You have no idea who the renters are but do you really know EVERYONE in the neighborhood? Have you knocked on everyone's door to find out who lives there at all times? You are allowed to rent your house out less than 30 days (only a certain number of times a year). Unless they are causing noise, throwing trash in the street or causing an increase in crime, people need to mind their own business. These are private residences after all.

There are neighbors who have told the police and guests that I am running a bordello, engaged in prostitution, engaged in drug trafficking, and engaged in child trafficking. I am at a loss for words of how to address these slanderous lies. I am a retired Air Force Office and a former VP-CFO for a defense contractor. I can accept that not everyone may like me but I'm appalled that my neighbors would create vicious lies to serve their own agenda. My oath was to protect all Americans including these neighbors. Hope they will stop their lies.
Jeffry M Banes

3364 Coquina Key Dr SE, St Pete owner continues to rent the home illegally AND charge the tenants even though the owner was told to refund all collected money to the future renters as of the court date in Feb 2016. Is there anyone from the city responsible for overseeing the judge's ruling? We have laws for a reason. Last week it was spring breakers from Illinois (license plates) and currently the renters are from North Carolina (license plates).

The judge ordered me to send letters with receipt requested to guests who had booked with me on the date of the trial. I complied with the judge's ruling. Those letters and receipts have been documented and sent to both the prosecuting attorney and the judge. I do not appreciate you hassling my guests. They were invited to stay and your actions are both unfounded and malicious. There are over 1,000 violators in St. Petersburg on just one website but the City has only elected to prosecute 10-15 of us. Why don't you spend your time trying to get the city to enforce the code uniformly and not selectively. My next step is to get indigents and vagrants to stay for a month at a time. I'm sure you'll appreciate that even more so. You are probably one of my neighbors who are slandering my good name. My issue is not with my neighbors but with the city. All I want is equal enforcement. I did not start this fight but I will not run from it either. I would like to know specifically how you have been harmed by my actions. Please direct your efforts to getting the city to either enforce the code on everyone or no one.

How are these renters disturbing other tenants? By making noise, making a mess, destroying property? Our neighborhood is far from perfect so I'm trying to figure out why THIS is an issue of such high importance? People able to rent their properties out as vacation rentals is a good thing unless the vacationers are disturbing neighbors.

There are MANY issues in this neighborhood, commercial fishing vessels in private canals, dilapidated boats sitting in the water for years unused, junk stacked up in water front yards that is visible to waterfront neighbors, etc. The vacation rentals are actually helping the neighborhood. People fix up their homes in order to rent them out to vacationers. You don't see junk stacked in the vacation home back yard or old non-working boats tied up to the sea wall. This is one of those codes that needs to be removed or rewritten. The neighborhood needs to be part of the progressive change our city desires, not the repressive desire by some to hold us back.

I'd like to share some financial information for those who disagree with Vacation Rentals in St Petersburg to consider. Vacation Property Owners pay 13% in taxes (6% to the State and 7% to the County). I'm told that the City of St. Petersburg collects 20% of the County tax.
Fact 1, there are over 2,000 violators in St. Petersburg on just one website and like 3 to 5 times that number on all the websites. Using the 2,000 as a base and owners renting their properties for $300 per night or $600,000 per day at 13% = $78,000 per day. $36,000 to the State & $42,000 to the County or which the City gets $8,400 per day. Now multiply that by 3 to 5 and the City is benefitting from $25,200 to $44,000 in tax revenue per day. No wonder why the City is reluctant to cite violators.
Fact 2, most vacation property owners hire contractors, house cleaning, pool and yard services. This benefits our local people by giving them jobs. Merchants, Vendors and Restaurants benefit from our guests spending money to buy their goods and services. Again, more cash infusion into our economy.
Fact 3, Aaron’s comments on noise, trash and destruction and Daisy’s comments on home appearances are right on the money. The city does have codes and laws to deal with these issues. Property owners don't want that type of cliental. Reason is simply - It's bad for business. Yes, these issues can happen but most owners like myself have rules to prevent this and mine even go so far as to say that I will vigorously enforce any code and prosecute any criminal activity.
Fact 4, Vacation Rentals can and do increase local property values. Investors want to find quality homes and will pay a premium for the right property. So even if you don't rent your home you would likely benefit from those who do.
Fact 5, this industry is increasing at a rate of 20% to 30% per year. We pride ourselves on being a tourist destination. The fact is that people are going to find a way to rent their properties. We can look at Prohibition as a model to see that it cost far more to enforce the law than it was to eliminate the cost and generate revenue.
I am hopeful and optimistic that we can find some common ground to allow vacation rentals in our great city and this superb community. Our goal should be to entice vacationers to St. Petersburg and benefit from their vacation dollars. Please reconsider opposing this issue and let me know how we can find areas of mutual agreement where we can support each other.

This property owner/rental manager, in listing his numerous opinions that he calls "Facts" manages to omit what absolutely should be obvious to all involved:

Despite the wishes and desires of anyone for future consideration of this type of financial transaction, until such time as the state, county and city all change the laws and regulations, the sole true FACT in this matter is that as of April 2016, it is absolutely ILLEGAL to rent short term.

No other opinions (whether posed as facts or not) matter at all. This person is in violation of the law. Until such time as the law is changed or amended, any person of honor would cease such illegal activity.

Your opinions as to potential benefit to the community as a whole mean absolutely nothing. You are breaking the law. You are doing so SOLELY FOR PERSONAL GAIN and WITHOUT ANY REGARD for the community in which you live.

All I ask for is the City of St. Petersburg to apply equal enforcement - only 10 to 15 have been cited. There are over 2,100 violators in St. Petersburg on one website and likely 3 to 5 times more - I want the City to either Enforce to Code on Everyone and Not Just Selectively Enforce It on a Targeted Few.

Mr. Banes, while I do not know you personally, I am somewhat a neighbor. I am all for equal enforcement, however, even going after every violator requires someone (or in this case some "10 to 15" someones) to be first. The argument that you should somehow be exempt simply because not every single violation is being enforced is specious at best. Under your thinking, crimes such as drunk driving shouldn't be prosecuted because the police haven't stopped every single impaired driver.

It truly borders on irrationality to feel "targeted" just because you happen to have been noticed by the City.

Just a thought here, but if you TRULY want the City to not bother you anymore, perhaps you should consider ending the unlawful activity. If THEN the City were to continue to prosecute, your continued protestations wouldn't seem quite so self-serving.

I appreciate your thoughts and think they have some merit - however, comparing drunk driving with renting out a property seems like apples and oranges to me. Drunk Driving causes death and injury while renting a property doesn't negatively impact anyone - you mentioned that there has to be a start - I would agree but the city has not stepped up its code enforcement since my case began. Why - they are getting thousands a day coupled with the fact that only a very few complain I can understand why they wouldn't want to enforce the code on everyone. I would like to know specifically what harm you have incurred from any vacation rental. Like I said earlier I did not start this fight but I will not run from it either. If you prefer I open my home to vagrants and indigents I am happy to accommodate. Sometimes laws need to be re-evaluated and changed. I think the good of vacation rentals outweights the bad - you may disagree - but that's your choice. All I want is Equal not Selective Enforcement.

Oh my, where to begin?

First, let me begin by saying that I do sincerely apologize if my drunk driving analogy offended you (or anyone else). A better choice might have been littering. Either way, it is not a defense to say that someone else got away with an illegal activity therefore you should be able to get away with it too.

Quoting you: "Like I said earlier I did not start this fight but I will not run from it either."
Actually, sir, you absolutely DID begin this unfortunate situation by not researching to see if the short term rental of your property was legal or not. Whether the law is fair or unfair, right or wrong, correct or needs to be changed, it is not CURRENTLY legal, so your actions - and your actions alone -absolutely did cause the situation.

"If you prefer I open my home to vagrants and indigents I am happy to accommodate."
WOW! And you have to ask "what harm you have incurred from any vacation rental"??? Again, the obvious seems to escape you. Some of your neighbors have indicated that you have rented your home to far less than upstanding citizens in the past. Police have been called to your property on more than one occasion due to the behavior of your renters (a matter of public record).

Trust me, Mr. Banes, I do not take your open threat to further harm our neighborhood lightly since you have already repeatedly proven your total disregard for either the law or the community in which you reside.

"Sometimes laws need to be re-evaluated and changed. I think the good of vacation rentals outweights the bad - you may disagree - but that's your choice." Whether the good outweighs the bad is TOTALLY IRRELEVANT. You want the law changed, then work to get it changed. I might even be a proponent of changing it, but until such time as the law is change, it remains ILLEGAL to do what you are doing, so just STOP DOING IT.

Please, just stop.

Obviously - if you read the reports - one was for noise and the police did ask the renters to stop - I made the mistake of renting it out to 8 marines for a bachelor party. Big mistake and I've apologized many times to my neighbors for that. Consequently, I no longer allow those types of guests to use my place. The other was because a party bus temporary blocked a neighbors driveway. He unblocked the driveway when asked but the police were called anyway. That's when the personal attacks on my character began, telling the police I was running a bordello, engaged in prostitution, engaged in drug trafficking and child trafficking. The police checked out my property and stated that they had no problems with me. If they did and the allegations were true I'd be in jail. How would you feel if I said these things about you - which by the way is something I'd never do no matter how much we disagree. The facts are I've been lied about and until those who lied tell the police they lied and make a public apology I cannot nor will I stop pressing for the code to be changed. I am diligently trying to get the code changed or at least have it put under an imposed moratorium until it can be reviewed and resolved. Just so you know - everything I do is legal in the County and legal in the State and I even have a business license from the state for this type of business.

Update from the Codes Compliance Department: a case has been opened and is being investigated for this reported location. Any further updates or action will be handled by the Codes department. To track the status of this case, or to find contact information for the assigned investigator, click here:

https://actiononline.stpete.org/Click2GovCE/casesearch.html?caseYear=16&caseNumber=5536

or call 727-893-7373 and refer to case number 16-5536

So very glad to see that the City of St Petersburg remains interested in the illegal renting of 3364 Coquina Key Dr.

The protestations of Mr. Banes do nothing to improve upon the illegality of what he continues to do. The only moratorium that he should be seeking is a self-imposed moratorium on his illegal rentals.

Should this case ever see a courtroom, it will be most interesting to see what a judge might impose when told of Mr. Banes' refusal to comply with statutes months after being told to desist. It is exactly the attitude of "I can do what I want and NO ONE can tell me differently" that has caused such consternation and enmity in our otherwise extremely pleasant neighborhood.

I say to you again here (and very politely in person should I see you on one of my bike rides), please stop the illegal renting. PLEASE.

I have fully complied with the judge's order - why do you persist in saying that I haven't - It appears to me that people only want to tell what they believe to be true but not all the facts as they really are true. I take it that you've been harmed in some way by vacation rentals but you won't say how. All I am asking for is fair and equal treatment. There are over 2,100 violators on just one of the many vacation websites. The City knows who the violators are but as yet have to take any significant steps to start citing everyone. Only the City can amend its short term rental codes. If they elect not to then they need to proceed immediately to cite everyone. If they do elect to cite everyone then they will lose significant tax revenue But that choice is up to the City. All I want is to be treated equally and the playing field fair and level for all participants. St. Petersburg is a Tourist Destination and this restriction will only deter tourism not promote it. What you said about being illegal is true but it is legal in both the county and the state and as I stated before I do have a State issued business license for this activity. This issue is much larger than just me - it could have a major financial and negative impact on our tourist industry. Let's all do the right thing for our great city and find a way to make it fair and equal for all.

Again, what others may or may not be doing is TOTALLY IRRELEVANT. You are the violator who is ruining the neighborhood.

You ask what harm, well, YOU are driving down property values and your tenants are not wanted in what used to be a nice, private community. All of us, your neighbors, chose to move HERE and not to live along side beachfront hotels and apartments because we didn't want a transient population.

Further, you made a major point of being a "retired Air Force officer" (and you may well be) yet you continue to dishonor those who served with you by willfully breaking the law, all for nothing but avarice and greed as motivation. If you were still in the Air Force at this time, you would be brought before your Commander for continued behavior like this. Shame, Mr. Banes, for invoking the name of any of our Armed Services as though it makes you someone who should be afforded special privilege.

Still, it only serves to highlight that you feel you are totally above the law.

I am sorry you feel that way - and trying to convince you otherwise is fruitless. Property values increase due to the high amount vacation property owners spend to attract guests but that is not something you're going to believe. I fail to see how guests staying a week cause any issues that would be different from guests staying a month. I respect your opinion and I am not above the law. I am just one man trying to get the city to make a choice of whether they want to allow short term vacation rentals or to stop all of the violators. In short, I want to see the City either stop everyone or allow it as the county and the state does and make it equal, fair and just for all. I can tell from the tone of your narratives that you have come to the conclusion that I'm some type of ...... Again, I respect your position but I must continue until this issue is resolved by the City.

Jeffry,
The few people who are antagonizing you on here DO NOT represent the rest of the island. Please don't continue to attempt to answer, it only allows them to feel the need to continue the public attack (obviously this is a disturbed group). Codes was at the Coquina Key Neighborhood Association meeting and with prompting by one or two angry attendees who couldn't just take the court ruling as the answer, the details and explanation of how your issue is being resolve was shared, OVER AND OVER. We know you are complying in the manner ordered by the courts. HOPEFULLY, THIS ENTIRE STRING WILL BE REMOVED by SEE CLICK FIX.

Daisy, Thank you for you kind remarks I am most appreciative - I will refrain from any further comments as your point is well founded. Thanks again - I've just never been attacked this way before and I struggle to make sense of it all. Jeff

The issue that you reported previously has been addressed by the City, and this open work order is now closed. Please feel free to submit future requests to us via SeeClickFix St. Pete, and thanks again!