The lone private owner of a Florida condo has been fighting against the sale of his property to corporate interests for going on three decades. Howard Fellman owns a condo at the Crystal Palms, the only one of 176 apartments that isn’t owned by a property development company.

Unfortunately, changes to state and local laws have made it easier for private owners like Fellman to be pushed out of property ownership by large, well-funded corporations. Scully Company, the property development organization that owns the other 175 condos at the Crystal Palms, continues to push for the dissolution of its condominium designation.

Judge Says Crystal Palms Not In Violation of the Law

When the Crystal Palms voted in 2021 to reduce barriers to dissolving its condominium designation, Fellman took it to court. A judge determined that despite Fellman’s claims, Scully Company and subsequently Crystal Palms were well within their rights to make these changes.

Fellman is appealing, but it’s costing him a lot of money. Condos like Crystal Palms have larger legal teams than individual property owners and many more resources with which to defend their interests in court – people like Fellman, not as much.

How Will Other Property Owners In Florida Be Impacted By the Crystal Palms Case?

Howard tells the Palm Beach Post about how his case is likey going to be used as a benchmark for how other property development companies with corporate interests can proceed with cases against individual owners who don’t want to sell.

“My case, as it stands now, will be used as a poster child for developers to confiscate property from condo unit owners,” he says. “It will happen to anybody who doesn’t have the deep pockets to defend themselves, and happen mostly to senior citizens.”

Get Real Estate Litigation Help Today

Are you facing a similar situation where corporate interests are forcing you to sell your property? Whether or not it’s your home or rental property that provides you with income, you still own it and should not be forced to sell against your will. Even if the offer is fair or substantially better, you should still have the option to decline the sale without expensive legal teams lobbying lawmakers to change the rules at the root.

Contact Fort Lauderdale real estate attorney Joseph Hughes today for a consultation to learn more by calling (954) 256-5125.