Article Courtesy of WESH 2 NEWS
By Michelle Meredith

Published October 10, 2016

ORANGE COUNTY -- A lone condominium standing in the middle of an Orange County construction zone is the result of a battle between a developer and the condo's owner. The owner said Westgate Resorts has no right to tear down her home, so the developer left it up.

The David-and-Goliath-like drama surrounding the "last condo standing" is growing, and so is construction around it.

Since this summer, there are two new developments. The condo is no longer standing alone. Westgate Resorts, of David Siegel fame, is building around it.

Monday morning, in a special meeting, the condo owner was granted more time to fight efforts to demolish it. The county said the condo is dangerous. But the owner of the residence said that's because Westgate's demolition contractor cracked it open.

The Corredor family from South Florida said their mother has owned the condo for decades. The Corredor family said Westgate tried to bully them into selling it cheap.

Carlos Corredor, the owner's son, told WESH 2 News, "There is no right for a company to say what they need, and if you don't want to sell it, then they want to want to run over you."

Westgate said the family has been holding Westgate for ransom, demanding far more than the condo is worth. Westgate said it has offered $150,000 and have also offered to give the family a brand-new condo. The attorney for the Corredor family said Westgate has not offered to give them a new condo.

Michael Marder, attorney for Westgate, said, “They want money. They want to use this an a leverage tool to extract a dollar value.”

The controversy continues and will land in front of the Orange County Commission later this month.