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Park-model homeowners at Camp Venice ask county to press seller for relocation help after $14M sale announced
Summary
Twelve park-model homeowners who live at Camp Venice told commissioners they were blindsided by news of the park’s pending sale and said the purchase contract requires the seller to clear the park’s units at closing; they requested county oversight and assistance to secure fair relocation outcomes.
A group of 12 park-model homeowners at Camp Venice told the Board of County Commissioners on May 5 they were alarmed after learning of a pending $14 million transaction for the property and said the draft purchase agreement requires the seller to clear the park of park models and attached structures at closing.
Residents said they had not been notified by the owner, that some residents live at Camp Venice year-round and others seasonally, and that several owners have decades of residency. Regina Lampig and others said they discovered the pending sale only after a newspaper article and that the owner’s public comments suggested the seller planned to remove park models and structures without vendor-funded compensation or relocation assistance. “We have been left completely in the dark about the sale of our Camp Venice home to Sarasota County,” Lampig told the board.
Homeowners asked the county to provide oversight to ensure owners receive fair treatment and to urge the seller to offer compensation or relocation assistance; several cited nearby county purchases of flood-damaged properties and asked the county to use the same standards. County staff said the purchase contract before the board (consent item 4) had been negotiated by county Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources and that the seller reported the leases were simple one-year land leases that expire December 31. Staff said the county’s agreement did not create an obligation to provide relocation payments to park-model owners but that staff had engaged in outreach and clarified the lease status during negotiations.
Why it matters: several residents said the park is their only home and that an eviction could leave vulnerable residents without housing. Commissioners approved the consent item for the sale with a unanimous vote, and Commissioner Mast and staff discussed efforts to confirm lease terms and to provide a path for the park-model residents to resolve ownership and relocation questions.
What’s next: staff told the board they will continue outreach with the seller and residents to clarify lease and ownership status and to explore options for oversight; residents asked commissioners to use any available leverage to ensure equitable outcomes for the 12 households.
