Lake Wales wants a ruling in its ongoing lawsuit against the owner of the Walesbilt Hotel, one that could return ownership to the city.
A lawyer for the city and its Community Redevelopment Agency filed a motion on June 16 asking Judge William Sites for a partial summary judgment on two counts of its complaint against Dixie-Walesbilt LLC, a Winter Haven company headed by Raymond E. Brown.
Lake Wales transferred ownership of the vacant, 1920s-era structure in 2010 to Brown, who had submitted a redevelopment proposal pledging to renovate the hotel for apartments and retail space. The city sued Dixie-Walesbilt LLC in January 2022, alleging that Brown made false claims to win the contract after years without noticeable progress on the restoration.
The city is seeking more than $30,000 in damages and has requested that Sites rescind the redevelopment agreement, establishing Lake Wales again as owner of the 10-story hotel at 5 Park Ave. W., listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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In the 22-page court filing, attorney Kevin Ashley asked Sites for summary judgments on two of the 14 counts listed in its amended complaint against Dixie-Walesbilt LLC. Ashley’s argument focuses on the fourth and seventh counts, covering...
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