trustees allege – Trustees of a Worcester Square condo say more than $800,000 from insurance money meant to rebuild a 10-unit building after a 2023 fire was stolen or diverted by the property management company Premier Property Solutions, setting off a Suffolk Superior Court la
On a quiet stretch of the South End’s Worcester Square, a condominium building that was left unlivable by a 2023 fire is still caught in limbo—because the money meant to move the project forward is no longer there.
Three years after flames rendered the five-story property at 30 Worcester Square uninhabitable and displaced 15 residents. trustees say they discovered the renovation funds they were counting on had been siphoned away. They allege the missing amount tops $800,000, and they’re suing in Suffolk Superior Court, filing the complaint on June 2.
The suit says the trustees had depended on their property management firm to handle insurance proceeds intended to repair and restore the 10-unit brownstone. After the fire, the condo owners received about $2.97 million in insurance proceeds. The trustees say they believed that money was deposited into an escrow account. and that they regularly met with the property management team to discuss the ongoing work.
But in late May, two meetings were canceled, and the trustees say they were unable to access the bank accounts they believed controlled the funds.
The complaint points to Premier Property Solutions as the party trustees now believe failed them. It says Premier took over as property manager in 2013 and had exclusive control over the building’s bank accounts.
Premier’s internal structure is also central to the dispute. While the company was founded by Robert Weintraub. the complaint says day-to-day management and operational responsibilities were transitioned over the past few years to Patrick Colbert. who the trustees allege oversaw the accounts with the trust.
Premier issued a statement saying it initiated a review after concerns were identified. The statement said. “Concerns were recently identified regarding irregularities involving certain accounts maintained on behalf of condominium associations.” It added that “upon learning of those concerns Mr. Weintraub immediately initiated a review to attempt to understand what had occurred and identify steps to help protect client assets.” Premier said its review found the problems “extended beyond what appeared to be an isolated accounting error. ” and the company said it is continuing to work with insurers. financial professionals. and other parties to determine the full extent of losses and identify potential avenues for recovery.
In the meantime, the trustees say the damage has already reached the reconstruction timeline. According to the lawsuit, on May 21 a trustee learned for the first time that Premier was being sold and that a new entity, SBC2 Properties, began taking over Premier’s condominium management.
When SBC2 Properties reviewed the accounts. the trustees say it found that the remaining balance was $25. 000—far below what was needed to complete the reconstruction project. The complaint says the trust should have had close to $800. 000 remaining to complete the work and that the shortfall left them unable to move forward with their renovation plans this spring.
The trustees’ figures are stark. The lawsuit says that between June 2023 and February 2026, there were 64 separate transactions moving money to different accounts managed by undisclosed Premier accounts, resulting in the loss of just over $805,000.
Premier declined to speak directly on the Worcester Square allegations. In its statement. the spokesperson said the company’s “focus remains on supporting affected condominium associations. cooperating fully with all apropriate reviews and proceedings. and pursuing every available path to help impacted parties achieve the greatest possible recovery.” Premier also said the owner plans on making the losses whole again.
The trustees are asking the court to order Premier to return the funds and provide records of the money transfers.
A preliminary injunction hearing has been scheduled for July 7—an early test of whether the court will step in to protect the remaining assets and force transparency as the rebuilding stalls.
Worcester Square South End condo trustees Premier Property Solutions Robert Weintraub Patrick Colbert Suffolk Superior Court insurance proceeds escrow account preliminary injunction SBC2 Properties 30 Worcester Square
800k just vanished??? sounds like somebody dipped into escrow.
I’m not even shocked anymore, these condo managers always “manage” until the money disappears. If the meetings got canceled that’s a huge red flag.
So wait, is this like the insurance company stole it or was it the management company? The article says escrow but then says they couldn’t access bank accounts, which makes me think the insurance never got there in the first place. Also Premier took over in 2013 but the fire was 2023… seems like too long for it to be a surprise.
Property managers always have “exclusive control” and then everyone acts like it’s not their fault. Canceled meetings in late May is crazy though, like why would you do that if everything is fine. I also saw a name Robert Weintraub and immediately thought insider connections or something, because how convenient. Meanwhile those poor residents are still stuck after the fire, that’s just messed up.