A hearing was held in Palm Beach on Tuesday to determine whether Donald Trump has the right to live in Mar-a-Lago or not.
Can the “Winter White House” finally become Donald Trump's main home? This is the question that occupies the City Council of Palm Beach, Florida. Since the end of the billionaire's mandate, the question of his installation in Mar-a-Lago, the private club he visited regularly during his presidency, has arisen.
Donald Trump sees himself moving there year round, after leaving New York during his mandate, but some neighbors had invoked a contract signed in 1993 stipulating that Mar-a-Lago could not be used as a main residence: to accept that Mar-a-Lago loses its status as a residential place and becomes a lucrative establishment, thus benefiting from favorable taxation, the neighbors of the places had changed the status of the property acquired by the billionaire in 1985. Compromising his installation in the residence where he went from January 20, a few hours before Joe Biden was sworn in, and where his wife Melania Trump had work done at the end of last year to expand their living space.
But according to arguments presented by John Randolph and John Marion, the lawyers who defend the city and Donald Trump respectively, the situation can be easily resolved: if he is considered an employee of Mar-a-Lago, the former president can live there year-round, reports the "Palm Beach Daily News". Is considered "employee" of a place "any person generally working on site for the establishment and includes owners, partners, partners with limited liability": "This allows him to live there as an employee or member.
He is now the president of the Mar-a-Lago club. He was the president before being president of the United States and is it again now, ”argued John Marion, describing the former president's activity there:“ He oversees the property, evaluates the employees, makes suggestions to improve the functioning of the club, welcomes members and guests ”. “He is very active on the spot. To describe the situation, this guy, who strolls on the property, is like the mayor of a town Mar-a-Lago. He is always present. He loves being there and he loves the people he sees there. He profits. It's my house." A house with an entry fee: Soon after Donald Trump was elected, admission fees doubled to $ 200,000.
An invasive presidential presence
Reginald Stambaugh, lawyer for the DeMoss family, neighbors of Mar-a-Lago, had written a letter to Palm Beach City Hall and the Secret Service in mid-December: "To avoid an embarrassing situation for everyone and give the president time to find another residence in the area, we trust you to work with his team to remind them of the parameters of the agreement. Palm Beach has many homes for sale, he can certainly find one that meets his needs. ”
Like the clients of Reginald Stambaugh, the frequent presence of Donald Trump during his presidency inconvenienced some neighbors: strong police presence, certain roads closed, installation of a helipad in this area where the presence of helicopters was prohibited. ... So many inconveniences that they had accepted in the name of preserving the security of the president and his family, but that they did not intend to let continue once the mandate ended.
The helipad, which will soon be destroyed, was installed in 2017 to facilitate Donald Trump's round trips between Palm Beach airport and Mar-a-Lago, on the recommendation of the Secret Service. Despite the installation of this helipad, Donald Trump had often preferred to travel between Palm Beach airport and Mar-a-Lago by car, with the presidential escort, which allowed him to greet his fans along the road.
The lawyer intervened in Tuesday's hearing, reiterating complaints from his clients: “They bought their homes after the contract was signed with the expectation that it will be honored and that the city will ensure that it is. This contract guaranteed my clients the possibility of living in peace and with respect for their private life. Unfortunately, this was not the case due to numerous violations over several decades, ”he lamented. Philip Johnston, lawyer for the Preserve Palm Beach organization, made up of residents concerned about respecting Palm Beach's standard of living, raised the concerns of other neighbors: “We fear that will make Mar-a-Lago a rallying point for rabid and lawless supporters, ”he said, no doubt a reference to the invasion of the Capitol, on January 6, by supporters of Donald Trump.
