President Donald Trump’s neighbors in Palm Beach, Florida, have initiated a legal proceeding designed to prevent the now-likely outgoing president from permanently relocating to his Mar-a-Lago property when his presidency concludes in January.
The Independent reported last week that First Lady Melania Trump was spotted touring a private school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ostensibly on behalf of her school-age son, Barron, sparking rumors that the Trump family plans to relocate to the state instead of returning to their previous residence in Trump Tower in New York City.
A source also reportedly told People Magazine that the Trumps have been touring schools across the area, looking for the right option for Barron. “They have looked all over Palm Beach County and neighboring Broward County for just the right place. There are several options, and they will decide soon.”
Even Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, is reportedly considering making a move to Florida with her husband, senior White House aide Jared Kushner, and their three children. Marketwatch reported earlier this week that the pair snapped up a 2-acre property on the ultra-exclusive Indian Creek Island near Miami, Florida, for a cool $31.8 million.
The Daily Wire noted Wednesday that Ivanka is being floated as a possible primary challenger for Republican incumbent Senator Marco Rubio, who was not among President Donald Trump’s more reliable backers.
The First Family traveled frequently to Donald Trump’s club, Mar-a-Lago, during the president’s term in the White House, and Mar-a-Lago, which was formerly a private residence before Trump converted it into a members-only social club in the early 1990s, would be the natural place for his family to settle.
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago neighbors, though, have already filed a complaint about the move, demanding that the Palm Beach city government enforce an agreement they made with Trump in 1993, before Trump ever considered running for office, which demands that no person reside at Mar-a-Lago for more than 7 consecutive days.
“The neighbors have delivered a demand letter to the town authorities of Palm Beach, addressed to the US Secret Service, which said that Mr. Trump lost his legal right to permanently live at Mar-a-Lago due to an agreement he signed in 1993 when he turned his private residence to a private club,” the Independent reported Wednesday. “In 1993, the president made a deal that bars any of the club members from spending more than 21 days a year in the club’s guest suites or staying there for longer than seven consecutive days. At that time, the town council was assured that the president would not live at Mar-a-Lago.”
An attorney for the Mar-a-Lago neighbors also notes that the president would run afoul of other local restrictions, like traffic and parking limits, if he were to relocate his post-presidential operation to Palm Beach.
President Trump could, of course, renegotiate to return Mar-a-Lago to a private residence, but that may be complicated by a different deal the president made regarding the historic home with the National Register of Historic Places, which gives them the right to weigh in on any redevelopment.