LEE. AND CHIEF METEOROLOGIST
STEVE JERVE. SHE'S TACKLING
EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE
SOMETHING THAT WENT WRONG.
BETTER CALL BEHNKEN IS ON YOU.
LAST WEEK WE TOLD YOU ABOUT
A CONTROVERSY INVOLVING A
MYSTERIOUS LAND TRUST IN AN
ODDLY SHAPED PROPERTY, IT OWNS
BEHIND PEOPLE'S HOMES AND
HOLIDAY THIS DISPUTE OVER A 20
FOOT WIDE PARCEL THAT
HOMEOWNERS THOUGHT WAS PART OF
THEIR BACKYARD IS DRIVING
PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE CRAZY AT
THIS POINT. BUT THAT'S NOT THE
ONLY ON PROPERTY THAT THIS
LAND TRUST BUT 8 ON YOUR SIDE
CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR SHANNON
BEHNKEN JOINS US NOW.
BECAUSE YOU FOUND SOMETHING
ELSE INTERESTING.
I SURE DID IT'S NOT JUST
ODDLY SHAPED LAND THAT CAUGHT
THE EYE OF THIS INVESTMENT
LAND TRUST I FOUND THAT IN
2008 IT PURCHASED A PRIVATE
ROAD AFTER THE PRIVATE OWNER
PASSED AWAY AND RESIDENTS TELL
ME THE TRUST THREATENED TO CUT
OFF ACCESS TO THEIR HOMES. IF
THEY DIDN'T BUY THE ROADWAY.
PLUS IF YOU DRIVE IN
ZEPHYRHILLS IS A 600 FOOT LONG
DEAD END ROAD USED ONLY BY THE
PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE TO TRAVEL
TO AND FROM THEIR HOMES, TINA
SMITH, VIVIDLY REMEMBERS THE
DAY IN 2008 WHEN A MAN FROM A
MYSTERIOUS LAND TRUST INFORMED
HER THAT IT HAD PURCHASED THE
PRIVATE ROAD IN A DELINQUENT
TAX DEED SALE.
HE'S LIKE WE CAN PUT
ANYTHING THERE WE CAN PUT DRAG
STRIP DOWN THERE WE YOU KNOW
WE CAN DO ANYTHING WE WANT
PROPERTY IT'S NOT YOUR
PROPERTY THAT WAS THE
BEGINNING OF A BATTLE FOR
ABOUT 13 HOMEOWNERS IT ENDED
WHEN THEY AGREED TO OPEN THEIR
WALLETS AND BY THE ROAD NOW 12
YEARS LATER RESIDENTS ARE
RECOUNTING THE ORDEAL AFTER
SEEING MY REPORT ABOUT THE
SAME MYSTERY LAND TRUST ONCE
AGAIN NEGOTIATING WITH
DESPERATE HOMEOWNERS. THIS
TIME IN ALOHA GARDENS IN
HOLIDAY. IT TURNS OUT AT THE
SAME TIME THE INVESTORS KNOWN
ONLY AS 818-239-2215 LAND
TRUST BOUGHT THIS ROAD IN 2008
PUBLIC RECORDS SHOW IT ALSO
BOUGHT THIS OUGHT PARCEL. THE
20 FOOT WIDE LAND STRETCHES
BEHIND 9 HOMES, MANY PEOPLE
LIVING HERE HAD NO IDEA THAT
UNTIL RECENTLY THIS LAND USED
AS PART OF THEIR BACKYARDS
DOESN'T BELONG TO THEM YOU CAN
CHARGE WHATEVER HE WANTS. HE
CAN TRUST PAST ME.
YOU CAN PUT WHATEVER HE
WANTS BACK HERE COMES FROM MY
POINT IS NOTHING I CAN DO
ABOUT IT. SMITH AND HER
NEIGHBORS ENDED UP FORKING
OVER A COMBINED $4,000 FOR THE
ROAD.
NOT A BAD RETURN FOR THE
TRUST $1300 INVESTMENT BUT A
FRACTION OF THE MORE THAN
$13,000 RESIDENTS SAY THE
TRUST WANTED. SMITH TELLS ME
THEY HAD NO CHOICE THE SHE
RECALLS CONSIDERED PUTTING IN
A CONVENIENCE STORE AND
CUTTING OFF HAS TO THEIR
DRIVEWAYS THEY HAVE BLOCK YOUR
ACCESS TO RIGHT HERE. HOW
WOULD YOU HAVE GOTTEN IN AND
OUT YOU HAD GO THROUGH THE
YARD, YES. THAT'S THE BETTER
BUT COULD DRIVE THROUGH MY
YARD SO WHO'S BEHIND THIS
TRUST. THE ONLY NAME A PUBLIC
RECORDS IS LOCAL ATTORNEY
JOSEPH PERLMAN, HE'S THE
TRUSTEE AND TELLS ME WHAT HIS
CLIENTS ARE DOING IS PERFECTLY
LEGAL AND JUST BUSINESS. HE
EXPLAINS THEY BOUGHT THESE
PARCELS BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT
EVENTUALLY SOMEONE WOULD BE
WILLING TO PAY ARE YOU
SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THIS IS
STILL GOING ON ALL THESE YEARS
LATER.
NO I THINK IT'S VERY SAD
THOUGH I MEAN EVERYBODY'S YOU
KNOW ONE PIECE OF THE AMERICAN
PIE AND OWN THEIR OWN HOME FOR
SOMEBODY TO COME IN TO DO THAT
I THINK IS A SHAMEFUL ACT.
IN THE CASE OF THE ROAD
RESIDENTS TELL ME THIS
HAPPENED WHEN THE ORIGINAL
OWNER OF THE ROADWAY PASSED
AWAY AND THE TAXES WEREN'T
PAID AS FOR THE BACKYARD
DISPUTE, ONE RESIDENT HAS
RECEIVED A TRESPASS WARNING
AND ANOTHER WAS TOLD THAT HE
WOULD HAVE TO TEAR DOWN HIS
SWIMMING POOL OR BUY THE LAND.
NEITHER OF THEIR OFFERS HAVE
BEEN ACCEPTED YET THOUGH BY
THE LAND TRUSTS CAN WE GO BACK
TO THE ROAD FOR SECOND. WHAT
HAPPENS TO THAT LONG-TERM WHO
OFFICIALLY OWNS IF YOU BUY THE
LAND YOU MIGHT YOUR HOUSE
EXACTLY AND THAT'S WHAT'S
HAPPENING HERE A LOT OF THESE
FOLKS ARE YOU KNOW HOUSE
CHANGING HANDS BEFORE PASSING
AWAY, BUT THEY PUT THIS ROAD
AND ALL OF THE ORIGINAL HOME
OWNER'S NAME SO LOOK AT THE
DEED HAS EVERYONE LISTED THERE
BUT THEY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF
IT AND THEY WONDER WHAT WILL
HAPPEN AS THEY DIE AS WAY WHAT
WILL HAPPEN IS COULD THIS
HAPPEN AGAIN WE'RE TRYING TO
HELP THEM MAKE SURE IT
INTERESTING YEAH THANK YOU
SHANNON BECK YOU'RE PROBABLY
BETTER CALL BEHNKEN YOU COULD