Real estate standoff leaves single condo standing
Wesh TV
13 May 2016

In a fight between a developer who bought all the townhouses but one holdout, we have a "nail house" in Orlando. The video is well worth watching.

The developer will fix the wall that was damaged.

Westgate contractor severely damaged vacation home
Orlando Sentinel
Stephen Hudak   Contact Reporter
26 May 2016

ORLANDO —A demolition crew hired by Westgate Resorts severely damaged a family’s vacation home in Orlando — a home the owners had refused to sell to the timeshare empire. Now, Orange County says the home is no longer safe to inhabit.

Corredor family refused to sell town home to Westgate Resorts
Contractor demolishing other town homes severely damaged Corredor's
Westgate said contractor was told not to demolish home.

The Corredor family enjoyed the townhome for more than 30 years.

Now, posted signs say they aren’t allowed inside. Orange County code enforcement is now deciding whether the town home should be condemned.

The family said they feel bullied and are taking their legal battle to Orange County commissioners.

“I brought some pictures of what the property looked some years ago,” William Corredor told Orange County commissioners.

It’s a different picture from what the home looks like today.

“It’s like a disaster area,” he said. “It’s just a house in the middle of nowhere.”

The roof is collapsing at the edges, stairs lead to nowhere and the exterior walls are exposed and covered by a blue tarp.

All of this damage was caused by excavators with orders to partially demolish the row of attached town homes on both sides.

“Westgate sent us—my mother got a letter saying that they had just made a mistake and destroyed the property and to call their insurance company,” Corredor said.

Westgate Resorts acquired the town home community off Turkey Lake Road when the Sand Lake Village property filed for bankruptcy.

One by one, the resort company bought up the units—except for one.

The Corredor family said they were approached several times beginning 2012 to sell their $160,000 town home to Westgate. The first offer was for $25,000, and the family declined.

Without striking a deal, the family said they never knew demolition would begin.

According to Orange County officials, the permits filed by Westgate Resorts' contractor didn't mention there was a residence in the middle of their demolition plans and that the building with the Corredors' town home should not have been torn down.

“That is something that is being looked into now, because the county was not aware of the issue of ownership on this piece of property,” Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said.

Westgate Resorts said, “Under the contract, the general contractor was not to demolish Unit B53 (the Corredor unit) and was to handle job permitting.”

“It doesn’t seem like this could happen in America,” Corredor said.

While the county continues to investigate, construction on the expanded Westgate Lakes Resort continues around the Corredor’s crumbling vacation home.

Westgate Resorts said any damage done during the demolition is the contractor’s responsibility.

We also reached out to the contractor but have not heard back.

The Corredor family said that they have heard from the contractor’s insurance company but so far have not been offered any restitution for their claim.

top

Widow, timeshare wage war over last condo standing
Orlando Sentinel
Stephen Hudak  Contact Reporter
26 May 2016

Julieta Corredor's vacation home is the last obstacle in the way of Westgate Resorts' plan to build multimillion-dollar timeshare towers.

Bulldozers have plowed over everything else around home — every townhouse, the community spa, tennis courts and all the trees.

"It's just a house in the middle of nowhere now," said William Corredor, a software executive speaking for his 81-year-old mother, who bought the home 30 years ago with her late husband and used it as a hub to visit theme parks with their children, 19 grandkids and seven great-grandchildren.

But a Westgate executive said the company has tried for more than a decade to acquire Corredor's townhouse, offering double its value.

"This isn't about their mother's vacation home; this is about how much money they can get us to pay," Chief Operating Officer Mark Waltrip said. "We're building around them."

Corredor's son appealed to Orange County commissioners this week for help, complaining that Westgate erected a construction fence blocking access to his mom's place and questioning how the timeshare company got permission to start its $24 million project when it doesn't own the whole property.

County officials are re-examining Westgate's permit applications.

"That [approval] could be undone," said Jon Weiss, director of Orange County community, environmental and development services.

Developers seeking permission from the county for projects are required to certify they own all properties included in their plan or have agreements with authorized agents, Weiss said. If Westgate misrepresented its ownership, the company could be forced to stop work on the 180-acre project.

Waltrip said the company accurately portrayed the ownership of the properties.

Orange County property records are clear: Westgate or its parent company, Central Florida Investments, owns every lot in the former Sonesta Villa Resort but one: a two-bedroom, two-bath townhouse titled to Corredor's mother, who lives in South Florida and had used the property as a vacation home.

Weiss said the county wants a Westgate representative to appear next month before an advisory committee to explain the ownership discrepancy.

Waltrip said the townhouses adjacent to Julieta Corredor's unit were moldy and rotting. He said he asked the county to condemn hers, too.

William Corredor, 54, said money isn't the issue for his mother, who paid $154,000 for the home. He said his mother has been offered $150,000 by Westgate Resorts, whose president and CEO is billionaire David Siegel.

Property appraiser records show nearby condos have sold for an average of $69,000 over the past six months.

"She doesn't want to sell," Corredor said. "It's not like you can tell her what to do."

Her taxes on the property are up to date, although no one in the family has stayed overnight at the home for several years.

Corredor likened his mother's fight with Westgate to the situation faced by Carl, the cartoon hero in the animated film, "Up." A widower, the 78-year-old Carl is the last holdout against a skyscraper development rising around the home he had shared with his late wife and childhood love.

In the movie, Carl ties helium balloons to the house and floats away to adventure. "My nephew tied some balloons to mom's house, but it's still there," Corredor joked.

Meanwhile, county officials discovered another problem. A 2012 permit used to bulldoze the site had expired and did not cover the land around Julieta Corredor's condo, said Alan Plante, the county's chief building official. A contractor who signed for the permit declined to discuss the issue.

"My client probably doesn't want me talking to you," said Jason Livingston, the contractor.

Weiss said the company could be cited for conducting demolition work without a valid permit.

Corredor said a bulldozer clearing the area damaged his mother's townhouse. He said David Lenox, a lawyer for Westgate, sent his mother a letter in April, providing the contractor's insurance information. But because of the bulldozer damage, the county has deemed the townhouse to be unsafe.

Corredor's mother, as its owner, likely will be cited for a code violation, directing her to repair the structure.

He said the citation is not intended to be punitive, but a procedural step to ensure no one inhabits a damaged and unsafe building.

"We're not trying to pour salt in the wound," Weiss said.


top  contents  appendix  previous  next