November 2009 - Florida Homes and Travel

Busch Entertainment Sold to Blackstone
Quite literally as your newspaper was rolling off the press last month, the
highly anticipated announcement was made that Busch Entertainment had
been sold to Blackstone Group for $2.7 billion. Busch Entertainment
comprised 3 SeaWorld parks, 2 Busch Gardens parks, Discovery Cove,
Sesame Place, Adventure Island, Aquatica and Water Country USA. This
acquisition adds to an already burgeoning theme park stable. Blackstone
Group part owns the 5 Universal Studios theme parks around the world with
NCC Universal, along with the Universal resort in Orlando. Blackstone Group
also owns the Merlin Group, with an impressive list of either ownership or
majority interest in all the major UK theme parks: Alton towers, Chessington
World of Adventure, Thorpe Park, Legoland along with Madame Tussauds,
The London Eye, Sea Life Centres, Warwick Castle and a host of other
attractions in the UK and around the world. Blackstone Group has extensive
investments in other aspects of travel and leisure such as the PortAventura
Resort, Hilton Hotels Corporation, La Quinta Inns and Suites, Luxury Resorts,
Center Parcs and Wyndham Worldwide. According to Wikipedia, “The
Blackstone Group was founded in 1985 by Peter G. Peterson and Stephen A.
Schwarzman with $400,000 in seed capital. The founders named their firm
Blackstone, which was a cryptogram derived from the names of the two
founders (Schwarzman and Peterson): Schwarz is German for black; Peter,
or Petra in Greek, means stone or rock. The two founders had previously
worked together at Lehman Brothers, Kuhn, Loeb Inc. At Lehman,
Schwarzman served as head of Lehman Brothers' global mergers and
acquisitions business.”
The City of Poinciana Seems Unlikely
A public meeting took place at Poinciana Liberty High School in late October
to discuss the proposal for incorporating Poinciana into a city. About 1,000
people turned out for the meeting although less than 700 were admitted due
to fire regulations. The three hour debate was often heated and emotional.
An opponent to the scheme pointed out that the population figures of 74,000
were inflated by the University of Central Florida's study which had been
conducted over the summer, the findings of which were presented before the
meeting. This meant that the projected revenue generated by taxing the
new city residents was also inflated. Even the proponents acknowledged that
taxes would have to go up, but felt that this was necessary to improve the
infrastructure of the area, which has no parks, poor road upkeep and no
enforcement of landscaping for abandoned homes. If incorporated, the city
would be larger in size than Lakeland, and would be 32nd in size of the 400
incorporated cities in Florida. When supporters were asked to stand as an
indication of the level of consensus, roughly 100 people stood, out of nearly
700 present. It is unlikely that an incorporation bill will be submitted to the
legislature next spring unless supporters manage to obtain a consensus or
near consensus of opinion. If that were achieved, the plan would go onto the
November 2010 ballot.
November 2009

In Brief
 Busch Adventure
Parks founded in 1959
 SeaWorld parks and
Cypress Gardens purchased in 1989.
 Cypress Gardens subject to internal buyout
by managers in 1995.
 Busch Entertainment
acquired by InBev in
2008.
 Busch Entertainment
sold to Blackstone
Group in 2009.
Inside this issue:
From The Editor
2
News Roundup
3
Homes
4
Homes Continued
5
PowWows, Plantat-
6
ions and the Prince
7
Fraud
8
Coastal News
9
Theme Park News
10
Letters...
11
Florida Homes and Travel
November 2009
Page 2
From the Editor
Editor
Elle Hubbard
Letters
May be edited for
clarity
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Florida Homes and
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We are always happy to
bring good news and
more choice on the car
hire front so please take
a look at our announcement on page 5 and exclusive offer on the last
page.
back seats and quiet interior. On the negative
side is the V-6 fuel economy and not such capacious luggage areas. We
will be interested to hear
your views if you have
driven one.
Whilst refreshing the
fleet information for
Alamo on our website I
also noticed that the example vehicle of the Intermediate SUV category
has moved on from the
Chevrolet Equinox that
was so popular, to a Saturn Vue, a rather sporty
looking SUV compact
crossover. Positive
online reviews point to a
V-6 engine with acceleration to match, spacious
Have rental enquiries
picked up for you? We
are starting to see quite
a few forward bookings
for next spring and summer both through the car
hire enquiries and those
for our home. It feels as
though tourists are starting to plan their next
trip, particularly if they
may have foregone one
this year. One trend we
noticed this year, and I
believe we were not
alone, was the „lastminute‟ nature of travel.
Many plans were made
only a few weeks, and in
some cases a few days,
in advance. A contributing factor to that could
well have been flight
prices, and when a last
minute bargain could be
bagged - well then off
they went!
The next issue will be the
last until the New Year when this Newspaper is
21!
We wish all our American
subscribers Happy
Thanksgiving for the 26th
November.
Elle Hubbard
Moneycorp U.S. Dollar Update
Having taken a month to
fall from $1.67 to $1.57 it
took sterling less than two
weeks to reverse the process. By the time they had
pushed the pound ten cents
lower investors realised
that every man and his dog
had a short position. There
was therefore a collective
decision to take profits and
up it went again. During
the penultimate week of
October sterling managed
to sidestep a potentially
dangerous series of economic data and all was
looking well until the release of the first estimate
of how the British economy
performed in the third
quarter of the year. Analysts had forecast a +0.2%
increase in gross domestic
product that would signal
the end of the recession.
What greeted investors instead was a sixth consecutive quarterly decline, this
time of -0.4%. This breach
of confidence will not easily
be forgiven and could lead
to new lows for the hapless
pound.
Subscribers to Florida Homes and
Travel who open a Trading Facility will have Moneycorp‟s £15 fee
waived for all transactions they
complete with them and will receive a Privilege Card entitling
them to commission free currency and a 1% improvement on
the exchange rate at any of the
TTT Moneycorp currency exchange bureaux locations. Tel:
0207589 3000
American Accountant
for assistance with US Federal, State & County tax filing. ITIN application, Property Tax, finance and mortgage advice. FIRPTA refund Withholding Certificate (8288-B) application when selling.
Jan Marie Doughty CPA (Certified Public Accountant)
has been assisting UK and other non-resident owners of Holiday Rental property in the USA for fourteen
years with;- Federal Tax Returns (1040NR), Tangible Personal Property Tax Returns, FIRPTA refund &
8288-B applications, ITIN application and representing clients before the IRS.
Contact Jan Marie Doughty CPA for a chat or further details
Florida Property & Business Services LLC
P.O. Box 41, Chichester, West Sussex PO20 1UZ England
Tel/fax 01243 536026
or 3000 N. Atlantic Avenue, Suite 203/2, Cocoa Beach FL 32931 Tel/fax 001 321 784 8329
website www.FloridaPBS.com or email [email protected]
Did you know?
I-95's two sections
total 1,925 mi (3,098
km)
Florida Homes and Travel
November 2009
Page 3
News Roundup
The U.S. Federal Aviation
Administration this month proposed a
$5.4 million penalty against US
Airways and a $3.8 million penalty
against United Airlines for flying
aircraft that did not comply with
federal safety standards. FAA claims
that from October 2008 to January
2009 US Airways operated eight
aircraft on a combined 1,647 flights
that violated airworthiness directives,
and United between February 2008 and
April 2008 operated a Boeing 737 on
more than 200 flights in violations of
safety procedures for the aircraft's
engine. US Airways in a statement said
it completed this year a comprehensive
review of its maintenance programs
with FAA.
The International Plaza Resort and Spa,
near the Orange County Convention
Center on International Drive has
reopened as the "Doubletree Resort
Orlando - International Drive" and is now
the largest Doubletree hotel following a
$35 million makeover. As an official
Florida Green Lodging Facility, the
Doubletree Resort also follows a series of
sustainable practices in their everyday
business. Guestrooms are equipped with
water-efficient showerheads and
recycling trashcans. Comfort sensors
automatically adjust temperature
settings to conserve energy when guests
are not in the rooms.
Passenger traffic increased 5.16% in
September at Orlando International
Airport (MCO). The increase marks the
first time since May 2008 that MCO has
seen an increase in passenger traffic
when compared to the same month of
the previous year. September is
traditionally one of the slowest travel
months of the year for MCO.
Did you know?
I-95 is the longest
north-south
Interstate Highway
It could be the end of the "paper or
plastic" question at shops in Florida.
Environmental officials wish to pursue
a 5-year phase-out followed by a ban
on both bags. The Department of
Environmental Protection argues the
manufacture of paper bags causes as
many problems as disposal of plastic
bags. This issue may be considered in
the Spring legislative session.
The Governors of North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia and Florida
have announced the 'The Governor's
South Atlantic Alliance'. The mission
Statement is: "Implement sciencebased policies and solutions that
enhance and protect the value of
coastal and ocean resources of the
south-eastern United States to
support the region's culture and
economy now and for future
generations."
Florida may see an increase in Chinese
tourists now as China has opened up
travel to the U.S. for 21 of its
provinces. Previously only 6 provinces
were allowed to visit the U.S.
Following the success of the free cell
phone parking lot at Orlando
International Airport for those
picking up travellers, the Greater
Orlando Aviation Authority has
reduced the parking garage grace
period from 40 minutes to just 20.
The 21st minute will cost $1.
Average Mortgage Rates
Term
Aug
Sep
Oct
Fixed 30 yr
5.11%
4.93%
5.01%
Adjustable 1 yr
4.98%
4.78%
4.77%
For trend indication only.
Source: www.freddiemac.com
In Brief
Virgin America has announced a partnership
with Google to offer free
in-flight WiFi to all passengers during the
Thanksgiving and Christmas season. From Nov.
10, 2009-Jan. 15, 2010,
flyers will be able to
check email and use the
internet for free.
The temperature in Florida dropped in midOctober to low 70' s in the
day time, meanwhile, gas
prices spiked almost 10
cents a gallon in just one
week!
AirFrance has joined
other airlines including
Virgin Atlantic in charging for a second checked
luggage bag in November.
Southwest Airlines will
serve the new Northwest
Florida - Panama City International Airport when it
opens in May 2010. No
further details, but it will
offer multiple destinations.
Bernard Madoff's Palm
Beach home is listed for
sale at $8.49 million.
The average price of a
gallon of regular fuel in
Florida is $2.725 with the
AAA warning prices could
rise another 10 cents in
coming weeks.
Florida Homes and Travel
November 2009
Page 4
Homeowner News
In Brief
From Nov 1st through to
March when Daylight
saving ends residents of
the St Johns River Water
Management District and
Osceola county can only
water lawns once a
week.
Residents and business
in Clermont are fighting
a plan to create a centre catering for Adult
businesses. There will
be a final vote on the
matter later in the
month.
The Travel Promotion Act
which will raise money
for promoting the U.S.
as a destination by
charging tourists $10 to
enter the U.S. has
cleared the House of
Representatives and is
now headed back to the
Senate for approval before going on to President Obama for signing
into law. The wording of
the act is: S. 1023
would require the Department of Homeland
Security to collect a $10
ESTA fee from foreign
travellers for the Corporation for Travel Promotion. An ESTA lasts for 2
years, so hopefully we
will only have to pay on
application, not each
time we go.
Nationwide Insurance Co. of Florida
has announced that it will not renew
about 60,000 Florida homeowners
insurance policies in Florida in 2010,
reducing the number of policies in
Florida to about 275,000. The
company is a subsidiary of Nationwide
Mutual Insurance Co.
Universal Property and Casualty
Insurance has received approval from
Florida regulators to raise its average
homeowners insurance rates about 14.6
percent statewide.
State sales tax receipts were up in
September for the second straight month.
Almost 100 million dollars were raised
above expectations due in part to 'Cash for
Clunkers' (Florida's version of the UK
Scrappage scheme), Corporate Income and
construction. Sales tax from tourists
remained flat. State Economist
appreciates the extra money the state can
spend, but cautions against assuming this
means the worst is over and wants to see
what happens in the last quarter before
making any pronouncements.
State-backed Citizens Property
Insurance Corp. has won approval to
raise rates by an average of 5.4% for
homeowner coverage that includes
hurricane damage, except in high-risk
coastal areas where premiums will be
revised later. Also approved were
average statewide increases of 10.2%
for residential condo associations.
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin
McCarty announced the new rates,
effective Jan 1st, for 719,000 policies
of various types including 350,000
homeowners.
Florida Power & Light have been directed
by State Regulators to give customers a
one-time refund amounting to about $44
per 1,000 kilowatt-hours in January due
to lower than expected fuel costs during
2009.
Homeowners turning to their insurance
company for help with Chinese Drywall
in their homes are receiving a double
whammy. Firstly the insurer will not
help as building defects are not covered.
Secondly is a letter to cancel the
insurance cover until the problem is
fixed! More worryingly, there is an
indication that other household
insurance claims would not be covered if
Chinese drywall was later discovered in
the home.
Lakeland based State Senator Paula
Dockery has announced she will run for
Governor, challenging Attorney General
Bill McCollum for the Republican
nomination. Alex Sink is leading the
Democratic race, which could see 2
women fighting to be the first female
Governor of Florida.
Lakeland, Florida was the hottest
place in the continental U.S. on 30 Oct
with a recorded temperature of 95
degrees.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC),
beginning Jan. 1, 2010, any boater born on
or after Jan. 1, 1988 will be required to
take an approved boating safety course
and possess an FWC-issued boating safety
identification card.
A field engineer for Florida Power & Light
disabled primary and backup equipment to
diagnose a switch that had malfunctioned.
This caused a power outage lasting
approximately one hour in 2008. It has
now also caused a $25 million fine to the
company by regulators. Sadly, none of the
customers who were without power will see
any of the money.
Frontline Florida Realty Inc
Buying or selling a home or a business in the Disney / Orlando area? We are from
the UK and have done what you want to do.
Our service is free to buyers and reasonably priced to sellers.
Need a loan?
Want to move to Florida?
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In Florida Call: 407 832 4888
Or call Free in the US: 1 877 438 6815
[email protected]
www.FrontlineFloridaRealty.com
Bring/Mention this ad for $1000 toward your closing cost
Did you know?
I-95 passes through
more states—
fifteen—than any
other Interstate
Florida Homes and Travel
November 2009
Page 5
The state Public Service Commission has agreed to delay voting on major rate
increases sought by Florida's two biggest power companies, allowing both of
Gov. Charlie Crist's two new appointees to take part in those decisions. Crist,
who asked for the delay until his second appointee takes office in January,
opposes each utility raising its base rate by about 30 percent. He called the
postponement "good news for Florida consumers."
"The economy is what the economy is," Crist said. "Trying to charge more
people more money at this time is the wrong thing to do."
The five-member panel unanimously rejected a staff recommendation to keep
on its current schedule. Instead, it reset key rate decisions from November and
December until January. That will push anticipated January effective dates for
the new rates back at least two months. Florida Power & Light Co. wants to
raise rates by nearly $1.3 billion a year while Progress Energy Florida is asking
for a $500 million increase.
In a separate request, the Public Service Commission agreed to let the state's
two largest utilities collect more than $270 million from ratepayers next year
as a down payment to develop new nuclear plants expected to come online in
the next decade. Progress Energy Florida was approved to increase bills by
$5.86 to a monthly bill for 1,000 kilowatt hours. Florida Power & Light Co. was
approved for a 67 cent increase for the same amount of power.
Florida‟s existing home sales rose in September 2009, which marks more than a
year (13 months) that sales activity has increased in the year-to-year comparison,
according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors. September‟s
statewide sales also increased over sales activity in August in both the existing
home and existing condominium markets.
Existing home sales rose 34% last month with a total of 14,419 homes sold
statewide compared to 10,778 homes sold in September 2008, according to Florida
Realtors. Statewide existing home sales increased 4.1% over statewide sales
activity in August. Florida Realtors also reported a 77% increase in statewide sales
of existing condos in September compared to the previous year‟s sales figure;
statewide existing condo sales last month rose 8.9% over the total units sold in
August.
All of Florida‟s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported increased existing
home sales in September; all but one MSA also showed gains in condo sales. A
majority of the state‟s MSAs have reported increased sales for 15 consecutive
months.
Florida‟s median sales price for existing homes last month was $142,000; a year
ago, it was $174,900 for a 19% decrease. Housing industry analysts with the
National Association of Realtors (NAR) note that sales of foreclosures and other
distressed properties continue to downwardly distort the median price because
they generally sell at a discount relative to traditional homes. The median is the
midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less.
Did you know?
There is a ten mile
break in the two
sections of I-95 in
New Jersey.
Car Hire
We are delighted to be
able to bring subscribers
car rental from AVIS.
AVIS have an excellent
reputation for customer
service but have
previously not offered
their cars for sale by „tour
operators‟.
Initially, the trial applies
only to Orlando and only
for collections before 31st
March, but if take up is
good then it is most likely
that AVIS will roll out
access to the rest of
Florida from then.
As a price point AVIS
prices are comparable with
Alamo, about £5 more per
week than Dollar and
about £10 more per week
than Budget.
Of course Avis and Budget
are part of the same group
so the fleet is similar in
style. Both companies
also charge a Christmas
surcharge for bookings
collected between 18th
Dec and 1st Jan.
We have a special
introductory offer of £5
per week off all AVIS
rentals. To take
advantage of the offer,
please call 01428 741438
or email
[email protected]
REFINANCE OR PURCHASE YOUR FLORIDA PROPERTY
TODAY‟S LOW START RATE OF 3.5%
Orlando: (407) 924-1838
Tarpon Springs: (727) 945-7722
London: 020 7193 4300
www.connectms.com
[email protected]
Florida Homes and Travel
November 2009
Page 6
Pow-Wows, Plantations and the Prince
From pow-wows to power-play politics, Tallahassee has been recognized for more than eight centuries as a capital core – first as a Native American ceremonial centre, then as the hub of government for the Sunshine State.
From the first meeting of the Legislature to modern times, Tallahassee‟s history has revolved around its fierce
determination to retain the title of Florida‟s capital. Despite its distance from navigable waters and its “sleepy
town” image, Tallahassee finally anchored its position in 1977 by revealing the Capitol Complex.
Perseverance toward maintaining its deep-rooted Southern heritage is reflected in its Capitol buildings, nationally
significant archaeological digs, antebellum homes stretched along park-lined streets, sprawling plantations, Civil
War battlefield, historic churches, cast of remarkable characters and spirited festivals, which include reenactments of pioneer and Native American life.
Although it is not often spotlighted in history textbooks, Tallahassee borders on national stardom. In 1539,
Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto set up a winter encampment in Tallahassee, the starting point for the
first European exploration of the new territory. The location of the first Christmas celebration in North America,
the Hernando de Soto State Archaeological Site has yielded evidence of the Spanish bivouac including the oldest
copper coins ever unearthed in the United States. During the 17th century, Spaniards established presence
among the Apalachee Indians with the creation of Franciscan missions such as San Luis de Talimali. Skirmishes
among European powers resulted in the death and dispersal of the Apalachee Indians and the destruction of the
missions in 1704. By the end of the 18th century, Creek and Seminole Indians had re-populated the area. Fertile
soil, lakes and rolling hills abundant with wild game attracted white settlers who eventually forced out the Native
Americans. Today, San Luis is a state-owned park just minutes west of downtown.
In 1823, William Pope DuVal, first civilian governor of the new Territory of Florida, designated a central location
for the legislature to meet. He sent one explorer on horseback from St. Augustine and another by boat from Pensacola, and the two rendezvoused near a waterfall – a spot its Native American inhabitants called “tallahassee.”
The meeting place was declared Florida‟s capital, and unbelievably, it remains the spot of the capitol building
today.
Three log cabins served as the territory‟s first government buildings. The two-story masonry capitol was erected
in 1826 with periodic expansions coinciding with attempts to remove the capital from Tallahassee. On the eve of
the Civil War, Tallahassee led the state in wealth and population. Confederate soldiers repelled Union troops at
the Battle of Natural Bridge in March 1865, earning Tallahassee the distinction of being the only Confederate
capital east of the Mississippi not to be captured. The site is now a state park 10 miles from downtown. With the
22-story New Capitol towering overhead since 1977, the Historic Capitol, erected in 1845, has been restored to
its 1902 appearance, complete with red-and-white candy-striped awnings and a gracious, stained glass dome.
Tallahassee owes its birth to politics, but its pre-Civil War prosperity rested on the fortunes of area cotton plantations, many of which still remain. The small town was noted more for the people it lured than events in history.
Descendants of the first three presidents of the United States – Washington, Adams and Jefferson – and Prince
Achille Murat, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, settled in Tallahassee. In 1826, Murat married the greatgrandniece of George Washington in the social event of the season. He wooed Kate by drinking from her slipper.
Princess Murat‟s plantation home, Bellevue, is now located at the Tallahassee Museum.
Built in 1830 as a cotton and corn plantation, Goodwood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Recognized for its architectural, economic, social and political presence in the 19th century, Goodwood reflects a
Andrew Bartlett
Independent Emigration and Property Specialist
* Examine the implication of *Discuss the EB 5 visa options
emigration issues such as
health insurance, school,
property taxes, mortgages,
lifestyle issues etc
that allow permanent residency
for work or retirement. Is it viable, which projects suited them
best, what are the pros & cons?
* Selling/Buying property in
Florida?
Find out where Brits go wrong
and overpay.
Advice, information, briefings, consultations
Www.andrewbartlettflorida.co.uk
0207 096 1227
Did you know?
Portions of I-95 have
tolls which are all
compatible with the
E-ZPass electronic
payment system.
Florida Homes and Travel
November 2009
Page 7
style and sophistication rare in frontier Tallahassee. Built in Italianate style, Goodwood boasts more than 7,500
square feet. Originally composed of 750 acres, Melhana the Grand Plantation was purchased in 1825 for $1 an
acre. In 1939, the first private showing of “Gone With the Wind” was screened in Melhana‟s Showboat Theatre.
Today, with its heated indoor pool and English gardens, the bed and breakfast, which has been renamed the
Coalson Plantation & Inn, offers overnight accommodations, fine dining, weddings, receptions and retreats. One
of the last plantations established was the 307-acre masterpiece of floral architecture now known as Maclay
State Park. It boasts brilliant landscaping fashioned around reflecting pools, bubbling fountains and a natural
lake. Today, America‟s largest concentration of original plantations – 71 plantations spanning 300,000 acres –
still exists between Tallahassee and Thomasville, Georgia, 28 miles away.
Downtown Tallahassee grew as a trade centre with Florida‟s first railroad – a simple mule-drawn, rail trolley that
epitomized the leisurely pace of Southern life and connected Tallahassee and St. Marks. The 16-mile railroad
bed has now been paved as the Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail. In the following years, the wealth
flowing into Tallahassee was reflected in the homes along downtown‟s Calhoun Street, dubbed “Gold Dust
Street.” Park Avenue, once “200 Foot Street” and “McCarty Street,” was renamed to soothe a socialite‟s desire
for a sophisticated return address for her son‟s wedding invitations. Tallahassee‟s oldest remaining residence,
known as The Columns, is a white-columned brick home that was built in the 1830s on land purchased for $5 by
William “Money” Williams. Rumoured to have a nickel embedded in every brick, it now houses the Tallahassee
Area Chamber of Commerce. Adams Street Commons retains the flavour of a Southern town square, lined on
either side by restored buildings such as the Governor‟s Club – a 1900s Masonic Lodge – and Gallie‟s Hall – built
in 1874 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1892, Gallie‟s Hall had standing room only as
Florida‟s first five black college students received diplomas from the State Normal and Industrial College, now
Florida A & M University, home of the high-stepping Marching 100 band.
Other downtown area historic spots include the Union Bank, Florida‟s oldest surviving financial institution; the
intriguing Knott House That Rhymes, which reflects the political, economic and social history of Florida; and, on
a hill west of the Capitol, the 154-year-old Florida State University.
The area has many of the usual hotel offerings: Ramada, Holiday Inn etc, along with more „individual‟ bed and
Breakfast locations such as „Inn at Park Avenue‟ or „ The Swan House‟. A couple of restaurant‟s to consider during your stay are; Kool Beanz Café, and Z. Bardhi’s.
Kool Beanz Café was opened in 1996 by Englishman Keith Baxter who has over 40 years experience in the restaurant trade. Located 3.8 miles from exit 203 on I -10 into Tallahassee the food features many fish dishes as
you would expect, just 15 miles from the gulf, and a daily changing menu. The mood is very eclectic and casual, and attracts great reviews.
Z. Bardhi‟s is owned by Charlie Crist look-a-like Zeke Bardhi, a Kosovan who grew up in Rome before coming to
the U.S. in 1984. Seafood features quite heavily again within the traditional Italian offerings which all begin with
warm Italian bread with sun-dried tomato-herb oil. Designed as a log cabin, the entire Bardhi family have
worked here, either as chef‟s or front of house staff, and Zeke views the place as a legacy to be passed on - a
good indicator of consistently high standards! Z. Bardhi‟s is 5.1 miles from exit 203 on I-10 heading away from
Tallahassee.
Tallahassee is about 5 hours from the Orlando area, making it a great destination for a short break, and a
chance to experience „some Southern Hospitality‟. Try www.visittallahassee.com for help planning your trip.
Tarpon Springs
Almanac, October
Average High
84.5°
Average Low
64.9°
Mean Temp
74.7°
18/10/1960
94°
22/10/1989
42°
Travel Insurance
From Columbus
Annual Family Policy from £71.49
Couples Policy from £68.09
Upper age limit now 88 years
Please call Columbus on 0800 980 1030 and quote “fhat”
http://www.columbusdirect.com/index.cfm?sourcecode=fhat
Florida Homes and Travel
November 2009
Page 8
Fraud
Credit card fraud is now an ever-present and growing threat to both card holders and businesses alike. Last
month we were shocked to receive a letter from our merchant services fraud department alerting us that a
transaction on the website had been fraudulent. You can probably imagine the panic that set in! When we reexamined the transaction, on the surface all looked well. The transaction was a forward booking for a car, not
an immediate collection, the full name and address details of the cardholder were provided, and the transaction
had made use of the 'Verified by Visa' technology that Visa holders can set up. The potential fraud score as
provided by 'The Third Man' for the transaction was very low, the only thing that possibly marked it out was the
name of the driver being different to that of the card holder. Now maybe we are quite unique within our
market, but we often arrange cars for family members and guests of subscribers who pay for the cars
themselves, so that particular situation is not unusual for us.
We contacted the fraud department that had sent the letter and they explained that as yet, there was not a
charge back on the transaction, that so far all that had happened was that the card holder had queried the
transaction - it could even be that he had forgotten it! Credit card transactions like this have a 6 month period
in which they can be 'charged back' by the card holder if dissatisfied with the goods. The fraud dept had
contacted us with an early warning because in their experience, this situation usually turns out to be fraudulent.
Since conducting the transaction, another reservation had been placed via the website, in the same driver name,
but a different card holder. Again the transaction was not flagged up, and was 'Verified by Visa' passing all
online fraud checks. Because this car had not yet been collected the fraud dept offered to contact the issuing
bank of the card to determine if this transaction could also be fraudulent. But this is where it gets interesting.
We rang the telephone number supplied by the driver on the order form and got straight through to the driver.
He insisted there was no problem that he was aware of, and that the cardholder had not instigated a dispute, but
that he would contact him to confirm. Sure enough, he emailed us shortly after to let us know that he had been
reassured that there was no chargeback - but that anyway the transaction was verified by visa, so no come back
on us. That rung alarm bells, because why would you write that if there was no problem with the card? It was
after this we received the information that the second transaction was fraudulent. We obviously cancelled the
reservation and the driver was placed onto a 'Do not rent to' list by the supplier.
Because the order was placed from Florida whilst the driver was still there he had supplied a delivery address
which looked like a Short Term Rental location. According to the dates for the car rentals the driver looked to be
booked in to the house from September to December and he had used 2 cloned cards with us. We were
concerned that a villa owner could be in a similar position. Using the supplied address and the wonders of
Google we were able to track down the villa owner, and sure enough, the driver was booked into their home for
the whole period whilst he undertook 'pilot training'! We warned them of the potential calibre of their guest and
the possibility that he could have paid using a cloned card. Strangely the owners were not that concerned,
saying that their management company had conducted the transaction, so it would be their loss, although they
would pass on our warning! The Osceola County Sherriff was a bit more interested and took more details. It is
quite possible that the driver is using many different cloned cards around the neighbourhood in Florida, and that
lots of companies are suddenly going to be hit with fraudulent transaction!
So why do we tell you this? Well, the Fraud department suggested a useful way to try and weed out these
fraudulent transactions which you could apply to your own circumstances. Where the card holder is unknown to
you, or is in a different name to that of the person organising the transaction, or you just have any suspicions,
use the card holder address supplied to drop a quick letter to the card holder thanking them (Continued pg 10)
Buying property on the Gulf or Atlantic coasts of Florida?
We are a UK based overseas property agent with Florida buyers’ brokers and resale,
new and custom properties in:
Florida Gulf coast:
Florida Atlantic coast:
Between Tampa and Sarasota
New Smyrna Beach/
Also Naples area
Daytona area.
Just call us on 01344 752358 or email [email protected]
www.sunshinepropertiesworldwide.com
Did you know?
I-90 is the longest
East-West interstate
at 3,099 miles
(4,987 km)
Florida Homes and Travel
November 2009
Page 9
Coastal News
A rather ugly impasse on Siesta Key over beach access rights could be a step
closer to resolution after a controversial section of a proposed law was removed,
paving the way for successful passage at a public hearing on Dec 8th. The
language of the section would have specifically given county commissioners the
right to ask a court to declare a stretch of beach public and to set aside money to
take beachfront property owners to court. This gave worried owners the
impression the county was planning a wave of aggressive law suits.
Commissioners have retained a section which would ban signs or physical
impediments on the beach, including the 'No Trespassing' signs which have given
the public the impression it cannot use or even cross parts of the beach. The
signs have led to many verbal confrontations, and the police being called on
many occasions over the last year. Beach front owners on the key, both
residential and resorts, have erected the ugly signs proclaiming 'Private
Property' and 'You are trespassing' and have even been accused of using rows of
deckchairs to restrict access. The proposed law recognises the right of the
homeowners to 'own' the beach down to the wet sand - beyond this it is owned
by the state for the benefit of the public.
The Overseas Highway, stretching 127 miles north from Key West has been
designated an "All-American Road." The designation is the highest recognition
possible under the National Scenic Byways program, with only 30 other U.S. roads
holding the prestigious title. keys officials hope the accolade will increase both
tourism and highway funding.
Royal Caribbean International took delivery of the Oasis of the Seas on
Wednesday 10/28/09. This is now the world's largest passenger cruise ship.
There will be a formal naming ceremony at Port Everglades on November 30th,
and the ship will have an inaugural 4-night sailing to RCL's private port at
Labadee, Haiti commencing December 1st.
Rules outlining a series of escalating fines
for damaging grass flats in state
preserves are about to be enforced.
Under the new regulations, anyone
caught running a boat over a grass bed
within a preserve where the prop makes
contact with the grass, can be fined $50
for a first offense, $250 for a second
offense within 12 months, $500 for a
third offense and $1,000 for a fourth
within 72 months. All offenses are noncriminal. The preserves cover most of the
best inshore fishing waters in the
southern two-thirds of Florida.
Did you know?
Interstate 10 is 2,460
miles long
(3,959 km)
Florida Lotto Winning Numbers
10/31/09
06-21-26-30-50-51
10/28/09
14-15-17-30-33-53
10/24/09
09-16-30-41-44-51
10/21/09
02-09-13-17-39-44
10/17/09
20-41-42-45-49-52
10/14/09
04-08-12-17-19-28
10/10/09
07-21-23-27-36-43
10/07/09
06-36-37-41-48-50
10/03/09
08-17-18-21-32-42
In Brief
Foreclosure rates in
Sarasota, Manatee and
Hillsborough counties
were down year on
year in September,
bucking the statewide
trend in which
foreclosures were up
nearly 15%.
Hillsborough County
tourism officials are
working hard to organize
a tall ships festival in
Tampa Bay next July. It
is hoped the festival
would bring as many as
10 classic vessels from
around the world that
would be open for public
visits.
A 41-year-old Marco
Island man must give
up his $1.2 million
waterfront home and
faces up to 30 years in
federal prison for
bribing an insurance
adjuster and bilking the
insurer out of $3.2
million -- and then
buying his home with
dirty money.
Red tide has been
reported off some
beaches along the Gulf
Coast, but as yet fish
don't appear to be too
badly impacted with few
reports of fish kills.
Want to take credit cards for
your bookings, but don’t want
any hassle?
Then we are the company you are looking for,
OUR SERVICES ARE DESIGNED FOR THE INDIVIDUAL OWNER
Please contact Elaine and Pauline at [email protected]
Tel: 407-709-2451 or 407-557-5860
www.vacationcardservices.com
Florida Homes and Travel
November 2009
Page 10
Theme Park News
Adult single admission tickets will
increase from $69.95 to $74.95 at
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and prices
for children ages 3 through 9 will
increase from $59.95 to $64.95.
SeaWorld, Orlando has raised the base
price admission ticket by $4 to $78.95,
just 5 cents less than Disney or
Universal.
Cont from p 8
for their transaction and
just asking them to
contact you with a
particular code or
reference to confirm the
reservation. For the
cloned cards to be used
Animal Kingdom: Mickey's Jammin'
Jungle Parade gets a holiday makeover
November 27, 2009, through January 3,
2010, when it is magically transformed
into Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade.
Holidays Around the World begins
in late November:
Disney's Hollywood Studios: The
Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing
Lights -- the Streets of America glow
with millions of dancing lights and
animated displays November 10, 2009,
through January 4, 2010.
Epcot: Candlelight Processional with
celebrity narrators Isabella Rossellini
(November 27-29) and John O'Hurley
(November 30 & December 1-2); World
Showcase Storytellers, and a special
finale to IllumiNations.
Magic Kingdom: - Cinderella Castle
beams brightly as the evening is capped
with eye-popping fireworks orchestrated
to classic holiday tunes. Mickey's Very
Merry Christmas Party (a separate
ticketed event) is held on select nights.
successfully, all the
address details must be
correct to pass the
security checks, so by
contacting the card
holder directly, you can
be more hopeful of
reaching them and
verifying the transaction.
Fortunately from our
position, because both
the transactions were
'Verified by Visa', the
issuing bank will bear the
loss, not us or the
unfortunate card holders.
November Calendar:
Quilts and Tea Festival, Davenport, 13/11/09-14/11/09
Festival of Quilts, Tea and Vintage Vehicles held in the historic district
863-422-2267
Florida Turkish Festival, Hollywood Beach, 15/11/09
8th annual Turkish Festival, folkloric dances, delicious Turkish food, music, choirs
and band. 561-572-7788
Mount Dora 18th Annual Christmas Walk
04/12/09 6-9 pm
Enjoy an old-fashioned Christmas street party against a backdrop of a million
lights. Fun for the entire family with music, Santa and shopping.
Location: Downtown Mount Dora.
protection for sellers by
EPCOT Food and Wine Festival: 25/09/2009 - 08/11/2009
Entertainment included in park entry, Fine cuisine tasters around $3-$5 .
Location: EPCOT, Walt Disney World
verifying buyers, but it is
407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine
PayPal offers some
still possible to pay for
goods or services via
PayPal without having a
PayPal account.
Glitter, Glisten & Snow Haines City, 04/12/09
Free Snow area-hot cider-cookies-roasted chestnuts-Arts & Crafts
863-421-3700
Insurance for Auto, Home, Life, Health & Business Expect the Unexpected!
Short Term Rental Specialist
www.4cornersinsurance.com
Phone (863) 420 6995
E-Mail [email protected]
Did you know?
The Florida section of I95 is the longest state
section at 382.17 miles
(615.04 km)
Florida Homes and Travel
November 2009
Page 11
Letters...
Something that may be of interest to your readers who own a car in Florida and hold a Florida Drivers Licence.
Our drivers licences are valid for the period of our visas - 6 months - and so lapsed by the time we returned a
few days ago. My wife and I dutifully presented at the Drivers Centre, by appointment, to renew our lapsed
licences - which only takes minutes to process. Imagine our surprise when at the conclusion of the paperwork
we were told the fee is now $63 each! It is $48 renewal fee and $15 late payment fee (not much we can do
about the late fee as we are not in the country). These new fees effective September 1st 2009. Also, the Drivers
Centre would not accept any form of Visa credit card or visa/debit card. Only Master card, cash or check. We
just had sufficient cash to pay. Not a pleasant experience - welcome to Florida! And I have held a drivers licence
since 1996.
Incidentally, when we booked our appointment on-line in late September there was no alert about the new
charges.
When we renewed in March 2009, the fee was $20 plus $1 late fee. For many years prior to that it had been $15
plus $1.
There is a facility for renewing the drivers licence on-line, but only for US residents.
Finally, another unrelated piece of information for your readers about Virgin Atlantic on-line check-in facility. We
attempted to check-in within the 24 hour period but were locked out each time. The check-in desk
acknowledged this happens because we have a US Visa (and therefore do not need to register with ESTA): and
the two agencies are incompatible, at present.
Richard Mortimer
Note to self: When trying to rob a pub,
do not fall asleep in the walk-in freezer
of said pub following a quick meal of
tinned tomatoes unlike a Gulf Coast
man in Ridge Manor. The dopey
criminal was discovered, still snoozing,
by a Hernando deputy during a
security check of the building.
Useful Contacts
Headline of the month: Police pop
Pinellas Park porker! Police had to
dispatch a wild boar that was deemed
to be a danger to the public after
running amok in Pinellas park.
A Florida Panhandle Fish and Wildlife
officer was left red faced after the 5 ft
alligator he took to his daughters
school for ‘show and tell’ leapt out of
his car window and absconded! The
poor officer searched surrounding
scrub for several hours, before having
to give up on the gator which had its
mouth taped.
Did you know?
The oldest sections of I
-95, including several
toll roads, predate
the Interstate System;
US Accountant
Jan Marie Doughty
01243 536026
UK Accts /Wills & Estate
Roger Tuffin
01273 202071
Home Inspector/Realtor
John Mcloughlin
001 407-666-3279
Realtor
Alan Martin
001 407-832-4888
Realtor
Tom Schmidt
001 407-247-3023
Mortgage/Refinance
Mike Dover
001 407-924-1838
Emigration/Visa advice
Andrew Bartlett
0207 096 1227
Long Term Rentals
Graham Hardy
0207 193 3440
Currency Exchange
Moneycorp
0207 589 3000
Travel Insurance
Columbus Travel Insurance
0800 980 1030
Travel Insurance
Cover 2 Travel
Airport Parking
Help-Me-Park.com
Homeowner Insurance
Mike Palanti
001 863-420-6995
Homeowner Insurance
Camille Gentles
001 321-397-2878
Car Hire
Elle Hubbard
01428 741438
Credit Card Services
Pauline Lowe
001 407-557-5860
Attorney
Robert Hendry
001 407-843-5880
Handy Man Services
Paul Mortlock
001 352-988-3852
Website Design
Sarah Gatti
001 407-390-7000
0800 389 5904
0870 300 6009
Florida Homes and Travel
November 2009
Exclusive Subscriber Offer
November’s Bargain
To Introduce AVIS
£5 per week off all AVIS vehicles
Book NOW, before 20th November 2009
For the offer, call 01428 741438 or email:
[email protected]
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email Elle: [email protected]
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