By Terri Parker

August 18, 2015

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —The Palm Beach Gardens investor who in March threatened to dissolve a Century Village condominium association and force residents out, has changed his mind. According to a July letter written by Donald Kelly’s attorney to several other residents in the building, “It is not my client’s intention to terminate the condominium association known as Sheffield O Condominium.”

“So I’m glad, I’m glad it’s not going to happen,” said David Israel, president of the United Civic Organization, which acts as property manager for Century Village. Israel said people were in a panic when Kelly sent 71-year-old Nancy Salmi a letter in March, saying, “I am in the process of taking steps to dissolve the association of Sheffield O, whereby all of the apartments that I do not own would be forced to sell to me at the Palm Beach County appraiser’s value.”

“I mean, that’s really a threat,” Salmi said in July. Salmi and others in the longtime retirement community said they were scared because, according to Florida law, if an investor like Kelly owns 80 percent of the units, he can legally force the other homeowners to sell. The law was originally intended to let investors take over hurricane-damaged buildings and rebuild, but has been used in recent years to snap up lower-priced properties – which often belong to the elderly – and resell or rent at a profit. Read more: