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Em

Beach Fanatic
Sep 18, 2005
1,506
884
Walton Co.
I guess you have to answer that one yourself, wrobert. Was Suzanne out for money or punishment, or just trying to correct the County on wrongdoings? Why file suit?

As for Alan, why did he pursue the matter of the drainage for his neighborhood of which is was (maybe still is) the Home Owners Association President? Was it to get money, or have the County correct their actions, so that when the area floods, the residents wouldn't be trapped with no escape route? As I recall, he wasn't seeking any money from the County, and has put countless unpaid hours into attempting to get the County what should have been done by the developer.
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
A hissy fit because someone doesn't feel rules about protecting endangered species and keeping the beach clean should apply to them.

vs.

Someone working on their own dime for years to correct a potentially dangerous issue.
 

wrobert

Beach Fanatic
Nov 21, 2007
4,134
575
61
DeFuniak Springs
www.defuniaksprings.com
I guess you have to answer that one yourself, wrobert. Was Suzanne out for money or punishment, or just trying to correct the County on wrongdoings? Why file suit?

As for Alan, why did he pursue the matter of the drainage for his neighborhood of which is was (maybe still is) the Home Owners Association President? Was it to get money, or have the County correct their actions, so that when the area floods, the residents wouldn't be trapped with no escape route? As I recall, he wasn't seeking any money from the County, and has put countless unpaid hours into attempting to get the County what should have been done by the developer.


I believe that she took considerably less than what the BCC agreed were the attorney's fees. Filing suit is the remedy when you get no response on a public records request. Why wait a year is the better question, but she has more patience than I.

So repairing the drainage that was a problem before the first road was built in that area does nothing to increase or change property values? How many hours? If he worked on it 4 hours a day for three solid years that is 4380 hours. If the project cost five million to repair then what is that, $1141+ an hour.
 

rapunzel

Beach Fanatic
Nov 30, 2005
2,514
980
Point Washington
I believe that she took considerably less than what the BCC agreed were the attorney's fees. Filing suit is the remedy when you get no response on a public records request. Why wait a year is the better question, but she has more patience than I.

So repairing the drainage that was a problem before the first road was built in that area does nothing to increase or change property values? How many hours? If he worked on it 4 hours a day for three solid years that is 4380 hours. If the project cost five million to repair then what is that, $1141+ an hour.

The county issued the permits. The fact that we have a fire department increases property values. The purpose of government is to protect life and property.
 
I guess you have to answer that one yourself, wrobert. Was Suzanne out for money or punishment, or just trying to correct the County on wrongdoings? Why file suit?

As for Alan, why did he pursue the matter of the drainage for his neighborhood of which is was (maybe still is) the Home Owners Association President? Was it to get money, or have the County correct their actions, so that when the area floods, the residents wouldn't be trapped with no escape route? As I recall, he wasn't seeking any money from the County, and has put countless unpaid hours into attempting to get the County what should have been done by the developer.


1. Why should the taxpayers pay for something the developer did not do? Sue the developer and make them pay.
2. Was the condition present when the property was purchased by the current owners? If so, why should the taxpayers be on the hook to fix it? Buyer beware.
3. As far as the road closing, under the Driftwood logic anything abandoned in the past can be undone now. Someone should have been present at the public hearing to oppose it when it happened. If those b***h**g now were not Driftwood property owners then, see #2. I own a piece of property that at one time had a road down the back side. The road was abandoned in the 50's, prior to my ownership ( or birth) That road would make my property much more valuable today. Can I get the County to go back and undo it so it improves my property values and safety?
 

rapunzel

Beach Fanatic
Nov 30, 2005
2,514
980
Point Washington
Hey, I have a proposal...since Driftwood totally deserves to drown since nobody combed through years of property records and trusted the county to have enforced codes, and therefore don't deserve to have their life an property protected...maybe we should just exempt Driftwood from paying property taxes. Make Driftwood an tax free zone!
 
Hey, I have a proposal...since Driftwood totally deserves to drown since nobody combed through years of property records and trusted the county to have enforced codes, and therefore don't deserve to have their life an property protected...maybe we should just exempt Driftwood from paying property taxes. Make Driftwood an tax free zone!


If we exempt every property that has drainage problems and/or unenforced codes etc etc we will not have a tax base to speak of. What makes them more special than the rest of us? I would imagine if you calculated all the value that taxpayers in Driftwood have recieved over the years (including staff time and legal fees) as compared to taxes paid, the comparison would be in the Driftwood resident's favor if compared to any other community in the county. Example: I imagine people who live on the river in Bruce would love flood proof roads too.
 

Interested Girl

Beach Fanatic
Aug 15, 2008
465
58
Hey, I have a proposal...since Driftwood totally deserves to drown since nobody combed through years of property records and trusted the county to have enforced codes, and therefore don't deserve to have their life an property protected...maybe we should just exempt Driftwood from paying property taxes. Make Driftwood an tax free zone!

The real answer in Driftwood Estates is for the county to man-up admit that they did not monitor the DRI - that their employee's signoff on the inspections of the drainage and go back against the developer as the DCA and the special magistrate has suggested.

Regretfully, that action appears to not be on the table. Our elected officials seem to be once again burying their heads in the sand and are going to pass the cost of repairing the drainage issues along to the taxpayers of Walton County.

Mr. Osborn has proven to be someone that they could not spend-out - silence or that did not simply grow tired of the fight. He will gain nothing personally from this fight other than having the drainage repaired, just as MS. Harris gained nothing from her suit. In both cases they will have or have recovered their legal costs only while simply for long periods of time to follow their own "rules". In both cases it appears that the "Walton County 5" allowed personalities to dictate policy and procedure.

Mr. Osborn will have his property values increased once the stigma of "the swap" goes away and will have spent a tremendous time in the process.

It would be interesting to know the legal cost that the county has incurred in defending their actions in Driftwood. We know the cost of simply not following state statute. Between their settlement cost of $155,000 (actually legal fees she incurred) and the counties cost of legal fees to their contract lawyers, mediators, and special counsel of $120,000+ dollars their failure to follow state statute costs the taxpayers almost $300,000.

I have heard that the cost of engineering and construction will approach 4-5 million in Driftwood.

I have difficulty understand why some attack either Ms. Harris or Mr. Osborne rather than directing their anger at the five people that have received bad legal advice, allowed the issues to become personal, and are not having their feet held to the fire for a total waste of precious dollars during this down economy.

Where is your anger at those that have not been held accountable.
 
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rapunzel

Beach Fanatic
Nov 30, 2005
2,514
980
Point Washington
If we exempt every property that has drainage problems and/or unenforced codes etc etc we will not have a tax base to speak of. What makes them more special than the rest of us? I would imagine if you calculated all the value that taxpayers in Driftwood have recieved over the years (including staff time and legal fees) as compared to taxes paid, the comparison would be in the Driftwood resident's favor if compared to any other community in the county. Example: I imagine people who live on the river in Bruce would love flood proof roads too.

That's the sort of shortsighted thinking that kept the levees in New Orleans from being maintained. When a small cat 2 storm that falls to the west generates an unanticipated 12 foot surge as happened in St. Mark's a few years ago and people are killed in Driftwood, will that road adding a little to their property values have seemed like such an overreaching request?
 

Interested Girl

Beach Fanatic
Aug 15, 2008
465
58
That's the sort of shortsighted thinking that kept the levees in New Orleans from being maintained. When a small cat 2 storm that falls to the west generates an unanticipated 12 foot surge as happened in St. Mark's a few years ago and people are killed in Driftwood, will that road adding a little to their property values have seemed like such an overreaching request?

The DCA and the special master have ruled that the "road closure" followed state statute. The remaining unresolved issue deals with the provisions of the DRI as it relates to drainage.
 
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