Well the people who try and tell you that they are selling you Beautiful Undeveloped Florida Land are at it again. I read an article with a lot of mis-statements. First off, River Ranch was started by the Rosen’s in 1967. The Rosen’s where a couple of circus pitman before they made their fortune selling a hair creme that claimed to grow hair in the 1950’s.

According to Dennis Covington, in his Book “Redneck Rivera”, the County Commission of Polk County met with Gulf America Corporation, the Rosen’s company, at John’s restaurant in Bartow. The commission was pitched the idea for a 440,000 unit subdivision. The commission quickly dismissed it an said there was no way they could maintain the roads and infrastructure in a subdivision that size. Gulf America Corp. quickly told them that we aren’t selling a subdivision, we are selling a Dream of a subdivision. The commissioners were told that they weren’t putting in roads and that the land owners would have to worry about roads in the future. The county commission realized that they would be able to tax this worthless swampland and never have to provide services. Then the paper subdivisions in Polk county were born.

If you see a DOR use code of 9910, DO NOT EXPECT IT TO BE AN INVESTMENT! In the case of River Ranch the land owners have started the POA where you get a permanent campsite if you pay the dues of a little over $100 per year. Beware though, the new scam is to cut up a parcel in .33 acre parcels which will not allow you to have a permanent campsite. In the 1970’s when these lots were sold they sold for $3000 on up. There are very few lots, with a 9910 designation, if any worth that money today. Investment? Yes it is a great investment if you can pick up a lot for $300 and sell it for $800 to $1000 to a local for a hunt camp. The Hunt camp is becoming popular and in time you might be able to find someone to purchase it, but these people on e-bay that try and convince you the land is worth $3000 to $5000 per lot? That is nuts and the only investment will be the family fun.

A couple other points to address, if you google river ranch on the maps you will see that it is mainly swamp land, let your eyes be the judge on the guides to see who to trust. Remember, I am writing these guide as a service to the e-bay community and have nothing to gain by convincing you of something. One thing to remember though, if you buy River Ranch, the state could at any time condemn and buy your land for taxable value, $625 per 1.25 acres. A new law was put in place that will allow the state at anytime to take this land over as conservation land, So don’t think of this as a long term investment. If you look you can see the taxable value on this land has been going down over the past 10 years or so, that is because the state is about to start closing these places down and buying them. That is a theory of mine, but I feel well founded. So maybe that is the same thing that the sellers on e-bay are thinking and trying to dump before they are stuck with land they paid more then $625 to buy.

As to any other paper subdivision in Polk County, Groveland Estates, Orlando Pines, Waverly Growers, Aspen Meadows, Imperial Acres, just to name a very few, are pretty much worthless in value. So if you can buy this land for less then $625 and pay the nominal taxes and hope the state buys up the land before you spent too much money in taxes, I say it is a good investment. I guess worthless is a strong word, there are some people who have access lots and run cows and are looking to buy some of these lots that I talk to every now and then, but most of the time they just run there cows on this land and keep you out with a gun.

So if you inherited some land in Polk County that is DOR 9910, if you have any questions I will be more then happy to help you and if the land is in a subdivision near where someone is buying, I will let you know, but if you are buying land, Beware of DOR use code 9910 and sellers who have guides telling you that these properties are investments.

I am trying to do some stuff to change the laws in Polk County to avenge the people who were scammed years ago, some of this land is good useable land, just no access. Most of it, including river ranch is exactly what www POLKPA.ORG, the official Polk County government property appraiser web site for Polk County, calls it Inaccessible River Ranch/ Green Swamp.

People were suckered into buying these lots years ago because they were deeded half interest in oil, gas and mineral rights. Well even though there is no oil that I know of in Florida, they were made to believe this was a great deal. Well most land you buy in Florida, has 100% interest in all those rights, so when that is in the legal description in Florida, beware. So as people try to polish up a pile of manure, it is still manure. Please, Do your Due Diligence and research this stuff before you buy, and if you need any help looking this up, getting pictures, please e-mail me and I will do my best to assist you. Ask questions like has this land been surveyed, ever, and are these lots outside the 100 year flood plain.

If you inherited some property in one of these subdivisions and you have the original paperwork, I would be really interested in seeing it or getting it from you, because I am thinking of writing a book and I would like some of these for research and maybe put in the book. I will also help you to locate information on your land, where it is and maybe get you some sattilite photos of your property so at least you might know where the property is and if it might be marketable.

Here is a good article about River Ranch and Imperial Acres from the Orlando Buisness Journal

www orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2006/07/10/story15.htm