Facing possible fines and jail time, Raymond Guthrie Jr. was tight-lipped about his years-long legal battle.
Guthrie has had multiple court-orders to dismantle and remove an unpermitted stilt-house built over public waters on Sarasota Bay off the commercial docks in Cortez, but has not done so. Now he faces a hearing for contempt of a legal order.
“I can’t say anything about this really,” Guthrie said Aug. 12, citing ongoing legal procedures. “I have people working on it.”
According to Manatee County Court online records, however, he did not to be represented by an attorney.
On July 9, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection filed a motion in the 12th Judicial District Circuit Court for contempt against Guthrie.
The agency requested that Guthrie be given 30 days to remove the structure or be jailed until he does so, accessed civil penalties up to $10,000 per day while the structure remains, pay $6,500 in penalties, and pay DEP attorney fees.
The dispute between Guthrie and the DEP began in June 2017, when the DEP discovered the structure, built without permits on submerged land owned by the state.
Guthrie built the structure with a metal roof, air conditioning and other amenities February-May 2017.
On Feb. 18, he lost his legal bid to keep the building and was given until June 3 to comply with court’s order to dismantle and remove the structure.
On May 6, Guthrie, citing COVID-19 restrictions, requested an extension of time.
On May 16, the DEP filed its opposition to the extension but allowed Guthrie an additional 30 days to comply, giving him until July 3.
Guthrie declined to comment on the potential outcome or to say how much he spent to build the 1,200-square-foot structure.
“A lot of people gave me things,” he said.
He has claimed the structure replaces a historic “net camp” where fishing nets were stored and maintained by commercial fishers, including his father and grandfather.
Citing ongoing litigation, the DEP sent a statement to The Islander.
“This matter is still in litigation. So we are limited in our ability to comment at this time, but what I can tell you is that the department petitioned the court to require Mr. Guthrie to comply with the provisions of the court’s final judgment after he failed to remove the unauthorized structure, despite the 30-day time extension provided by the department,” wrote DEP media officer Alexandra Kuchta. “Mr. Guthrie is sole defendant in the case and per the court’s final judgment, responsible for the costs of removal of the structure.”
A court hearing via Zoom on the contempt motion is set for Oct. 8.