BRADENTON BEACH – During the March 19 city commission meeting, Building Official Rob Perry estimated there were only five to seven inhabited mobile homes left in the 86-unit Pines Trailer Park.
Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association vice-president Rex Geissler disputed Perry’s assertion and emailed The Sun on March 25 saying that number is closer to 20.
A once-bustling community, the park now has a handful of residences that appear to be inhabited – with cars in the carports, bicycles outside and plants still blooming. Yet, the majority of the mobile homes are empty and some are in disrepair. There have been reports of squatters entering the empty mobile homes and the police department and the city have been notified.
During happier times in December 2024, Pines’ residents who expected to repair their mobile homes gathered on Joe Klingler’s patio to celebrate the holidays. – Leslie Lake | Sun
The Pines Park Investors LLC ownership group announced the closure of the park in January 2025.
Twenty-nine homeowners were served notices of eviction beginning in March 2025. The evictions followed residents withholding their monthly lot rent payments because of the continued disrepair of the park amenities and park grounds after the 2024 hurricanes. Many of those who were evicted, and numerous other mobile home owners too, surrendered their titles to the park ownership group.
Two waterfront mobile homes took the worst hits from the 2024 hurricanes. – Leslie Lake | Sun
Those who remained benefited from a lawsuit filed on March 28, 2025, by Pines Park HOA in an effort to stop the evictions. The lawsuit was settled on Aug. 8, 2025. The specific settlement terms are confidential, but the agreement allowed some homeowners to remain at the park for an undisclosed additional time period.
A view from one of the roads in the Pines Trailer Park shows cars parked in front of several mobile homes. – Leslie Lake | Sun
The fate of the park, which was built around the 1930’s, remains unknown.
In January, the park owners applied to the city to subdivide the mobile home park property into two separate parcels.
While that application was rejected by the city, Perry said during the March 19 meeting that the park property would at some point be rezoned from M-1 (mobile home zoning) to a different zoning designation. He said the city will decide what that new zoning designation is.
“They (the park owners) want to develop the property, and it won’t be a mobile home park,” Perry said.
As of March 26, the city had not received any additional development applications.
Bicycles still stand outside this mobile home. – Leslie Lake | SunThis is one of the three waterfront mobile homes that took the worst hit from the 2024 hurricanes and were deemed unable to be repaired. – Leslie Lake | SunThis hurricane-damaged mobile home appears to be unoccupied. – Leslie Lake | SunRipped screens and broken railings outside of two empty mobile homes. – Leslie Lake | SunThis empty mobile home has a broken porch light hanging from it. – Leslie Lake | SunThe empty mobile home has a broken door and broken windows. – Leslie Lake | SunDebris lines the common area leading to what once was the laundry room. – Leslie Lake | Sun
BRADENTON BEACH – The owners of the Pines Trailer Park have applied to the city to subdivide the mobile home park into two separate parcels.
“They did put in an application for a lot split which was rejected,” Building Official Rob Perry said during the March 19 city commission meeting. “They can’t do a lot split. There’s an old plat there. We have five mobiles on each lot in the old plat.”
It’s unclear from the Jan. 30 lot split application exactly what the owners’ future plans are for the 86-unit mobile home park. The application shows the park’s present zoning classification as M-1 (mobile home use). The future land use category is listed on the application as “ROR (retail/office/residential) and Commercial (split).
“It’s going to go from M-1 (mobile home zoning) to something, but I’m going to put a question mark on that,” Perry said. “The city’s going to determine what they want that zone to be. They (the park owners) want to develop the property, and it won’t be a mobile home park.”
The lot split application was submitted by land use attorney Marshall Robinson on behalf of Pines Park Investors LLC.
“They are going to go back to their planner and submit a proper PRD (Planned Residential Development) or PUD (Planned Urban Development). It would be a major development,” Perry said. “It’s coming. There’s going to be a zoning change request and not a lot split.”
“That was always going to be a rezone request when Kaleta’s group bought that property,” Commissioner Debbie Scaccianoce said. “They bought it with the intention of doing a rezone request within five years.”
Developer Shawn Kaleta was listed as the LLC/corporation manager when Pines Park Investors LLC was formed in May 2023. Kaleta was also listed as the limited liability corporation’s manager in the annual reports filed with the Florida Division of Corporations in 2024 and 2025. The amended annual report filed on Nov. 3, 2025, now lists longtime Kaleta associate Sam Negrin as the corporation’s manager. Attorney Louis Najmy remains listed as the corporation’s registered agent, as he has been since the corporation was formed.
Pines Park Investors LLC purchased the 2.78-acre mobile home park from the Jackson Partnership LLC on Aug. 25, 2023. The ownership group purchased the property subject to the stipulation that it would remain a mobile home park for five years from the date of purchase.
The uncertainty about the future of the Pines Trailer Park began in 2024, after Hurricane Helene caused water intrusion into the mobile homes. That December, then-Building Official Darin Cushing informed 83 of the mobile home owners that they could repair their hurricane-damaged homes if they obtained the proper permits.
In January 2025, however, Pines Park Investors LLC notified homeowners of their decision to close the park, citing “financial challenges, resident concerns and safety and long-term viability.”
Many of the mobile home owners withheld paying their lot rent due to what they said was the continued disrepair of the park following the hurricanes. Subsequently, many of those mobile home owners were either evicted or had to turn over to park ownership the titles of their mobile homes to avoid eviction. After those titles were turned over, those mobile homes were sealed, with screws driven into the doors to prevent entry.
The Pines Trailer Park homeowners’ association filed a lawsuit against the park ownership group and the lawsuit was later settled under confidential terms.
According to Perry, there are only five to seven residents remaining in the mobile home park.
The Pines Trailer Park is mostly vacant of residents. – Leslie Lake | Sun
After the March 19 meeting, Perry said, “We’re basically going to guide them (the park owners) in the right direction and let them get a private planner to submit a new plan, which is going to need a new plat and a PRD or a PUD.”
He said a replat and a major development application is needed and there are city-owned streets that run through the park.
Perry said he does not know what the Pines owners plan to specifically do with the property.
“I’m giving them the guidance to go through a zoning review with the planning and zoning board. There’s a process if they apply for a zoning change,” he said. “My job is to educate them and get them in the right direction.”
When contacted later in the week, Negrin did not respond to The Sun’s request for comment regarding the upcoming plans for the park.
BRADENTON BEACH – Hurricane recovery, city staff changes and Pines Trailer Park’s existence marked 2025 in Bradenton Beach.
Pines
Pines Trailer Park residents received city approval to repair their hurricane-damaged mobile homes but on Jan. 4, park ownership, Pines Park Investors LLC, stated that the park will be closed.
Pines residents asked the city on Feb. 20 to deny any future land use or zoning change requests for the Pines Trailer Park by Pines Park Investors LLC or its manager, Shawn Kaleta. City Attorney Ricinda Perry said at a Jan. 16 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting that the property owner had confirmed the planned redevelopment of the parcel.
The Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association (HOA) Inc. filed a lawsuit against Pines Park Investors LLC in part to stop evictions and the park’s closure. On Aug. 8 the suit was dismissed pending a confidential settlement agreement allowing residents to remain at the park for an undisclosed length of time.
106 23rd Street N.
With 85% of a building project completed under a 2024 city permit, a stop work order was issued at 106 23rd St. N. by city Building Official Bill Palmer, who said the prior permit for the two-story addition was approved in error by the previous building official. After discussion at five city commission meetings, commissioners reached a compromise solution and approved a special use permit for the property.
Turtles
With the loss of sand dunes from Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella expressed concern about a possible increase in sea turtle disorientations.
“Without dunes as a barrier, hatchlings and adult sea turtles that head towards artificial light may find their way into the road,” Mazzarella said
Hay bales were placed along beaches to mimic dunes.
Turtle release
Hundreds of onlookers gathered at Coquina Beach on June 23 for a scheduled loggerhead sea turtle release. The sea turtle, named Winnie, had laid her nest earlier that day and was outfitted with a satellite tag prior to her release. She participated in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s Tour de Turtles race and finished in 10th place.
Green turtle record
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring celebrated green turtles breaking their 2023 record of 12 nests on Anna Maria Island.
“We now have 13 green turtle nests on the Island and hope to get even more before nesting season comes to a close,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella wrote in a July 25 email.
The majority of turtle nests on Anna Maria Island are laid by loggerhead sea turtles.
Building official termination
The city suspended the contractual services of Building Official Darin Cushing on Jan. 22 pending discussion at an upcoming city commission meeting.
Mayor John Chappie did not give a reason for the suspension, but the city had been at odds with Cushing over his approval of a permit for the tiki hut at Drift-In on Bridge Street.
On Jan. 21 Cushing had posted on Facebook, writing in part: “They’re trying to take me out to bend over for developers. I will not compromise my integrity or my license.”
Chappie read aloud a memo at a Feb. 20 city commission meeting addressing the job performance of Cushing, outlining what the city said were deficiencies in his performance.
Bill Palmer, the city’s new building official, began work on March 5 and laid out a timeline as he stepped into his new role.
“My initial focus as building official will be reviewing the permits we have in backlog for storm-related repairs so people can get back into their homes and then work on new construction permits,” Palmer wrote in an email to The Sun.
Drift-In tiki bar
The construction of a tiki hut at the Drift-In bar triggered a major development application.
City Attorney Ricinda Perry said at a Jan. 16 city commission meeting that a permit approved by Cushing for the construction should not have been issued based on the city-owned easements on the property, as well as the size of the new tiki structure. She said the project should be classified as a major development and must undergo a public hearing process.
Drift-In celebrates 100 years in Bradenton Beach after undergoing major development process and easement exchange with city following construction of a larger tiki hut. – Leslie Lake | Sun
Commissioners unanimously approved the Drift-In’s major development application on April 8.
The Bridge Street bar reopened, at least temporarily, pending city review, on April 4.
City commissioners unanimously approved an amended easement agreement at a July 17 meeting.
In October, the Drift-In celebrated 100 years in Bradenton Beach
Bungalow Beach
Bungalow Beach Resort owner Gayle Luper filed a lawsuit against the city after commissioners denied her a permit to offer paid parking through the use of a resort pass.
Commissioners questioned paid public parking through the purchase of a resort pass, saying the beachfront bungalows at 2000 Gulf Drive N. had been destroyed during Hurricane Helene.
During a quasi-judicial hearing on the application on April 17, City Planner Luis Serna recommended denial of the application and city commissioners denied the paid public parking lot application. They allowed a temporary use permit allowing only Luper, resort guests and employees to use the lot daily until 9 p.m.
Luper appealed the decision at a July 19 quasi-judicial hearing. Special Master Marisa Powers later ruled that she, as the special master, did not have jurisdiction to override the city’s ruling.
Attorney retires
City Attorney Ricinda Perry’s 21-year tenure as the Bradenton Beach city attorney came to an end on Sept. 18 when she announced her immediate retirement at a city commission meeting.
City Attorney Ricinda Perry placed several document binders in front of Commissioner Deborah Scaccianoce when announcing her resignation. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
She made the announcement two days after city commissioners met to evaluate her performance following allegations that she had named Drift-In owner Derek Williams as the source of a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) complaint against a neighboring business, the Anna Maria Oyster Bar.
In response to Williams’ public records request, FDEP confirmed that no complaint had been filed, which triggered a Sept. 16 work meeting. At that meeting, the commission granted Perry’s request to allow her more time to respond to the allegations.
New city attorney
In October, the mayor and commissioners appointed then-Holmes Beach City Attorney Erica Augello to serve as the Bradenton Beach city attorney on an interim basis for up to six months or until a permanent replacement for selected. At year’s end, Augello was no longer serving as the Holmes Beach city attorney and she may be considered as Bradenton Beach’s long-term city attorney in 2026.
Changes in officials
Ward 4 Commissioner Jan Vosburgh decided in August not to run for another term. Her seat remains open pending applications from interested parties.
Fred Bartizal was chosen as the new chairman of the Planning and Zoning Board at the board’s Nov. 5 meeting. Bartizal, owner of the Bridge Tender Inn, succeeded former chair Bill Morrow.
BRADENTON BEACH – The owners of Pines Trailer Park, Pines Park Investors LLC (PPI), released a statement about their settlement agreement with the park homeowner’s association.
While the settlement terms are confidential, the statement indicates that Pines Park residents will be allowed to remain at the park for an undisclosed time period.
A lawsuit filed on March 28 in part to stop evictions and park closure by the Pines Park Homeowners Association against PPI was dismissed on Aug. 8 pursuant to the confidential settlement agreement.
Pines residents have said they are unable to disclose settlement terms or the tentative park closure date.
Twenty-six Pines homeowners at the 86-unit park were evicted for non-payment of lot rental fees following the 2024 hurricanes while others turned over title to their mobile homes to park ownership to avoid eviction. Legal notices declaring writs of possession remain taped to doors throughout the park.
Legal notices remain taped to trailers throughout the Pines Trailer Park as many homeowners there were evicted and/or surrendered their titles to park ownership. – Leslie Lake | Sun
Many of those who withheld lot rental payments said they did so based on the disrepair of the park amenities and common areas following the hurricanes.
During the week of Aug. 25, however, sources have told The Sun that the Pines clubhouse is being cleaned for the first time since the 2024 hurricanes nearly a year ago.
The Pines Trailer Park clubhouse, which sustained damage from the 2024 hurricanes, was being cleaned on Aug. 28. – Leslie Lake | Sun
The PPI statement was emailed to The Sun by its representative Sam Negrin and reads as follows: “Pines Park investors LLC (PPI LLC) is happy to announce that a settlement agreement has been reached between PPI LLC and the Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association. While complete details of the settlement are confidential, PPI LLC can confirm Pines Park residents will be allowed to remain residing at the park for an agreed-upon period of time.
“After suffering extensive damage from 2024’s back-to-back hurricanes, PPI LLC, like many other nearby businesses, has lost its ability to generate enough revenue to operate as a trailer park. The mutually agreed upon extension of time granted by PPI LLC will unfortunately result in significant time and financial losses to PPI LLC, but a settlement with Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association was in the best interest of all parties involved.
“PPI LLC is saddened by this situation that the storms created for all involved parties, but we are moving forward in line with the settlement reached with Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association.”
BRADENTON BEACH – Dozens of evictions and title surrenders have thinned out the population at the 86-unit Pines Trailer Park, but those who remain participated in a settlement agreement in exchange for dropping a lawsuit against the park’s owners.
The lawsuit was filed on March 28 by the Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association Inc. against Pines Park Investors LLC in part to stop evictions and the park’s closure. Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas signed an order on Aug. 8 dismissing the suit pursuant to a confidential settlement agreement.
Pines residents reached by The Sun said they are unable to discuss settlement terms or a tentative park closure date as such disclosure risks nullifying the agreement.
“Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association, Inc. and Pines Park Investors LLC, the owner of Pines Trailer Park, are pleased to announce that they have reached a confidential settlement agreement. This agreement amicably resolves the litigation that was pending in the Manatee County Circuit Court,” HOA attorney David Fredericks wrote in an email to The Sun.
“Both parties have worked diligently to address and resolve their differences, and they are satisfied with the outcome. As the terms of the settlement are confidential, no further details that relate to the terms of the settlement will be disclosed.”
Davie, Florida-based attorney Shawn Arbeiter represented Pines Park Investors.
In January, the park ownership announced that the park would be closed on July 31. At least one Pines owner is advertising a rental through September. The final closure date has not been disclosed.
According to the Manatee County Clerk of Court website, 26 Pines homeowners were evicted from the park for non-payment of lot rental fees. Many homeowners maintained that they withheld lot rental payments due to the disrepair and lack of amenities following Hurricane Helene in 2024. Others turned over title to their mobile homes to park ownership to avoid eviction.
One former owner was not privy to the settlement agreement after having turned over title to multiple units to park owners.
“Unfortunately, we made the tough decision to just turn over all titles to Pines Park Investors, so we’re out of the loop now,” the former owner told The Sun on Aug. 13. “Our biggest heartbreak will be if we see them fixing up all the old units… and begin renting them out. That will be extremely heartbreaking.”
BRADENTON BEACH – Pines Trailer Park homeowners are expressing frustration about the lack of communication as a possible park closure date looms on July 31.
A Feb. 4 email to homeowners from Fort Lauderdale-based property acquisition company The Urban Group stated in part: “As you have been previously informed, and as a direct result of the community-wide damage dealt by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, coupled with non-payment of lot rent, Pines Trailer Park is no longer sustainable as a trailer park, and must be closed, with an official park closure date of July 31, 2025.”
That email also offered homeowners some options, which included turning over title to the mobile homes in exchange for extended tenancy until January 2026 along with state statute-required compensation for abandoned units.
Several Pines homeowners have told The Sun that there has been no confirmation of the closing date either from park owners or The Urban Group.
Pines Homeowners Association President Neil Lind told The Sun on July 2 that the attorneys for the HOA and Pines owners Pines Park Investors LLC are currently “in negotiations” but said he was not authorized to elaborate.
“I have not heard a thing,” Pines homeowner Mary Mox stated by text on July 3. “No one is talking.”
The Sun emailed Sarasota-based Attorney David Fredericks of Anderson, Givens and Fredericks P.A., who represents the HOA, for comment about the park closure on July 2, but did not receive a response.
The HOA filed a lawsuit in March in part to stop park closure and evictions. Park owners made a motion for the dismissal of that lawsuit. A hearing is scheduled on the motion on Monday, July 28.
Pines homeowners react to park closure
Debbie Bouts’ family has a long history with Pines Trailer Park. Her grandparents bought into the park in the 1970s and her parents traveled from Ohio to spend five months there each year for many years.
She said after the 2024 hurricanes, they drove two days from Ohio to replace floorboards in a unit with no electricity and hired someone to clean the trailer out.
“He’s (Shawn Kaleta) keeping us hostage in a way,” Bouts said. “I think this was the perfect storm for him to have the land grab. He was able to take it over. This is breaking our hearts, it’s such a part of the community and he has taken so much from us.”
Bouts is concerned that when people see the current unkempt condition of the park, they will think the homeowners didn’t care.
“We have tried to do a lot even without electricity and plumbing,” she said. “There are a lot of us who are willing to fight for what’s ours.”
Bouts said she would like a decision on the future of the park to be made soon.
“We’ve paid rent for a year on a place we’re not able to use and we can’t get an answer,” she said. “Our dream is to get our place back. There weren’t any services and we’ve been paying over $1,500 a month. We should have the basic amenities. This is a perpetual whirlpool I find myself in.”
Lorraine D’Agostino and her husband purchased a trailer in the park in 2020 as a vacation getaway from their home in New York. She has a flight booked at the end of July in case the park closure necessitates cleaning out their unit.
She said she would like to say to Kaleta, “Why couldn’t you be honest and communicate with us? If you had really sat down with us and talked to us, you would have gotten a response.”
Another Pines homeowner, who asked not to be named, wrote the following in a text to The Sun which reads in part: “For decades, Pines Trailer Park has been a safe haven – a quiet, close-knit community nestled in the heart of one of Florida’s most picturesque coastal towns. Generations of families have called this place home, with neighbors watching out for one another, sharing tools, memories and a deep-rooted sense of belonging. But today, that spirit is being tested like never before.”
The homeowner described a change in tone after Hurricanes Helene and Milton and wrote that 80 families were left waiting for clarity and guidance, but instead heard silence.
“Nothing from Mr. Kaleta, the man behind the LLC that now owns our park. Nothing from his investors. Just cold legal notices and whispers of evictions and threats.”
The homeowner said local municipalities seemed paralyzed to challenge Kaleta and seniors on fixed incomes in the parks don’t have the resources to fight back.
“When the new owners bought Pines Trailer Park, we understood that the sale contract included a stipulation: the park was to remain a mobile home community for five years. That was our safety net, our lifeline. And now it seems it’s being ripped away. Is anyone listening?
“Pines Trailer Park isn’t just land. It’s our home. It’s our history. It’s the place where our neighbors became family. We are not just property to be bought, bulldozed and sold off to the highest bidder. We are 80+ families and we deserve to be heard.”
That homeowner said on July 2 that he was told by The Urban Group that no lot rent payments would be accepted after July 31, as more than 80 homeowners wait for official confirmation of a closure date.
BRADENTON BEACH – Rained-soaked eviction notices taped to trailers and littering the ground at the Pines Trailer Park, along with screws driven into some front doors to prevent entry, have effectively turned what was left of the 86-unit park into a ghost town.
At age 92, Pines resident Helen Hynes expected to repair her 39 Laverne Drive home after Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year and live out the rest of her life there, but instead, she is one of many park residents who have been served eviction notices.
Hynes spoke to The Sun on June 14 at the Pines trailer home of her daughter, Suzanne Hynes, where the two currently reside.
“It’s been really difficult. Emotionally, it’s been horrifying. That was my permanent home,” Hynes said.
“I’m so disappointed. We had a beautiful community here. Everybody knew everybody. Everybody for the most part got along. There were little ruffles here and there, but it was family. If something happened, it got taken care of in the community. We had holidays here; we had birthdays here. We celebrated everything in the clubhouse. Anything you needed happened within this little community. And all that was destroyed,” she said. “It was taken away by the floods and the storms but also by the heartlessness, absolute heartlessness of Shawn (Kaleta, park manager). And there was no consideration whatsoever of this as a community and people in this community. Only for the land and what’s the value of the land and property. It’s very sad.”
Helen Hynes became a Pines Trailer Park resident in 2013. – Leslie Lake | Sun
Hynes moved to the Pines Trailer Park in 2013 from Marblehead, Massachusetts and described how she fell in love with the area.
“My son moved to Sarasota and we came to visit him there,” she said. “The next time we came, we rented a place on Gulf Drive and that was it for me. My daughter and I walked up here (to the Pines) and I said, ‘I could live here.’ It was such a beautiful little community.”
Hynes and her daughter are among the few who remain at the park.
“We don’t have anybody here. Quite a few people have turned over their deeds (to owners Pines Park Investors LLC),” Hynes said. “I don’t understand that at all.”
Legalities
More than 24 eviction notices for non-payment of lot rent from park owners Pines Park Investors LLC were filed in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court at the rate of several new notices each week since April. Hynes was served on May 13.
Legal notices are taped to the door and litter the ground around a trailer at the Pines Trailer Park as more than two dozen residents have been served eviction notices. – Leslie Lake | Sun
In her response to the notice, Hynes submitted a letter to the court which stated in part, “My name is Helen Hynes and at 92 years old, I am the oldest resident of Pines Trailer Park. My primary residence has been at 39 Laverne Drive for the past 13 years. I want to address my reason for withholding the rent for #39 of late.
“At 39 Laverne I depended heavily on the park facilities, the clubhouse, the laundry machines and the parking lot particularly. Some (attorneys) have told us to withhold rent due to the almost complete lack of care and upkeep of the park and some have advised us to pay the lot fee in spite of the abandonment of care.
“I think, if I knew I could afford to, I would keep our lot rent up to date and not risk losing my home and investment. I would, ideally, love to move back into my own home and stay there for the rest of my life, but given what’s happening, I’m not sure it’s wise to spend the balance of our money in a place where, not only would it be unreasonable to try to live, but where someone with much larger means is intent on trying to force us out.”
On June 5, the court denied setting a hearing time for Hynes stating, “No legal defense was raised. While the court is not unsympathetic to the hardships that may have led to the defendant falling behind in rent, since the defendant has not timely deposited rent, the plaintiff is entitled to an immediate default. Further, while the defendant lists a variety of non-compliance issues with the landlord, she attaches no documentation in support of any potential notice of withholding rent as required by Chapter 83, F.S. Any delay must be sought through the plaintiff.”
Some Pines residents have told The Sun they withheld lot rent payments for a number of reasons, including disrepair of the park and amenities following the hurricanes, unfulfilled assurances made by Kaleta in October and uncertainty about the park’s continued existence.
On Jan. 4, residents were informed that the park would be closing, with an anticipated closure date of July 31.
Feeling abandoned, betrayed
Hynes said after the hurricanes last fall, residents felt they had been left on their own.
“We did not see one person here (from the LLC) after the hurricane,” she said. “No laundry facilities, no clubhouse, nothing. Nobody was here. We knew we were abandoned.”
“I think Brien (former park manager Brien Quinn) called people to come move some stuff – refrigerators and stoves and mattresses – that were rotting in the street. He did what he could.”
Some of the trailer doors at Pines Trailer Park have been screwed shut. – Leslie Lake | Sun
Hynes said that park residents had two meetings with Kaleta and his representative, Sam Negrin, in October.
“We met a couple of times in October at Salt,” Hynes said. “Right after he (Kaleta) said people didn’t have to pay lot rent, that changed immediately. Two meetings at Salt, then quiet, then the parking was taken away. Nothing was the truth, nothing was ever said that you could rely on as factual.”
Ryan Pfahler, a Pines homeowner of three units, has also received eviction notices, and was at the October meetings.
“Shawn Kaleta said at that meeting, ‘Right now, I’m not collecting rent. If the park is usable, pay rent, if not then don’t,’ ” Pfahler told The Sun on June 12.
Pfahler said he felt the entire situation was intentional.
“That was a set-up,” he said. “First we were told don’t pay rent, then they closed the parking lot and made it public parking in December because they said they weren’t receiving rent and now we’re getting sued for not paying rent.”
Pfahler said Pines residents were waiting for confirmation that the park would remain open but said there was no communication until residents were told in January that the park was being closed at the end of July.
“There was no communication, nobody knows what to do,” Hynes said. “Suzanne pays our lot rent here, but we don’t know what’s going to happen next. You really feel at this age you should be settled into a peaceable life.”
Lawsuit pending
The Pines Homeowners Association filed a lawsuit in March against the LLC in part to stop the park closure and evictions. Pines Park Investors LLC filed a motion to have the lawsuit dismissed and a hearing on that motion is scheduled for July 28. At a recent Bradenton Beach city commission meeting, Negrin said the LLC consists of approximately 15 investors.
Hynes said she and her daughter will likely move somewhere off the Island.
“It won’t be on the Island. If we had those kind of resources we wouldn’t be living in a trailer park,” she said.
She said her personal belongings are still in her trailer.
“I understand that after the eviction notices, the places have been locked up,” adding that she thought her trailer was still accessible.
Plans for the park after July 31 have not been disclosed, but Pines resident Joe Klingler told The Sun on June 14, “There were a couple of guys walking around here with clipboards a couple of weeks ago. I asked them what they were doing, and they said they were here to prepare bids to either demolish or drag some trailers out.”
The Sun requested comment regarding any plans to remove structures at the park from a Pines Park Investors LLC representative, but did not receive a response.
BRADENTON BEACH – Here is a timeline of events that have transpired at the Pines Trailer Park since Hurricane Helene struck last fall.
2024
On Sept. 26, storm surge from Hurricane Helene caused water intrusion into the 86 Pines Trailer Park mobile homes.
On Oct. 17, city building officials said that FEMA guidelines related to hurricane-related water intrusion would classify the properties as having major damage. Pines residents were told that FEMA regulations state that if the cost to repair a mobile home to its pre-storm state is 50% or more of the structure’s value, then the entire structure must be brought into current floodplain compliance. The city’s floodplain ordinance requires mobile homes to be elevated to 12 feet.
On Oct. 29, fire code and setback regulations were outlined by West Manatee Fire Rescue District Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski, who stated that all new mobile home installations must follow setback guidelines between structures.
At a Nov. 7 Bradenton Beach city commission meeting, Pines Park Investors LLC manager Shawn Kaleta said, “The units obviously took on water. There are fire separation issues, there’s mold, there’s structural stability, there’s elevation of the buildings, there’s all these questions. I’ve made a commitment to the residents from our side to keep the park there whatever it can be inside the code. I think that’s a vital part of the community, having residents and having everybody in that community as it exists. I think it’s an important piece of the community to achieve that.”
On Dec. 9, Pines residents received good news from then-City Building Official Darin Cushing when 83 of the 86 Pines Trailer Park owners received a notice from the city that they could repair their hurricane-damaged mobile homes with the proper permits. Some residents remained hesitant to move forward with repairs, however, saying questions about the Pines ownerships’ intent for the park were still unanswered.
“We previously provided you with a notice that your property may have been affected by flooding due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and that a second, more thorough inspection would be performed to gather data critical to making a formal determination as to whether the cost of repairs necessary to restore your building to its pre-damage condition might rise to an amount constituting ‘substantial damage’ as defined in the City’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance 21-538,” Cushing’s letter stated. Following the results of that second inspection, and with a review of the data, as well as a review of the property values, repairs could be made with the applicable permits, according to the letter. “The data suggests that costs to perform repairs and restoration will not constitute a substantial damage repair,” Cushing’s letter stated.
In early December, the parking lot for Pines Trailer Park residents at 201 First St. N. was converted into a public paid parking lot without notice to residents. Pines residents who required parking had paid $750 per year to park in the lot. A representative for Pines Park Investors LLC told The Sun that residents could continue to park in the lot until Dec. 31 and said a letter would be going out.
2025
On Jan. 4, Pines Park Investors notified homeowners of their decision to close the park. The reasons given were financial challenges, restoration and compliance, resident concerns and safety and long-term viability.
In a Jan. 27 letter to the Pines Trailer Park HOA, park ownership offered to sell the mobile home park to the residents for $75 million. Pines Park Investors LLC had purchased the 2.78-acre waterfront mobile home property on Aug. 5, 2023 from The Jackson Partnership LLLP for $16.25 million.
The Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association filed a lawsuit on March 28 against park owners Pines Park Investors LLC asking in part for an injunction against the park closure and threatened evictions.
Pines Park Investors LLC filed a motion for the court to dismiss the lawsuit filed against them in March by the Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association. A hearing on that motion is scheduled for Monday, July 28.
BRADENTON BEACH – A July 28 hearing is scheduled for a judge to decide on a motion filed by Pines Park Investors LLC to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them by the Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association (HOA).
The July 28 hearing will be held at 2:30 p.m. via Zoom video conferencing with Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas presiding.
The Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association filed the lawsuit on March 28 in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court, asking in part for an injunction against the park closure and threatened evictions.
Represented by Sarasota-based attorney David Fredericks, the lawsuit claims park ownership failed to comply with state law which rendered the park closure as invalid. The suit also alleges park ownership failed to fulfill its obligations in good faith, did not maintain the park’s common areas and did not provide adequate parking in accordance with the city of Bradenton Beach’s land development code.
Representing Pines Park Investors LLC, Davie-based Attorney Shawn Arbeiter, filed a 25-page motion to dismiss on May 5 that laid out the ownership group’s reasons for the dismissal request
The motion to dismiss maintains the evictions and park closure were done in accordance with Florida Statute 723, which governs mobile home parks.
The motion claims the HOA does not have authority as a properly formed HOA to represent all the Pines homeowners.
The motion states the Right to Purchase notice given to homeowners to purchase the mobile home park for $75 million complies with state statues.
BRADENTON BEACH – Pines Park Investors LLC filed a motion for the court to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them in March by the Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association (HOA).
The HOA lawsuit filed in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court claims park ownership failed to comply with state law which rendered the park closure as invalid. The suit also alleges park ownership failed to fulfill its obligations in good faith, did not maintain the park’s common areas following the 2024 hurricanes and did not provide adequate parking in accordance with the city of Bradenton Beach Land Development Code.
The HOA asked, in part, for an injunction against the park closure and the evictions.
“This action arises as a result of defendant’s unlawful actions regarding its failure to maintain and repair the park common area amenities, its defective notice to the association and its illegal and unconscionable actions to illegally close the park and evict the mobile home owners,” according to the HOA complaint.
Post-hurricane timeline
The 86-unit waterfront mobile home park sustained flooding during Hurricane Helene last September. On Oct. 17, Bradenton Beach Building Official Darin Cushing told the homeowners that FEMA guidelines characterized any unit in which water covered the floors as “substantially damaged.” That triggered the city floodplain ordinance requiring the units to be brought up to code, which included elevation of up to 12 feet.
On Dec. 9, however, 83 of the 86 Pines Trailer Park homeowners were told by the city that they may repair their hurricane-damaged mobile homes, with the proper permits. On Jan. 4, however, the homeowners received notification from the park’s ownership group, Pines Park Investors LLC, that the park was being closed in July.
In December, the parking lot at 205 1st Street N. (which had been used for an annual fee by park residents who did not have available parking) was converted into a paid public parking lot. On April 22, residents who were up to date on their lot rental payments were notified they could park free of charge in the lot “until further notice.”
In a Jan. 27 letter to the Pines Trailer Park HOA, park ownership offered to sell the mobile home park to the residents for $75 million. Managed by local developer Shawn Kaleta, Pines Park Investors LLC purchased the 2.78-acre waterfront mobile home property on Aug. 5, 2023, from The Jackson Partnership LLLP for $16.25 million.
Owners’ response
In the 25-page motion to dismiss, Davie, Fl.-based Attorney Shawn Arbeiter laid out the ownership group’s reasons for the dismissal request. The motion maintains the evictions and the park closure were done in accordance with Florida Statute 723 (also known as the Florida Mobile Home Act), which governs mobile home parks.
“Plaintiff seeks to derail the lawful transition of the park – as a result of terrible circumstances – with invalid legal claims,” the motion states. “Pines Park Investors LLC provided adequate notice to residents and the HOA in the event of a planned eviction due to a change in land use.”
The motion to dismiss also claims the HOA does not have the authority as a properly-formed HOA to represent all the Pines homeowners.
“Plaintiff lacks standing to bring claims because plaintiff has failed to properly plead that they are a valid homeowners’ association and thus are not permitted to represent all of the Pines homeowners,” the motion states. “This error is not merely a technical oversight, it strikes at the heart of their standing to bring this case. By failing to properly plead that they have satisfied these statutory requirements, the plaintiff has failed to state a cause of action in that regard as to counts and therefore all counts should be dismissed for lack of standing.”
The motion states the “Right to Purchase” notice made to the homeowners to purchase the mobile home park for $75 million complies with the state statue.
“The statute does not say at the market price or at the fair market price. The statute simply says at the price,” the motion states. “The defendant delivered a legally sufficient notice to the plaintiff as to their right to purchase the mobile home park at the price and under the terms and conditions in the written notice.
“Plaintiff seeks to enjoin the defendant from closing the park and from evicting mobile homeowners, but the plaintiff fails to cite to any underlying claim or statute that specifically authorizes such relief,” the motion states.
The motion concludes, in part, with the following claim: “There can be no irreparable harm if very few persons are residing in Pines Trailer Park because of the damage the park has sustained; and if there are persons residing in the park, those residents are likely there without properly pulling permits from the city, which the city has required in order to reside in one of the mobile homes considered substantially damaged.”
The defendant also asked for an award of attorney’s fees and costs in defending the lawsuit.
BRADENTON BEACH – The attorney for the owners of the parking lot at the Pines Trailer Park said residents who pay their rent may continue to use the lot for free while the city commission considers the owners’ request to charge for parking at the lot.
Attorney Stephen Thompson, representing the property owners, including developer Shawn Kaleta, made the concession during a special commission meeting on May 1 in which commissioners directed the building official to review regulations as it pertains to the parking lot at 205 First St. N.
When lot owners converted the lot to paid parking last December, many Pines Trailer Park residents lost their parking spaces.
“I’ve lived in Pines for 36 years,” Mary Mox said. “I’m speaking today for our many senior residents who feel devastated by what’s happening with our only parking lot. Our only safe place to park as seniors and disabled residents was taken from us. For senior residents this isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a hardship.”
“Based on our review of this we could not find any master plan showing the parking lot as a part of the Pines Trailer Park,” City planner Luis Serna reported on May 1. However, “It’s commonly understood that the parking lot has been used for the Pines Trailer Park.”
He reported that the site has been used for parking since at least the 1980s and has been under common ownership of the Pines Trailer Park since at least the 1930s.
“Our determination is this parking lot is a legal non-conforming use in the C-1 zoning district, meaning it can remain as currently used but any change in use would require it to come under compliance with the C-1 zoning district,” he said.
He said primary use as a standalone parking lot is specifically prohibited in the C-1 district.
“As a legal non-conforming use, the parking lot may remain as an accessory use for the Pines Trailer Park,” Serna said. “Any proposal to convert all or a portion of the parking lot for public parking would result in the loss of its non-conforming status and would not be permitted. Any other use of the property must comply with the standards and requirements of the C-1 zoning district.”
Serna said because of the longtime use of the property as an accessory to the Pines Trailer Park, he would recommend that if the parking lot is developed, the applicant provide information on the parking requirements of the Pines Trailer Park.
“The Land Development Code (M-1 zoning) requires a minimum of one parking space per mobile home in the Pines Trailer Park,” Serna said.
Thompson, representing parking lot owners, questioned the purpose of the meeting.
“The agenda talks about a discussion but there really hasn’t been any due process in regard to this,” Thompson said. “Is this a code enforcement issue? A compliance issue? We have never been notified that there’s an issue in regard to the parking being either non-conforming or out of compliance.”
Thompson said he did not think the commission had legal authority to make a decision on the parking lot at the May 1 meeting.
“I’ve not even seen a copy of the staff report. It would be ridiculous to say you’re going to make a decision when the owner has never even seen any of the reports,” Thompson said. “We never had an opportunity to make any presentation to your zoning board. To bypass your procedures and come directly to the city commission I really think is a misapplication of your ordinance and law and we couldn’t accept that.”
Mayor John Chappie said the purpose of the meeting is to gather background information and to have the city planner tell the commission what is and what is not allowed to happen on the property.
“We are not trying to shortcut this. That is why this has been going on for several meetings,” Chappie said. “The report was available. It was presented seven days in advance of this meeting. Anybody could have come in here and looked at it and I’m not sure why you did not do it.”
Chappie said if the city decided to take action on May 1, it would be in the form of direction to city staff.
“As the planner indicated, this parking area is not part of Pines Park. It has never been part of Pines Park, and was never approved as parking for the Pines Park,” Thompson said. “It has been made available by the owners of the park, but it was never a right by the tenants to have it. There is no legal requirement for the owners of this property to make it available to the tenants.”
Thompson said that former city Building Official Darin Cushing told parking lot owners to apply for a temporary use permit for the parking lot.
“My client prepared a temporary use permit and before it was applied, Darin Cushing called Mr. Kaleta (property owner Shawn Kaleta) and said there’s no need to get a temporary use permit because this was a permitted use,” Thompson said. “That’s why we’re a little surprised now that the city is looking to take away this vested right that we had established and your building official recognized.”
Thompson said if the city is going to close down the parking lot, which would impose a significant financial loss to the owners, they would have no alternative but to file a lawsuit.
Chappie read an email from Cushing that was sent to city commissioners. Cushing’s email reads in part: “I am in receipt of the City Commission Agenda for the upcoming Special City Commission Meeting on May 1, 2025. In the packet there is a letter from Stephen Thompson, Attorney for Kaleta, et. al., dated April 23, 2025, in which Mr. Thompson alleges that I was consulted with, concerning the use of the parking lot for the Pines, at 205 First St. N., immediately after Pines Park Investors purchased the property.
“First, the sale of the Pines took place on 08/25/23, and I did not take over as Building Official until late December of 2023. Second, I had no conversations with anyone about that parking lot until Mr. Kaleta, over a weekend, converted it to a Paid Parking Lot. Up until that point, I did not even know that the lot was associated with the Pines, or even who owned it. He converted this lot to Paid Parking in close proximity to the time that he turned a half dozen of his other vacant properties into Paid Parking Lots, all without any permission or permits from the City.
“Once we told Mr. Kaleta and his associates that they would need to apply for Temporary Use Permits for all of the lots, he included an application for the Pines lot with several others. He applied for some of them to be heard at one Commission Meeting, and the remaining ones at the next meeting.
“Several days before the Pines lot was to come before Commission, I was told by (City Attorney) Ricinda Perry, John Chappie, and (Police Chief) John Cosby that since this lot was always a parking lot, that he did not need any special permission to make it a Paid Parking lot. I was also told that they were striking it from the agenda.
“I contested this verbally and vehemently, to each of these individuals, but was overturned. There are no records of any of these conversations, but I would be willing to attest to it in a Court of Law.”
Owners’ position, concession for Pines
“At the last meeting, there was concern that we were taking away the parking from tenants,” Thompson said. “In talking to Mr. Kaleta, we want to roll back and allow the tenants to once again park on that lot. Just like they have done for years. Not that it’s a requirement or a legal obligation for us to do it, but I think that may bring a resolution to this issue.”
Negrin spoke on behalf of Pines owners.
“In late September and early October 2024 we were hit by the two storms,” Negrin said. “Our intention from the start has always been to restore Pines Park and to maintain it as a trailer park for years to come.”
He said 80% of residents stopped paying rent following the storms.
“We believe this delinquency was due to the city’s initial position stating that everything that got wet must go,” Negrin said. “About 20% of residents right off the bat were looking to relinquish their titles. Only 40% of residents said they were willing to rebuild, leaving us with a 60% vacancy rate. We could not possibly operate a trailer park on those levels.”
Negrin said the park ownership needs the revenue from the paid parking lot to remain afloat.
“We realized there are some paying residents still residing in the park prior to its closure and they are in need of parking. We are now providing parking to those residents in the parking lot across from Pines Park free of charge,” Negrin said.
City attorney response, commission determination
“You are dealing with two private entities more or less who are going back and forth on what their rights and entitlements are,” City Attorney Ricinda Perry said. “No one has given forward any evidence of any city approved land use documents about this particular lot, so we do not have any evidence. In my legal opinion you are hearing hearsay.”
Perry said there is nothing in the rental agreement, park prospectus or deed showing an obligation to hold that parking lot for Pines Park.
“All what we have today is a survey, but the survey did not state anything about what obligations were on the property owner,” she said.
“This commission is of the opinion based on the testimony of your planner that the legal non-conforming use was residential in nature. The attorney for the property owner stated the parking facility has been used to provide parking for the tenants within Pines Mobile Home Park and provided paid parking for others,” Perry said.” I have nothing that shows historical paid parking.”
She said there is nothing that was produced that shows the parking as part of Pines rental agreements.
“There is nothing in the prospectus, it has two different zoning classifications. The Jacksons owned it in separate entities and that indicates to me there may have been a different mindset. It’s held entirely separate. If I had something written to show what those uses were, I could take the hearsay that I heard and give that the weight necessary to make a competent substantial finding, but to me it’s ‘he said, she said.’ ”
Perry said, based on a complaint that was raised to the city about parking activities at the parking lot, she believes the commission is within its authority to ask the building official to determine whether or not further action or investigation is necessary.
“I believe the only option today is to designate your building official to review whether or not it needs to go through a code enforcement proceeding for parking activities that are taking place on that lot. And you could ask for the building official to determine whether or not there’s adequate parking for Pines Trailer Park which is zoned M-1.”
Commissioners reached a consensus to not make any findings as to whether or not there was a common element at the parking lot, then unanimously voted to have the building official, Bill Palmer, review the issue.
BRADENTON BEACH – Pines Trailer Park residents came to an April 17 city commission meeting well-prepared and represented to discuss their lack of parking at the park.
At issue was the parking lot at 201 First Street, which had historically been used for free by Pines residents and was converted to paid parking in January by park ownership Pines Park Investors LLC. Nearly half of the 86 Pines residents who do not have parking at their units relied on the parking lot.
The lot was free to residents until Jan. 1, 2024 but Pines owners shut it down on Dec. 31, 2024, giving Pines residents the option to pay $750 a year for a single space.
Many Pines Trailer Park homes have no space for parking, with residents depending on the nearby parking lot. – Leslie Lake | Sun
Park owners’ attorney Stephen Thompson requested more time to make a presentation to the commission. Commissioners granted that request but also heard public comment from Pines residents, then decided to have the city planner and building official review the parking lot.
“At a minimum we would like to have a more comprehensive meeting where we get some time to make a full presentation about this parking, the history and why we feel we’re entitled to it,” Thompson said.
That request drew protests from Pines residents, and Mayor John Chappie asked for quiet in the chambers.
“If we’re going to do that, it needs to be by May 1. Otherwise, we’re waiting a whole month and that’s not fair to the Pines,” Commissioner Scott Bear said.
“I just think like Scott said we can’t wait too long,” Commissioner Debbie Scaccianoce said. “They’ve been waiting long enough. It’s a constant battle for these people and they’ve gone through a lot already and I would like to get this resolved.”
“You give us a date and we’ll be here,” Thompson said.
“Today was the day,” people called out.
Chappie read six emails into the record from Pines residents before opening the meeting to public comment. Residents asked commissioners to look at the city codes including for M-1 zoning, which requires a parking space for each mobile homeowner.
“I purchased in April 2024 with the understanding from both the seller and the park manager that I was guaranteed a parking spot. I wouldn’t have purchased my unit if I’d been informed the parking situation would be questionable. The uncertainty around the park’s timeline and this disastrous parking situation left me with no choice but to walk away from the investment of $200,000 I poured my heart into,” one resident wrote.
Prior to public comment, City Attorney Ricinda Perry left the meeting for an appointment but said she would listen to the recording.
Pines homeowner Mary Mox talks to commissioners about the parking lot formerly used by Pines Trailer Park residents. – Leslie Lake | Sun
Mary Mox said, “My husband and I bought our place in the park and were assigned a parking space. When we purchased our mobile home and were told to park in the lot.”
Mox showed commissioners her prior years’ parking passes.
“These say Pines Parking lot,” Mox said. “We would receive memorandums saying, when you arrive this fall make sure you see the manager and obtain a parking permit and any people without a parking permit will be subject to being towed away. We were allowed one vehicle per mobile home.”
“I’ve been prepared for two weeks because that’s what you told me to do,” Pines homeowner Elayne Armaniaco said. “That’s what you told all of us to do. They didn’t prepare and yet somehow or another they’re being time allowed for extra preparation.”
She said that it’s commonly known that the parking lot was assigned for Pines Trailer Park resident use.
“Everyone in this room knows that this parking lot for five decades was assigned for Pines Trailer Park for owners who don’t have parking in their units,” Armaniaco said. “Even Mr. Kaleta and all associated with the Pines Park Investors know this.”
She produced a real estate listing prior to the Pines Park Investors’ 2023 purchase that described the parking lot as part of the sale.
“That parking lot is necessary for the park owners to comply with your code, and yet there has been no code enforcement,” she said. “City Attorney Perry would have you think because this lot has historically been used for parking, that it’s OK to just disregard the tenants who were using it.
“If that’s not enough for you to recognize that a paid lot at this location is improper, then let’s ask other questions like, does it comply with code? Is it a parking facility? Does it change from ownership assigning parking to its residents to ownership making a profit as a public lot increase the intensity of its use? Of course it does,” Armaniaco said. “You don’t need two weeks to make a presentation to make that point. This is literally forcing Pines Trailer Park residents out of their homes. If the terms of the agreement between the (former owners) Jacksons and the LLC had been honored, this park would be thriving by now.
“Taking away parking is not just unjust, it’s against your own city code,” she said. “Will this governing body really vote to push out the tenants and homeowners of Pines Trailer Park? You have the opportunity and the authority to right a wrong.”
Sarasota-based attorney Nathan Reneau, who is representing the Pines Park Homeowners Association, read a letter from the HOA president.
“Many residents have transferred their deeds to the Urban Group that Pines Trailer Park investors have retained to manage eviction processes. Why have they done this? Because they have nowhere to park their vehicles. And they have stated to us, their HOA, they have no choice but to surrender their deeds,” Reneau read.
“Historically and traditionally the parking lot at Pines Trailer Park has been part of the residential parking,” Reneau said. “The code for trailer parks is M-1, which requires one parking spot per trailer. Without the parking lot across the street, the trailer park itself is outside of code.”
Reneau said it appears that the current strategy of Pines Park Investors is to drive out residents by removing their parking.
“Pines Trailer Park is not closed yet and there is an active lawsuit against Pines Park Investors,” Reneau said. “If it’s successful, the parking lot will continue to be needed as part of the park. Currently it is zoned as C-1, which does not allow for a standalone parking lot, but it does allow for residential use and trailer park. Without this being made available for use by the trailer park residents, it’s a code compliance issue for the park, and the owner needs to be made to shut down the paid parking use and make it available for use by the park to meet those M-1 zoning requirements.”
Pines Park Investors LLC representative Sam Negrin defends the conversion to paid parking in the lot that was formerly used by Pines Trailer Park residents. – Leslie Lake | Sun
Sam Negrin, a representative for Pines Park Investors, said, “Upon our acquisition of the trailer park we were told from the sellers, the agents and park manager that every single trailer lot came with parking. The ones who do not have parking because they, I don’t want to say the word, but illegally built lanais.”
Pines residents reacted in protest to Negrin’s comments.
“I’m not standing here saying that’s 100% accurate, from that reaction, but that is always the impression we’ve been under,” Negrin said.
Negrin said the park is governed by state statute and the park prospectus.
“The lot in the sale was addressed to us as an additional selling point, it comes with a parking lot, but is not required by the prospectus for the residents,” Negrin said. “The parking lot is not anything that’s entitled to the residents.”
“With those storms came the assumption from the residents that they don’t have to pay us anymore. Our sellers who we have the note with on the property, we still have to pay them in full every month,” Negrin said. “At the end of the day we’re a business just like any other business; we need our income to continue running it. That is why we had to change the parking. This is a business. We aren’t a charity.”
“Let them rebuild so they can pay you,” Danielle Armaniaco said during her public comment.
“The evidence shows in fact that it was Pines parking, but aside from that, I don’t understand how we’re allowing that paid parking to operate today,” Bear said. “I’d like to understand how we’re not enforcing the code violation.”
Scaccianoce characterized Negrin’s claim that the parking lot was unrelated to the trailer park a “failed argument.”
“As professional as all these investors are, I find it extremely difficult that they never saw the sign that said Pines Trailer Park parking on that lot when they were deciding to buy the property and they took the word of the Jacksons saying, ‘Oh, that’s just an ancillary lot, it has nothing to do with the trailer park’, when it was obviously marked before they bought it,” she said. “That should have been a red flag to Mr. Kaleta and his investment group to at least question what they had been told. I don’t remember when that parking lot wasn’t for the Pines.”
Chappie suggested a review of the parking lot by the city planner and code enforcement officer.
“Time’s running out for the Pines people and that’s not fair,” Chappie said, asking if the commission would like to wait until May 1 or take a stance right now.
“I think we should take a stance right now,” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said.
Bear said he would like to advance it to code enforcement for a review and to make a decision about the current use of the parcel as a paid parking lot.
“There’s a pretty strong abundance of information that was never paid parking and shouldn’t be paid parking now,” Bear said. “This is a paid lot that was not approved.”
Commissioners unanimously approved a review by the city planner and building official about the use of paid parking on the site. The discussion will be continued at the May 1 commission meeting.
A GoFundMe page has been established for the Pines’ residents.
BRADENTON BEACH – Due to audio difficulties at the April 3 city commission meeting, a Special Emergency City Commission meeting was held on April 8 to place into the record items previously discussed.
One of the topics that was revisited was a discussion of the former Pines Trailer Park parking lot at 201 First St. N. That parking lot was converted to paid public parking in January by the Pines owners.
Commissioners discussed the conversion and its non-conformity with the city’s Land Development Code, its historical use as a parking lot and whether the commercial lot created an increase in density and intensity as compared to its former use, and came to a consensus to invite parking lot owner Shawn Kaleta to speak at the next city commission meeting.
City Attorney Ricinda Perry had been asked by the commission to research the parking lot. She said the lot is zoned C-1 commercial, is within the overlay of Bridge Street and is part of the CRA district.
“This is important because it is the most intensive commercial area within the city of Bradenton Beach and the city commission has articulated over the course of the past couple years that they would encourage alternative parking options for parking within the CRA district and specifically within the C-1 zoning,” she said.
Perry said it is unclear as to whether standalone or commercial parking is allowed without a principal use or whether it can be an accessory use on its own. Prohibited uses are multi-level parking structures or facilities.
“When you look at the property issue you will see there is no building on the site, therefore it does not meet the definition of a parking facility or parking structure as a prohibited use under C-1,” she said.
Permitted uses in the zoning district include institutional, public, semi-public, libraries, community centers, public parks, playgrounds and recreational facilities. Additionally, Perry said planned development, professional offices, residential as well as retail stores and sales offices and service establishments as well as special permit uses may be allowed.
Perry raised the question as to whether or not there would be some type of non-conforming use which can be allowed by the city.
“That is going to have to be an interpretation by the commission,” she said. “I will say the commission looked at recreation uses previously and determined that parking can be associated with a recreational use and parking was permitted as standalone parking lots around the CRA district as temporary use permits.”
Perry showed a 1977 historical aerial photo of the parking lot which appeared to show vehicles parked on the site, and she also referenced a 1971 photo from the Florida Department of Transportation.
“The commission did agree that there was some form of parking, at least, going back to 1971,” Perry said. “The question then becomes whether or not the use itself has been enlarged, expanded, increased or intensified as of 2016. That increase would not be permitted, it’s an expansion of that use so you would have to compare that to what would have been allowed.”
The ordinance for the C-1 district was effective on March 9, 2016, Perry said. Any use prior to that date is a grandfathered, non-conforming use.
“If you can establish that there was a use on a property that exists and has not been abandoned, the city cannot interfere with that use if it meets the definition of a non-conforming use,” Perry said. “Often you hear interchangeably that a non-conforming use is a grandfathered right.”
Perry said it rests with the commission and code enforcement to determine if paid parking constitutes an enlargement, increase, expansion or intensity in use.
“I think it’s a logical conclusion the commercial is a higher density, higher intensity in uses. I think a paid parking lot is more intense than a non-paid parking lot that is specifically designated for one thing,” Mayor John Chappie. “I think we all want to try to get more information.”
“It’s also been brought to my attention that the Pines residents got parking passes to park in that lot when they moved there, so if they were given parking passes by Mr. Kaleta’s organization when they bought the trailer so they could park in that lot, they are agreeing that that parking lot is a Pines resident parking lot,” Commissioner Deborah Scaccianoce said.
Scaccianoce also questioned whether the current paid parking lot meets the city’s requirements for ADA compliance, width of lanes and ingress and egress.
“It’s being changed to invite the general public in, which to me, creates a whole different issue of rules and regulations,” Chappie said. “Others had to submit plans to meet the standards that are in our land development regulations.”
The commission had decided by consensus at the April 3 meeting to invite the property owner – Kaleta or a representative – to attend the next commission meeting.
“The consensus was by changing it to paid parking, we’re telling him that’s an increase,” Commissioner Scott Bear said. “We can’t do that without them first having their say.”
“If you’re going to make this kind of decision that impacts somebody’s property rights that you should invite that individual to attend that meeting so that their opinion can be heard,” Perry said.
The next city commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 17 at noon in the Katie Pierola Commission Chambers, 107 Gulf Drive N.
BRADENTON BEACH – The Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association has filed a lawsuit against park owners Pines Park Investors LLC asking in part for an injunction against the park closure and threatened evictions.
The lawsuit, filed in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court on March 28 by Sarasota-based attorney David J. Fredericks, claims that park owners failed to comply with state law, which rendered the park closure invalid. The suit also alleges that park owners failed to fulfill their obligations in good faith, did not maintain the park’s common areas and did not provide adequate parking in accordance with the city of Bradenton Beach Land Development Code.
Laundry and shower facilities are non-operational at the Pines Trailer Park as of March 29. – Leslie Lake | Sun
“This action arises as a result of defendant’s unlawful actions regarding its failure to maintain and repair the park common area amenities, its defective notice to the Association, and its illegal and unconscionable actions to illegally close the park and evict the mobile home owners,” according to the complaint.
The suit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief related to claims that exceed $50,000.
Pines HOA President Neil Lind said on March 29 that on his attorney’s advice, he could not comment on specifics of the suit, but he spoke on behalf of residents.
“We are pleased to have submitted and filed this lawsuit,” Lind said. “We are encouraged and optimistic about the future.”
Lind said the pending park closure and receipt of eviction notices have been stressful for residents.
“A number of people have had a number of negative health outcomes,” he said. “We have been through a lot in relation to what’s been going on. There have been many sleepless nights and I’m hoping a sense of calm might prevail for a while. It’s been a struggle.”
The 86-unit waterfront mobile home park sustained flooding during Hurricane Helene in September 2024. On Dec. 9, 83 of the 86 Pines Trailer Park homeowners were told by the former city building official that they could repair their hurricane-damaged mobile homes with the proper permits. On Jan. 4, however, the homeowners received notification from the park’s ownership, Pines Park Investors, that the park was being closed.
In December, 2024, the parking lot, which had been used for an annual fee by park residents who did not have available parking, was converted into a paid public parking lot.
Residents of Laverne Street in the Pines Trailer Park have no available parking at their units. The former Pines parking lot was converted to public paid parking in December. – Leslie Lake | Sun
In a Jan. 27 letter to the Pines Trailer Park HOA, park owners offered to sell the mobile home park to the residents for $75 million.
Pines Trailer Park homeowners received an email in February outlining terms for abandonment of their mobile homes and possible extension of their tenancy to Jan. 31, 2026. Those terms include transferring the ownership of mobile homes to Pines Park Investors.
A fallen tree and debris remain at the Pines Trailer Park. – Leslie Lake | Sun
On March 17, Pines Trailer Park residents who withheld lot rental payments due to what they said was the disrepair of the park were served with demand for payment notices taped to their doors and by certified mail. The notices required either immediately paying the full amounts of past due lot rental fees or vacating the premises within five days. Those notices were from Pines Park Investors LLC and the agent for the community, Fort Lauderdale-based The Urban Group.
The lawsuit claims that the defendant has a statutory obligation to act in good faith and fair dealing with the plaintiff when fulfilling its obligations under Chapter 723 of the Florida Statutes, which governs mobile home parks, including with the issuance of a Right to Purchase Notice and its intent to change land use.
“Defendant did not deal fairly with plaintiff or act in good faith when it provided plaintiff with its grossly exaggerated $75,000,000 asking price for the park. Defendant’s failure to deal fairly or act in good faith with plaintiff effectively rendered the Right to Purchase notice null and void,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit claims that the park was appraised as of March 5 at a value of $16.6 million, approximately 22% of the proposed $75 million asking price.
Pines Park Investors purchased the 2.78-acre waterfront mobile home property on Aug. 5, 2023 from The Jackson Partnership LLLP for $16.25 million.
The mortgage for that purchase contains a covenant and agreement by the defendant not to change, or make any application to change, the existing zoning classification or land use of the park prior to the maturity date as defined by the note, which is five years from the Aug. 25, 2023 date of purchase, or Aug. 23 2028, according to the lawsuit.
According to state statute, a mobile home park owner may evict a mobile home owner, tenant, or occupant if there is a change in land use.
An October 2024 letter to residents from Pines Park Investors LLC signed by manager Shawn Kaleta is attached to the complaint and reads in part that he “is fully committed to restoring Pines Trailer Park as quickly and efficiently as possible… Our priority is that you have a safe, comfortable home once again. We are here for you during this process and want to continuing operating Pines Trailer Park long-term as a home for you and your families.”
In meetings between ownership representatives and homeowners on Oct. 28 and 29, those representatives reportedly said that rents would not be charged while the park was not operational, according to the complaint.
“With the Right to Purchase notice, the defendant offered mobile homeowners, under the threat of eviction including for rents previously asserted not to be due from the mobile homeowners, the option to execute a one-sided agreement allowing them to continue the lease of their lot in exchange for the turnover title to their mobile homes, eliminating the protections of Chapter 723, Florida Statutes,” the lawsuit claims.
The park, excluding the parking lot, was offered for sale in the Right to Purchase notice.
The complaint states that in the city’s Land Development Code, the M-1 Mobile Home Park district zoning provides that each mobile home shall be assigned one parking space, and consequently that offer “was not in good faith and lacked fair dealing as the association would not be able to operate the park in compliance with the minimum parking requirements of the City of Bradenton Beach Land Development Code.”
The lawsuit states that common areas of the park remain in disrepair following the September hurricane.
Shower facilities are non-operational at the Pines Trailer Park as of March 29. – Leslie Lake | Sun
“On Sept. 26, 2024, the two shuffleboard courts, recreational hall, the recreational hall furnishing and fixtures, laundry facilities, office, and the dock running parallel to the seawall and associated boat mooring area and the fence separating the park from the abutting restaurant (common area improvements) were damaged by Hurricane Helene and have remained unrepaired and unusable as of the date of this lawsuit,” according to the complaint.
The lawsuit also alleges that numerous sewer line blockages and failures have occurred in the park and were remedied by mobile homeowners. Since November there has been no park manager as required by the park prospectus.
BRADENTON BEACH – Some Pines Trailer Park residents are questioning whether permits exist for a seawall cap built in 2024 at the park that they say may have acted as a dam during the 2024 hurricanes, exacerbating the flooding of mobile homes.
The Sun requested a copy of the permit for the seawall cap on March 13 and the Bradenton Beach permit clerk wrote in an email that she was unable to locate such a permit. The seawall cap is adjacent to another seawall cap reportedly owned by the city.
The Sun asked Bradenton attorney Louis Najmy, who represents Pines Park Investors LLC and its manager, Shawn Kaleta, the owners of the Pines Trailer Park, for a copy of the permit on March 14 and received the following response by text: “While I was not able to confirm if the current ownership did the cap, we’ve confirmed with the city that permits are not required for caps only especially for flood protection when matching neighboring caps,” he wrote.
The city of Bradenton Beach is unable to locate a permit for the installation of a seawall cap at the Pines Trailer Park in 2024. – Leslie Lake | Sun
However, Bradenton Beach Building Official Bill Palmer said a permit and inspection is required for a seawall cap.
“I cannot speak to this particular issue since I was not present at the time, but a permit and inspections are required for a seawall cap,” Palmer wrote in a March 17 email to The Sun. “Section 808 of the City’s Land Development Code regulates the repair and construction of seawalls.”
“We saw it being built around March last year,” Pines Park resident Joe Klingler said, adding that during the hurricanes last fall, water came up from the Gulf side and pooled at the seawall.
“Once it hit that filled up,” he said. “The damage was worse because of that – 100%. I’m a farmer. I built three lakes on my farm and there’s real strict rules. When you put a dam on a farm, you cannot put it against the water – it could come up into the neighbor’s property. This is the same thing. He built a dam knowing it was going to flood us.”
“Don’t get me wrong, we still would have had a flood, but we wouldn’t have had it hit the wall, stay and go higher and come back this way and sit here for four hours,” Klingler said. “That’s where you get the seepage and it’s more damage. When the water just comes up and goes away, we wouldn’t have even had to come up and replace our walls.”
He said the sea life that was once abundant beyond the seawall is no longer there.
“No matter what, they made a lake out of this place,” Klingler said. “We used to have manatees and fish at this wall, not anymore. The seagrass there is gone.”
Another Pines resident, who asked not to have his name used, said, “While proving motive in court is difficult, what’s undeniable is that this 200-foot illegal structure acted as a dam, significantly worsening the flooding.”
In his email, Palmer outlined the requirements of permits and inspections: “808.6. Permits. An application for a permit to construct a seawall shall be submitted for review, along with plans and specifications. Permits for construction or repair of a seawall shall not be also a permit to dredge, fill, and grade.
“808.8. Specifications – Caps. Caps shall be cast over tops of the sheet piles and shall be continuous. Caps shall be reinforced by horizontal bars not smaller than No. 4, and shall have a minimum of two (2) inches of concrete cover in all directions. Design, spacing, and reinforcing shall be provided according to the referenced standards for formed in place concrete. When forms and reinforcing bars are in place, the building official shall cause an inspection to be made before the concrete is poured.
“808.9. Tiebacks. Vertical sheet piling bulkheads shall have tiebacks every 12 feet, and the anchor block shall be a minimum of 12 feet from and at right angles to the bulkhead. Tiebacks shall be hot dipped galvanized at minimum and not less than ¾” thick. Backfill shall be placed after tiebacks and anchor blocks shall have been inspected and approved by the city.”
