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CNN Live At Daybreak

Florida Speculator Buys Submerged Land, Puts Up Fences

Aired May 15, 2002 - 05:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Imagine buying your dream house on the lake and then being told you can't use the lake unless you pay thousands and thousands of dollars. That is the situation for some Florida residents.

Reporter Marcia Crawley of CNN's Tampa Affiliate WFLA has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIA CRAWLEY, WFLA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tammy Apthorpe just moved into her waterfront home a week ago, prepared for a fight. She knew that land under the water behind her house belonged to somebody else and her dock might not really be hers. But she bought her home anyway.

TAMMY APTHORPE, HOMEOWNER: It's a matter of principle. It's just not a matter of what's legal and what's allowable under the letter of the law, but what's also right or moral. And this man is taking advantage of a situation.

CRAWLEY: That man is Don Connolly. He told us by phone he's a businessman and this is a business deal. He recently bought the Milar Soaf's (ph) submerged land from the county for $2,000 in back taxes. He told Tammy's lawyer he'd need $100,000 from every property owner who wanted to purchase the land under their dock or he would need to fence off the docks. Connolly says that's for safety reasons.

His asking price has since come down to $5,000. Homeowners are still fuming.

SUSAN TEXEL, HOMEOWNER: Whether it's $100,000 or $5,000, it's not going to make a difference. It's still a lot of money right now.

CRAWLEY: This is the scene of another one of Connolly's submerged land buys in East Lake. When property owners didn't pay $30,000 for the chunk of land and lake bottom behind their homes, Connolly fenced off their views.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's one step from extortion.

CRAWLEY: Again, Connolly says this is just business.

(on camera): Unlike the people in North Pinellas, the folks here aren't worried about Connolly restricting their access to this. It's open waterway. And Connolly can't build a fence blocking their view, because they own the seawalls.

(voice-over): Tammy Apthorpe feels lucky in that regard, but says Connolly shouldn't be allowed to control any part of land underwater.

APTHORPE: I think he needs to be stopped.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Reporter Marcia Crawley of CNN's Tampa affiliate WFLA brought us that story this morning.

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