Reporter: Zoe Werner
•9/17/2026
PUNTA GORDA Fla. (WINK) - Charlotte County plans to settle a lawsuit with a buyer who purchased a 5.08-acre piece of land in 2024.
Michael Colosi bought the land in 2024 for $130,000 with plans to build a home.
After purchasing the land and looking into a permit, Colisi was hit with a near 120,000 fee because the property sits within a federally protected scrub jay habitat.
Colosi's attorneys add, "His property, with its tall pines and dense saw palmetto, is unsuitable for scrub jays in the first place. Even if his land were a suitable habitat, building on a small section would pose a minimal threat to the species. Mike is perfectly willing to comply with other HCP requirements, such as avoiding land clearing during nesting season and planting native scrub oaks that encourage scrub jays to move in. But the mandatory fee cannot be waived or reduced, and his staunch refusal to pay it has led to a standoff in which the County refuses to approve his scrub jay application and any clearing or building permits."
Charlotte County now plans to settle the lawsuit by buying the property for $130,000 and paying an additional $10,000 for legal fees. The plot will be added to the county's Habitat Conservation Plan network to remain permanently preserved habitat.
Though both the county and Colosi's team say they cannot comment publicly due to a clause in the settlement agreement.
A neighbor, Cathie Skoog, says she has watched the situation unfold and understands the frustration buyers in the area can face.
"I was just concerned for him (Colosi) because he felt like he didn't get the whole story when he bought the property. And although all the documentation is out there, the county has it, so it's public to everyone. But it's just a shock, a sticker shock," Skoog said.
Skoog also described the broader reality of building on land in the area.
"After they buy it, they find out about the scrub jay restrictions, and then the bill to clear the property they have to pay another fee. It's a fee that goes into a pot, and then the county buys more property. But it's sort of on the high side, and it's unfortunate. Plus, the county also dictates where you can put your pro, where you put your house, your driveway and the other outbuildings. And it restricts you can't use your whole five acres," Skoog said.
Despite the dispute, Skoog says she sees value in the county's efforts to preserve the land.
"We do appreciate the county buying up some of the land because it keeps it very rural for us," Skoog said.
As for Colosi, Skoog says she wishes him well.
"I just wish the owner of the property the best of luck. I know it was an uphill battle for him, but we would have loved to have had him as a neighbor. But we understand the cost become prohibitive, especially when you're building a house and you have all the other things you have to do, it gets expensive," Skoog said.
It remains unclear where the $130,000 to buy the property back would come from, as the county has declined to comment due to the agreement.
A public meeting on the matter is scheduled for Tuesday at 9:00 a.m.
