{"id":5207,"date":"2026-06-24T10:03:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T10:03:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=5207"},"modified":"2026-06-24T10:03:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T10:03:40","slug":"windermere-sues-its-residents-over-their-boathouses-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=5207","title":{"rendered":"Windermere sues its residents over their boathouses \u2014 again"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Already facing a hefty bill to reimburse residents for legal fees they spent defending their private ownership of century-old boathouses near Lake Butler, the town of Windermere has sued them again \u2014 this time asserting its control over land surrounding the boathouses.<\/p>\n

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In the latest filing in circuit court in Orlando, GrayRobinson lawyers, representing the town, insisted they are not re-litigating the earlier case in which a judge found \u201cnothing equitable or fair\u201d about Windermere\u2019s years-long quest to seize the structures.<\/p>\n

The town has filed a separate challenge with an appeals court over that ruling, and its next\u00a0brief is due Aug. 17.<\/p>\n

The new case asks a judge to determine who owns title to and has maintenance responsibilities for a small grassy upland strip between Pine Street and the man-made lagoon, where the five boathouses sit on wooden posts.<\/p>\n

The sliver of land provides ingress and egress to the boathouses.<\/p>\n

Windermere\u2019s lawyers say maintenance of the lagoon is important not only for public safety but also for \u201coverall navigability\u201d into Lake Butler, a popular waterway for boating, fishing and other recreational lake activities.<\/p>\n

In the new case, the town\u2019s lawyers said the ruling last year by Circuit Court Judge John E. Jordan called into question ownership of the lagoon and adjacent land, and the town is in doubt concerning its rights and maintenance obligations.<\/p>\n

They alleged in their filing that boathouse owners now claim to own portions of the lagoon and grassy upland.<\/p>\n

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Lawyers for the boathouse owners did not immediately respond to an email regarding the new filing.<\/p>\n

But the latest case adds to their frustrations and costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore town residents dragged into this for no reason and more taxpayer money wasted,\u201d said Bo Siemian,\u00a0 a co-owner of a boathouse. \u201cI cannot even comprehend this level of financial irresponsibility and bullying by our town leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Windermere first moved to evict the boathouse owners in 2022, it has remained unclear why the town covets the small wooden structures that sit on posts in the lagoon. Their value to their owners, however, is not in question: The boathouses provide coveted access to Lake Butler, a space for water recreation and the largest of a chain of lakes in southwest Orange County.<\/p>\n

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After $637K spent in a losing legal cause, Windermere appeals boathouse decision<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n