Homeowners, land trust scuffle over land in Pasco

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

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A land trust owns the sliver of land highlighted in yellow on the map.

PASCO COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Some Pasco County residents have found out that someone else owns part of the land their homes sit on.

A land trust company owns a sliver of land behind everyone's house on the block along Bigelow and Tiki Drives.

"I (received) a registered letter from the 818 Land Trust saying I was trespassing on their property," said Sam Dennewitz, who owns a home on the land. "I would have to vacate immediately or they would take legal action."

An entity that calls itself the 818-239-2215 Land Trust bought the land that borders Dennewitz's property and ten others earlier this year for $1,200. The land trust offered to lease the land to Dennewitz for $30 a month, or sell it to him for $800. Dennewitz said he would pay $500 for his part of the land.

The trust returned a call from Bay News 9 through a teletype system generally used by the hearing impaired.

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"I would rather they not use it (the property) for free," the trust said. "Aren't all properties investment properties to some extent?"

The land trust said the homeowners can use the land until the standoff is worked out.

The case appears similar to one in northern Pinellas County in 2002.

A land speculator named Don Connolly purchased the land surrounding a pond for $848 at a delinquent tax sale. He offered the 15 surrounding homeowners a chance to purchase the land for $30,000 each.

When the homeowners refused, Connolly put a pink fence around the pond. The homeowners eventually agreed to pay $4,000 to buy the land from Connolly and tear down the fence.