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TheZohan

Beach Lover
Jun 5, 2010
85
2
Defuniak Springs
Walton County officials may have spent thousands of dollars to buy property they already own.
In May 2010, the county bought half an acre of land from Bayside properties just south of the Clyde B. Wells Bridge for $354,000 dollars. They plan to use the land to expand the intersection of Highway 331 and Chat Holley Road, but an old deed from 1917 shows the county may have already owned as much as a third of the parcel.

County officials are hiring a surveyor to get some answers.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

NotDeadYet

Beach Fanatic
Jul 7, 2007
1,422
489
The Daily News covered this story also. Your tax dollars and the good old boy system at work.

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/county-43699-attorney-miller.html

"Walton County has severed ties with attorney George Ralph Miller, who represented the county in a land purchase last year that is now being reviewed.

Miller, a former county attorney, had been on retainer with the county for about two years.
He was involved in the county’s purchase of a parcel of land from developer Lloyd Blue last year that the county is now reviewing, Kisela said.

Blue did not own the property when county commissioners agreed to purchase it, and some questions have arisen as to whether the county already owned a portion of the parcel."
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
Apparently the county goes about purchasing land rather differently than most people.

Me, I check to see who owns it, what they bought it for, and how much taxes they are paying on it before making an offer - let alone spending hundreds of thousands of dollars.
 

Lake View Too

SoWal Insider
Nov 16, 2008
6,861
8,296
Eastern Lake
The term "title search" comes to mind. Let's see, the records are actually in the courthouse, really close to the offices of the county administrators, who did this deal. Stinky...
 

plowmon

Beach Crab
Sep 22, 2011
1
0
Natural Bridge Community
Why should anyone be surprised, the good-ol'-boy system is alive and well in Walton County. I wonder if it was a simultaneous closing or if Mr. Blue at least owned the property for a few minutes before selling it to the county? And where was the County Atty, Ms. Hoshihara, during all this!? Nothing to see here, move along folks, move along...
 

Em

Beach Fanatic
Sep 18, 2005
1,506
884
Walton Co.
This wasn't a new purchase. I don't think Ms Hoshihara was working with the county when this transaction took place.
 

30A Skunkape

Skunky
Jan 18, 2006
10,286
2,312
53
Backatown Seagrove
These guys are also heading up the wedding industrial complex, right? And Mr Blue, for some reason, took the time out of his schedule to lobby hard for the redistricting plan passed a few months back. For some reason. Don't know why. Probably above board. Honest mistakes. Honest intentions. Swiss banks...:roll:
 
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