The owners of the treehouse in Holmes Beach — long the subject of controversy and lawsuits — are proposing terms to bring the matter to a close.
Richard Hazen and Lynn Tran-Hazen, owners of 103 29th St., submitted a letter June 16 to 12th Circuit Judge Charles Sniffen asking him “to consider issuing an order to mediate this case to conclusion immediately, upon terms both just and fair to all parties.”
The case began in 2011, when the Hazens built the treehouse on the beachfront in an Australian pine tree beyond the state’s erosion control line and without permits. The pair reside at the property and operate four vacation rental units as Angelinos Sea Lodge.
The city found the structure in violation of the land development code and moved for its removal in 2013, spurring the owners to reach out to the courts to save the structure.
But the Hazens have been on the losing end of each ruling in several lawsuits and appeals over the years.
And the property owners have received more than $105,000 in code violation fines from the city, which remained unpaid as of June 24.
Their letter states that the city’s fines “created a financial crisis for the Hazens because the city is interfering with our ability to earn a living during the legal disputes. We wish to avoid another legal action in court to protect our rights to earn a living.”
According to the parties, litigation has so far cost the city $184,955 and the property owners $170,000.
The Hazens are offering to take part in court-ordered mediation, which puts the case back into Sniffen’s court.
No hearings for the case were scheduled as of June 24, according to the Manatee County Clerk of Court.