SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Boat owners at Boat Tree Marina near Sanford are worried they may have to find another place to live temporarily.
On Monday, two signs posted by the building official and Seminole County Fire Marshal warned that some of the marina docks are structurally inadequate and unsafe.
Kirk Eppenstein has lived on his boat at the marina for five years.
He and other residents said that because of an evacuation order posted by the Seminole County Fire Department, marina staff told residents they may be removed from their boats on Monday.
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“I wouldn’t have dreamt that this would be happening right now,” Eppenstein said.
He said his No. 1 fear is that he won’t have a place to sleep.
For many of the residents at the marina, the boat isn’t just for recreational use.
On March 13, Thomas Engineering Group conducted a structural inspection of all the docks finding C-dock structurally inadequate.
The report shows D-dock is also unsafe, except 41A, 41B, 42A, 42B and approximately four newly constructed aluminum finger docks.
Parts of E-dock are structurally unsound too, excluding 27-32.
The engineers recommend parts of the dock be removed and replaced, or a new floating boat dock and finger piers be constructed.
Boat Tree residents Ken Kavanaugh and Kristie Berry said that regardless of the circumstances, they were given too short notice.
“It just doesn’t seem reasonable. I think there (has to) be a better way to fix the problem without kicking people out of their homes, not their boats, their homes,” Kavanaugh said.
Berry said that at least two people on their dock are disabled, so she’s really concerned for them.
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office sent News 6 this statement regarding the issue:
“Our Civil Division posts/serves eviction orders; however, they have not received any court paperwork for Boat Tree Marina. The boat owner would need to get an eviction order from the court first, and I don’t know if that has happened yet. Then a series of warning would need to be posted (some are 20 days, some maybe be only 5 days, depending on the circumstances) but in all cases, a 24-hour notice is required. All that being said, since we do not have any court paperwork, nothing will be happening on Monday.”
The fear of finding alternative housing still looms, though, as what comes next for these residents is still up in the air.
“I’m scared,” Eppenstein said.
News 6 reporter Treasure Roberts asked the SCFD whether the marina operator would be fined if they continued to allow boat owners to dock at Boat Tree.
A spokesperson said the operator can be brought to Special Magistrate Court.
Additionally, the Marina has a history of code violations dating back to August 2023.
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