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Donald Trump calls it his “White House for the winter”: During his presidency, Trump spent a lot of time at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, and he could be there much more often after his term. Some residents fear that Trump may move out permanently. Now they send him a clear message: “We don’t want you to be our neighbor.” This is reported by the Washington Post, which has the corresponding letter.
Consequently, a lawyer for the neighbors sent a letter to the Secret Service and the city of Palm Beach. In it they write that Trump has no right to reside permanently in the facility, which is considered a private club. They refer to regulations from the 1990s. At the time, Trump converted the property from a private residence to a private club.
Local residents are asking the city of Palm Beach to inform Trump of this fact. This would avoid the “embarrassing situation” that the outgoing president would move there first, but would have to move later, the letter says.
The neighboring family’s move could now lead Palm Beach to publicly comment on whether Trump will be allowed to live in Mar-a-Lago after handing over to Democrat Joe Biden in January. At the same time, the dispute reveals a unique constellation in American history: A former president has to argue about where he will live after the White House.
“There is absolutely no legal basis for you to use your property as a residence and club,” the newspaper quoted a neighboring Palm Beach owner who had previously complained about Trump. Trump “couldn’t fool or intimidate people,” said the local neighbor.
The current controversy stems from a 1993 deal. At the time, Trump’s finances were in dire straits as the annual cost of maintaining Mar-a-Lago rose to millions of dollars. Under the agreement, club members are prohibited from spending more than 21 days a year there. Also, they are not allowed to stay in the private club for more than seven consecutive days. Therefore, the club character of the facility must be preserved.
Trump originally wanted to convert them to residential units for permanent use, the newspaper said. Before the deal was reached, a city attorney also assured the city in a public meeting that Trump would not live in Mar-a-Lago.
Trump’s Palm Beach neighbors have been complaining about the downsides of his presence for years. They reportedly suffer from the traffic jam that occurs when Trump is there. But even before his election as president in 2016, Trump caused disgust because he failed to abide by applicable rules. For example, when they erected a large flagpole that violated local regulations.
Furthermore, Trump is said to have tried in 2018 to have a ban lifted preventing him from building a jetty. Neighbors feared they would be disturbed by the noisy boat rides. According to the Washington Post report, Trump’s statement said the secret service needed the new building to protect the president. The investor was later said to be intended for the private use of the Trump couple. Earlier this year, Trump withdrew the motion after a Washington Post report revealed details of existing agreements.
According to calculations by the newspaper, Trump traveled to Palm Beach at least 30 times during his presidency and spent a total of at least 130 days in Mar-a-Lago. According to the report, the White House and the mayor of Palm Beach have not yet responded to questions about the complaints from neighbors. So far, the city has made no apparent attempt to prevent Trump from permanently living on its property.
