JDSPulse Investigation Series: “JDS: Payment Patterns”
Introduction
This publication continues the JDSPulse investigation series titled “JDS: Payment Patterns,” dedicated to systemic non-payments and breaches of financial obligations in JDS Development Group projects.
Previously, JDSPulse has covered:
- A lawsuit filed by the law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres against Michael Stern and JDS Development Group for approximately $2.7 million in unpaid legal services — information confirmed by official court records, as well as publications in industry and business media;
- Lawsuits from consultants and contractors associated with GV Development Group (Gianluca Vacchi) totaling over $1.7 million, including projects for Mercedes-Benz Places and Dolce & Gabbana Tower.
Now, a new episode is added to these cases — a public statement from subcontractors on the Mercedes-Benz Sales Center project in Miami, initiated by Roberta Alba.
New Episode: Miami, 2025
JDSPulse has obtained correspondence between Roberta Alba (RAIDC) and JDS Development Group leadership regarding the Mercedes-Benz Places Sales Center in the Brickell district.
The letters and their attachments include tables of unpaid invoices, lien notices, and the text of a press release prepared for immediate distribution.
Roberta Alba’s Press Release (November 7, 2025)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Subcontractors Say They Haven’t Been Paid for Mercedes-Benz Sales Center Build-Out in Brickell Work completed December 2024 – February 2025; firms urge developer to resolve outstanding invoices.
Miami, FL — November 3, 2025 — A coalition of South Florida subcontractors and suppliers announced today that they have not been paid for labor and materials provided to construct the Mercedes-Benz Places Sales Center in Brickell during December 2024 through February 2025. The firms state that, despite repeated invoices and demand letters, outstanding balances remain unpaid by the project’s developer.
“Small and mid-sized trades carried this project across the finish line on tight schedules. We met every inspection and turnover milestone. We’re simply asking to be paid what we’re owed under our contracts.”
List of subcontractors, vendors and suppliers: ADC / Atlantic Design Corp, All Digital, BP Landscaping, Black Jungles, Bolinger Drywall, Capital Glass, Coastal Waste, Dave Custom Gates, Deco Finish, Draper Scheduling, EventStar, Florida Concrete Unlimited, JS Carpentry, JS Waterproofing, Keller Foundations, LED Packs, Lima Electric, MP Quality Painting, Ocean Design, Pro Facade, Ukrainian Handyman, Unlimited Electric, Unlimited Systems, Will Scott, Wonderstone, Vintage Flooring.
Contact: Roberta Alba RAIDC (Roberta Alba Interior Design & Consulting) ralba@robertaconsulting.com | 305-331-2587
JDSPulse Commentary
The published document demonstrates how JDS Development Group’s internal financial conflicts have escalated into the public domain.
The press release distribution was addressed to contractors — Robert Gonzalez (ADC) and Moises Perera (MP Quality Painting) — with a copy to the JDSPulse editorial address, indicating an intentional effort to inform the media.
According to JDSPulse data:
- Out of 12 RAIDC invoices, only two have been paid;
- The unpaid balance exceeds $62,000, with delays of up to 300 days;
- The correspondence involves Michael Stern, Luke Tulley, Rachel Goldstein, and Urban Coast Build;
- Several contractors report that even their lawyers, who filed lien notices, have not received payment.
“When a contractor has to hire a lawyer to get their own money — and that lawyer ends up unpaid too — this is no longer an accident, but a pattern of behavior,” one project participant told JDSPulse
The Repeating Scenario
Similar non-payments have been recorded in other JDS Development Group projects:
- 111 West 57th Street (New York) — subcontractors and consultants reported multi-month debts;
- Dolce & Gabbana Tower (Miami) — suppliers claimed frozen contracts;
- And many other cases, which can be read in detail on the official JDSPulse website.
- Mercedes-Benz Sales Center (Brickell) — public appeal from RAIDC and disclosure of correspondence via JDSPulse;
What’s Emerging
JDSPulse is documenting a consistent pattern of behavior by JDS Development Group:
- The company systematically fails to make payments under active contracts.
- It does not settle not only with contractors, but also with legal representatives.
- It uses time and bureaucracy as tools for pressure and delay.
- After claims accumulate, conflicts spill into the media space.
The Kasowitz Benson Torres lawsuit against Michael Stern and JDS Development Group is officially confirmed by court documents and covered by several American publications.
This lawsuit, alongside new statements from contractors, forms a clear pattern of non-payments spanning the entire chain — from builders to lawyers.
Context
Against the backdrop of luxury projects under brands like Mercedes-Benz and Dolce & Gabbana, the non-payments within JDS structures appear as a systemic management problem.
A company positioning itself as a premium-level developer fails to fulfill basic financial obligations to its own counterparties.
Conclusion
The totality of confirmed facts — non-payment to contractors, consultants, and law firms — points to a persistent model of non-payments as a business practice.
In this model, JDS’s financial obligations to partners, suppliers, and lawyers are systematically replaced with promises, deadline extensions, and legal maneuvers.
This raises a logical question: Are there any investors who have actually profited from Michael Stern’s projects?
And another: Is this the same person accusing JDSPulse of publishing “unobjective and untrue information”?
JDSPulse continues to document and verify new episodes related to JDS Development Group’s corporate non-payments and will publish updates as confirmations and documents become available.
If you have worked with JDS Development Group and encountered similar non-payments, contact the JDSPulse editorial team confidentially: contact@jdspulse.com
