A Florida homeowner’s attempt to profit from divided property spirals into a chaotic and bizarre land dispute, creating an unusual eyesore in the neighborhood, demonstrating that trying to capitalize on one’s assets can sometimes backfire.
The owner of a large piece of land in Delaney Park divided the property into two separate parcels, eventually selling one to the highest bidder. This decision marked the beginning of a tumultuous and complicated ordeal.
Orlando City Councilwoman Patty Sheehan remarked on the situation, saying, “Y’all are like the Hatfields and McCoys here — you’re never going to agree.”
The landowner held two different mortgages for the divided properties, and in an unconventional move, constructed a single building straddling both plots. As time went on, this decision proved to be a mistake. When the mortgages went into foreclosure, the bank acquired the property with the house, while the original owner retained the portion with the pool. The bank grappled with the unusual property situation for six years, leaving the house vacant.
Neighbor Richard Sconyers commented, “We’ve had to kick (out) vagrants, we’ve had to watch the property… So it’s taking our time, and it’s a constant effort to maintain that.”
The owner of the smaller plot, which was too small for a house, erected a fence that ran through the pool and the other property’s garage, effectively blocking access and reducing the value of the neighboring property. This strange situation arose as a result of the original owner’s inability to sustain their initial plans.
The owner of the smaller plot offered to purchase the house for $300,000, but the bank refused. Instead, the bank proposed to buy the small parcel of land for $40,000, hoping to regain half the garage and pool and remove the troublesome fence.
In the end, local democracy intervened. The Florida City Council granted permission for the original owner of the smaller parcel to build a small property on their land.
Jeff Aaron of the GrayRobinson law firm expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “It was a great outcome. We paid good money for a piece of land. And for four years, Deutsche Bank has held us hostage, unable to develop our land.”
Nevertheless, the property remains an eyesore, and the fence continues to be a point of contention in this complex property debacle.
Source: AWM