Marine Mammal Conservancy Buys Key Largo Property
The Marine Mammal Conservancy will keep its Key Largo home base, group officials reported Wednesday. A real estate closing held in Miami seems to end a lengthy court battle with the former owners, JPB Properties of Colorado.
“We’re very happy to have this behind us,” MMC President Robert Lingenfelser said. “We just want to continue on with our mission and continue to serve stranded marine mammals in the Florida Keys and South Florida.” Last year, Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Luis Garcia ordered JPB Properties to honor a contract to sell the bayfront site near mile marker 102.5 to the MMC for $458,000, a provision in the MMC’s original lease with the former owners.
JPB, headed by John Powers, contended the MMC had violated the lease, so the contract was invalid. Garcia ruled that while some lease agreements had been violated, the sale contract must be honored. Powers said he always intended the Key Largo site to serve as a rehabilitation center for stranded dolphins or small whales, but that he was concerned about MMC’s direction after his friend and property agent, dolphin rescuer Rick Trout, was forced out. Lingenfelser declined to discuss details of financing for the purchase. “That’s nobody’s business but ours,” he said. Read more…
Tags: Dolphin