One of three active lawsuits concerning a beachfront treehouse in Holmes Beach may be reaching a turning point.
Attorneys representing property owners Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection were set to attend an Aug. 8 case management conference to discuss a trial schedule.
The session was to be overseen by Judge Charles Sniffen of the 12 Judicial Circuit Court.
The case began in December 2018, when the property owners sued Holmes Beach and the DEP to seek a temporary injunction to stop the accumulation of fines against them and to prevent the removal of the treehouse by government action.
But the brouhaha began long before 2018, in 2011 when Tran and Hazen built the treehouse behind their home at 2818 Ave. E, Holmes Beach, where they reside and operate four adjacent vacation rental units as the Angelinos Sea Lodge.
The two-story structure has been in contention since the city learned in November 2011 of its construction on the beach without a permit and the location inside a 50-foot setback for the erosion control line.
The matter resulted in a handful of lawsuits between the property owners, city and DEP, including one the property owners lost, as well as several fines against the owners.
The Hazens attempted appeals to the Florida courts and the U.S. Supreme Court but the hearings were denied.
More than $167,175 in total fines have accrued against the property owners, adding to a litigation bill exceeding $170,000.
Litigation has cost the city roughly $200,000, according to city treasurer Lori Hill.
While three cases remain active in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court, the only case with recent activity is the one that was set for discussion at the Aug. 8 session.
The city was dismissed from the case in July 2021, but the property owners’ attorney, Bruce Minnick of the Tallahassee-based Minnick Law Firm, pushed for a trial to move the remaining case against the DEP forward.
Tran declined to comment on the case in an Aug. 3 email to The Islander.