September, 2015: $2 Billion Agreement in Principle to Settle BP Oil Spill Litigation
State of Alabama announces $2 billion agreement in principle to settle BP oil spill litigation - Harry W. Collison, CRE, FRICS with Consortium Appraisal, Inc. provided real estate consulting to Beasley Allen during the BP oil spill litigation.
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October, 2013: Florida DOT Settles Class Action
The Florida Department of Transportation settles class action inverse condemnation case with 2,231 homeowners. Harry W. Collison, CRE, FRICS was retained by the homeowners' association and class members' counsel, Kurt Ardaman and Dan Langley with Fishback, Dominick, Bennett, Ardaman, Ahlers, Langley, & Geller LLP as the homeowners' expert appraiser to estimate severance damages. The case involved an inverse condemnation claim for the FDOT's taking of a subdivision's entrance feature and signage, and severance damages caused to each lot/home as the result of the taking of easements for use and enjoyment in such common area property owned by each homeowner.
Click here for the Stipulated Final Judgement
January 13, 2012
The First District, State of Florida Court of Appeal has affirmed that competent, substantial evidence in the record supports the trial court's establishment of assessments.
The assessments were prepared by Harry W. Collison for the property owners.
The Pensacola News Journal has reported that the owners would have owed more than $10 million by taxing agencies.
Portofino Residents Get $10M Refund
By Jamie Page
Pensacola News Journal, December 23, 2010
Owners of 765 condominium units at Portofino Towers on Pensacola Beach will be refunded more than $10 million in overpaid property taxes because their properties were overassessed for taxes for the past six years.
The decision is the result of a final judgment issued in favor of Portofino Tower One Homeowners Association which had sued Escambia County Property Appraiser Chris Jones and Escambia Tax Collector Janet Holley.
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Final Judgment: Portofino Tower One Homeowners Association at Pensacola Beach, Inc., vs. Chris Jones, Property Appraiser for Escambia County, Florida; and Janet Holley, Tax Collector for Escambia County, Florida Case No. 2004-CA-2288
“The only evidence before the Court as to just value of the improvements computed under a method of appraisal that all experts recognized as valid for valuing improvements only were the values established by Appraisal Expert Harry Collison. Thus, the Court adopts his unit by unit, year by year, valuations...”
Universal resort settles property-tax dispute with Orange County
By Jason Garcia
Sentinel Staff Writer, July 2 2009
Universal Orlando will get a $1.4 million property-tax refund as part of a settlement negotiated to end a lengthy tax fight with the Orange County Property Appraiser's Office.
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Michigan firm banks on Central Florida real estate
Orlando Business Journal, August 2008
A Michigan real estate investment firm plans to take advantage of the slow real estate market to snap up several distressed Central Florida apartment complexes at bargain prices, adding to its growing local portfolio.
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McKinley retains The Real Estate Consortium as exclusive single agent in Central Florida
March 2006
Recovering “Stigma” Damages in Mold-related Construction Defect Cases: Making the Property Owner Whole
The Florida Bar Journal, June, 2005
Mold-related lawsuits arising from construction defects are proliferating. Perhaps it is a byproduct of creative lawyers seeking recovery for clients in a field of progressive science; or perhaps more likely, the proliferation of these suits relates directly to Florida’s weather patterns over the last decade.
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$5.6 Million Ends Leak Saga
Orlando Sentinel, February 3, 2005
Seminole County officials are about to be reimbursed $5.6 million for repairs to its Sheriff's Office and Public Safety Building. The three-story building in south Sanford experienced leaks from the time it opened in 1998, and the leaks fueled the growth of mold.
The mediated settlement stems from a 2000 suit filed against the construction company, architect and construction manager. Those defendants entered into a confidential agreement that spells out the amount each will contribute to the settlement.
The county spent a little more than $5 million correcting the problems and removing mold from the building. Other expenses, including attorney fees, ran the cost to $6.4 million. The county decided to accept the settlement rather than risk the outcome of a court battle.
Deal Ends Boardwalk Impasse
Daytona Beach News-Journal, October 30, 2004
Plans to replace aging oceanfront Boardwalk amusements with an upscale hotel are expected to move ahead with the resolution Friday of a legal obstacle. A marathon 15-hour, court-ordered mediation that ended about 1:30 a.m. Friday resolved a lawsuit filed by the city on behalf of a developer trying to force two business owners to sell their property and make way for the project.
The City Commission approved the Boardwalk redevelopment in May as the next step in a grand vision to transform the oceanfront tourist area from a dependence on special events such as Bike Week and Spring Break to year-round convention and conference business. Boardwalk redevelopment builds on such recent projects as Ocean Walk, expansion of the Adam's Mark Resort and the planned expansion of the Ocean Center. An $8.7 million project has also started to improve the Atlantic Avenue streetscape in the core tourist area and the city has begun demolishing buildings south of Main Street to develop a new oceanfront park. The Adventure Landing water-amusement park is also expected to reopen in February and plans have been proposed to improve the Main Street Pier.
Land Qualifies as Tree Farm: Judge Rules Parcel Near I-Drive Can Claim Tax Break
Orlando Sentinel, July 8, 2004
A large piece of land near the busy International Drive tourism and convention corridor qualifies for a hefty tax break as a tree farm, even if it's eventually destined for development, a state Circuit Court judge has ruled. The 1,166 acres, purchased from Universal Orlando last year by a Georgia developer, was probably planted with seedlings only to qualify for an agricultural exemption, Judge Jay Cohen noted in his ruling, released late Tuesday. But that doesn't change the fact, he said, that the land is now used primarily for "bona fide agricultural purposes."
Thomas Enterprises, which agreed to assume any tax liabilities when it bought the property from Universal, would have a $1.8 million annual property tax bill without the exemption, compared with a $390,000 tax bill with the agricultural designation. The ruling is a blow for Orange County Property Appraiser Bill Donegan, who has yanked the agricultural exemptions of several I-Drive properties on which tourism-related companies had planted seedlings while waiting for economic conditions to improve.
Final Judgment: William Donegan vs. Universal City Property Management
Case No. 03-CA-1297 Div. 37
"In addition, UCPM's expert witness, Phil Wood, presented a number of well-known, high market value developments in Orange County containing lands classified as agricultural by the Property Appraiser. With respect to these other properties, the Property Appraiser has divided individual parcels to carve out the development activities from agricultural uses."
