Negotiations between the land owner and homeowners continue for the sale of the Pines Trailer Park in Bradenton Beach.
Bill Gorman, president at Lifestyle Choice Realty Inc. of Casselberry, representing the homeowner’s association, confirmed March 30, that negotiations are ongoing but declined to disclose other details related to the potential sale of the park at 103 Church Ave.
The Pines’ HOA retained Gorman to represent the homeowners’ interests in the sale of the park land, a process that got underway in late January.
The owners, Jackson Partnership of Bradenton, with Richard and William Jackson as its officers, listed the park for sale Jan. 25.
By state law, the first offer to buy the park must go to the homeowners. The applicable law is the Florida Mobile Home Act, which governs mobile home lots and requires the park owner to give 45 days’ notice of a sale and give the HOA the first right of refusal.
Homeowners voted Feb. 24 to form a cooperative to establish shares through a nonprofit corporation.
The co-op is formed as a mobile park’s land is purchased by the homeowners from the land owners. In a purchase, the homeowners become shareholders in the property.
Pines residents confirmed the week ending April 2 that the asking price for the park increased after the partnership refused the Pines’ initial offer of purchase in a March 15 meeting.
The initial price was $16 million and a new price of $16.25 million is being asked, according to sources who asked not to be identified.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page — Save Our Old Florida Home — was created March 29 with the stated purpose of raising money to purchase the park.
GoFundMe is a for-profit crowdsourcing platform that deducts a transaction fee — 2.9% plus 30 cents — from each donation.
“Please consider helping to Save the Park!,” reads a post on the page. “Any donation would be appreciated. The residents are getting close to having enough for financing and your donation will be directly applied toward the purchase.”
“Let’s not let this beautiful piece of history and Old Florida become just another high-rise resort.”
Gay Gard-Forte, listed as an organizer for the campaign, spoke to The Islander spoke March 31.
A collections manager in Cincinnati, Gard-Forte said even though she is not a resident of the park, she felt compelled to start the Gofundme page after conversations with friends who live there. She said she has visited the area for years and she felt it was important to preserve the character of Bradenton Beach.
As of April 3, the campaign had raised $500 of its $1 million goal with 14 donors.
A listing for the 2.785-acre park, which abuts the Historic Bridge Street Pier on Sarasota Bay, can be found on the website for Yale Realty & Capital Advisors yaleadvisors.com.
According to details of the sale process listed on the webpage, by mid-April, the completion of due diligence would be due and a closing would be held within 30 days.