Chestnut Point
When an unscrupulous Philadelphia developer borrowed millions from a New York bank to purchase the Chestnut Point Campground and Marina in Cecil County, Maryland few could image the nightmare that would soon unfold. The developer immediately attempted to evict all of the residents, but local regulators stepped in, notifying the developer under Maryland Land mobile home residents must be given a year to vacate. A year later, the developer literally had the park flatted as earth movers came in and crushed the many abandoned trailers and campers, without obtaining a demolition permit. Again, local government interceded with a stop work order.
The developer spent several years attempting to get a site plan approved for a 110 lots subdivision without success. Unable to develop the site, he never repaid his loan. The leader is forced to foreclose on the property. The Chairmen of the bank asked his local legal counsel whom he should engage to sell the property and is given the name of Stephen Ferrandi. Stephen agreed to see the property and give his option as to pricing. Stephen is flabbergasted at the amount of trash and debris that now covers the abandoned 38 acre site, in some areas piles nearly 20 feet high. This once cash flowing property had now been transformed into the county’s largest illegal dumping ground.
After explaining the issues to the bank, the bank engage Maryland Land Advisors to supervise the clean-up and work with local, county, state and federal officials to resolve all of the many legal entanglements the illegal dumping caused the out of state bank. With Barb Bindon as the point of contact, all appropriate permits in hand, earth moving equipment and dumpsters soon began removing the tons of trash off the property. The three month project removed in excess of 214 dumpster loads of trash, thousands of tires and more than a few abandoned cars, campers, and boats. After the cleanup and inspection by all governing agencies, Maryland Land Advisors obtained releases of further action by every governmental agency.
The property was marketed for a year before being sold to a buyer and it will be transformed back into a camp ground and marina.
