Charlotte County commissioners are expected to settle a lawsuit next Tuesday by buying back a five-acre Punta Gorda property for $130,000, plus $10,000 in legal fees. The dispute started when buyer Michael Colisi purchased the land in 2024 to build a home and then learned he owed a $120,000 Habitat Conservation Plan fee. The county had classified the property as protected Florida scrub-jay habitat.
Colisi’s attorneys argued the land’s tall pines and thick palmetto make it unsuitable for scrub-jays, which need open, sandy scrub to survive. Rather than continue the fight, the county is set to purchase the property back, leaving the land undeveloped for now.
Neighbor Cathie Skoog told reporters she wishes Colisi the best of luck and that the community would have welcomed him as a neighbor, but the costs became prohibitive on top of everything else that goes into building a house. The case raises bigger questions for Charlotte County: how habitat rules are applied, who ultimately pays when disputes arise, and how many other property owners might be sitting on similar surprises. What do you think the county should do differently? Sound off in the comments.
