83 million in compensatory damages and $28 million in punitive damages. The figure reflects the verdict as entered and could still be reduced or reshaped during post-trial proceedings, according to trial coverage.
CityBiz reports that jurors were allowed to consider punitive damages and were shown evidence the court described as intentional and pre-planned, clearing the way for the hefty punitive component…