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Advisory board flags legal limbo at Inverness FBO after county terminates Wright Rudder lease
Summary
Board members said the Board of County Commissioners terminated the Wright Rudder FBO lease and Wright Rudder responded with litigation; the dispute leaves the Inverness facility without a clear, recognized FBO and prompted requests for a county legal briefing and consideration of mediation to maintain services for tenants.
Members of the Citrus County Aviation Advisory Board discussed an ongoing legal dispute involving the FBO and lease at Inverness. During open forum board participants said the Board of County Commissioners terminated the Wright Rudder lease earlier this year, that Wright Rudder has challenged the termination in court and that rent is currently being held in escrow while litigation proceeds. Board members warned the dispute puts the airport in a status where there is no unambiguous, county-recognized FBO, which could affect insurance, operations and tenants who pay rent to the FBO.
Board members urged county purchasing or legal staff and the BOCC to provide a briefing to the advisory board so members can understand the county’s position and contingency plans. One board member recommended mediation as a cost-saving way to resolve ownership/lease disputes and maintain operations while the parties seek a legal resolution.
Tenants attending the meeting asked whether their hangar leases remain valid while the FBO contract is in dispute. Staff said that tenant payments are currently being made to the FBO and that the county holds the contested rent payments in escrow pending the court outcome; no immediate changes to tenant access or payment processing were ordered at the meeting.
Why it matters: The uncertainty about who legally operates the FBO at Inverness has practical consequences for day-to-day services, liability and tenant relationships. The advisory board requested a county legal representative or BOCC designee provide a clear status update at the next meeting and to state whether the county will temporarily recognize current operators for operational continuity.
Next steps: The board asked staff to invite a county legal/purchasing representative or a BOCC designee to brief the AAB at the next meeting and to report back on options such as mediation, interim recognition of current operations, or other legal pathways.
