A Florida judge has sided with former President Donald Trump after a petty attack was launched to try and run the former Commander-in-Chief out of Mar-a-Lago.
Trending Politics reported that the “vengeful resistance” attack was launched by an unnamed “neighbor” whose attorney claimed that they were being harmed by microwave exposure from the Secret Service security barrier and further asserted that Trump was in violation of a 1993 agreement to convert the property into a business
US News & World Report cited a letter from Attorney Reginald Stambaugh to the Town of Palm Beach which claimed that the neighbor doesn’t want the former president to take up residence at the 17-acre property due to a possible decrease in property value.
“The president and first lady Melania Trump changed their legal residence from New York City to Palm Beach last year,” USNWR reported. “Stambaugh says that violates the 1993 agreement between Trump and the town that allowed him to turn Mar-a-Lago from a private home into a club that has 10 guest rooms for rent.”
The agreement cited by the attorney was reportedly set up in such a way that only club members can stay overnight and for no more than 21 days per year, no more than one week consecutively, seeming to indicate that they believe Trump should have to adhere to the same rules. Stambaugh’s letter makes the case that he should have to.
“In order to avoid an embarrassing situation for everyone and to give the President time to make other living arrangements in the area, we trust you will work with his team to remind them” of the agreement, Stambaugh wrote. “Palm Beach has many lovely estates for sale and surely he can find one which meets his needs.”
The Trump Organization issued a statement Thursday saying, “There is no document or agreement in place that prohibits President Trump from using Mar-A-Lago as his residence,” according to USNWR.
Neither Stambaugh nor Town Manager Kirk Blouin or Mayor Gail Coniglio immediately responded to comment from the publication at the time of their report. Mar-a-Lago manager Bernd Lembcke also did not return a phone call.
However, according to Trending Politics, news from the attorney from the Town of Palm Beach shows that the legal documentation has been reviewed and Trump is not prohibited from taking up residence at Mar-a-Lago.
The legal review by the town of Palm Beach into the use of Mar-a-Lago as former President Donald Trump’s permanent home concluded that the original agreement among the town, the resort and Trump does not expressly prohibit him from residing there.
In a memo produced by the town’s attorney and posted on the town’s website, lawyer John “Skip” Randolph advised the town to look instead to its zoning ordinance, which permits only bona fide employees to reside in private clubs. Thus, if Trump is a “bona fide employee of the club,” town zoning would allow him to live on the premises, Randolph concluded.
The same report showed that the memo recommended that the town council hear from the interested parties, including Trump about the debate. Following that advice, the matter is scheduled to be heard at the next Palm Beach Town Council Meeting next week where the former president’s Florida neighbors are expected to take aim at Trump’s helipad:
A permit has been issued to demolish the helipad at Mar-a-Lago now that Trump is no longer president. https://t.co/nmg0AJuAgA
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 4, 2021
Palm Beach will once again be a helicopter-less haven as a permit was pulled Tuesday for demolition of the town’s sole helipad at The Mar-a-Lago Club.
But whether former President Donald Trump’s helipad would remain in place post-presidency was never a question, Town Manager Kirk Blouin said, noting that representatives for the club had inquired about permits to remove the helipad “in the past few weeks.”
“It seems to have been more controversial in media reports than it is in actual practice,” Blouin said. “They never made a request to keep it.”
Lake Park-based contractor Pyramid Builders of Palm Beach was hired for the demolition job, according to the town building permit. The cost will run an estimated $15,000.
