Judge Walter S. Crumbley
The property appraiser's web site, which is public record, reveals that the owners of 503 S WESTLAND AVE
TAMPA, FL 33606-2041 are:
CRUMBLEY WALTER S AND LINDA D
My research after the fact revealed that Walter Crumbley, is President if the Courier City/Oscawana Resident Homeowner Association, Inc. His e-mail address is jdggaltarus@earthlink.net, and in fact his home address is the address for correspondence to the Association. So he is certainly a public figure.
Just my luck to park in front of the home of a community activist with parking on his mind. Well, of course, where else are you going to find a vacant spot in this area, but where someone has been so vigilant to ensure that they are not inconvenienced by having someone's automobile parked outside?
From the St Petersburg Times:
Walter Crumbley, president of the Courier City/Oscawana Resident Homeowners Association, said he can't comment specifically on the Grande at SoHo because he has not seen the plans. He said residents feel strongly that new projects should suit the neighborhood and not cause more parking problems.
"What we're trying to find is neighborhood-friendly retail development - a nice little retail shop," Crumbley said. "We've got so many restaurants here now, and so many bars, you can't get into the neighborhood on Friday and Saturday nights. People are parking all over the place."
I found out that Judge Crumbley (yes is he is a judge, but a former one, and one whose powers were quite specialized). I found his name and former occupation as an nominee to replace Tampa City Councilor Rose Ferlita, when she moved to the Hillsborough County Commission. Her citywide seat was available to any person living in Tampa. On the list of 52 Tampa citizens who petitioned for two vacant city council seats was:
Walter Crumbley, former federal administrative law judge, Social Security Administration.
He had donated $250 to Republican Rose Ferlita's campaigns in the past. Ah, so he is a Republican too.
The last sale of the home was in 1981 for 35K to Walter Crumbley. Since then, his property has appreciated immensely, in no small part due to SoHo being a hip, happening neighborhood. When he sells, is he going to give the buyer discount because he doesn't deserve any benefit from this appreciation, having fought against one of the root causes of it for so long? That root cause being the bars and nightlife on Howard Ave.
As Jonathan Williams of Mangroves bar and grill said in an interview with Tampa Bay's Channel 10, "Mangroves has been a vital part of the Soho district for the last 10-years, restaurants like Mangroves have fought through the hard times of the streets being dark and scary and we've stayed through those times and made South Tampa a better place.”
In a July 2007 article in the Tampa Tribune it says
Crumbley grew up in Hyde Park and moved to Brandon briefly before relocating to Davis Islands, where he lived for 23 years. Four years ago, after retirement, he chose Courier City/Oscawana for its convenience.
'At the time, it looked like a nice place to live,' said Crumbley, who lives in a restored bungalow with his wife, Linda, and their English bulldog, Peaches. 'We got tired of getting chased off Davis Islands with the floods and hurricanes.'
So, Walter Crumbley didn't even move into the area until 2003, well after Mangroves was there, and even after MacDinton's Irish Pub & Restaurant, which opened on May 25th 2002. To use an analogy, if you move next to the airport, have you got a right to complain about the aircraft noise?
Sure, he has owned the home since 1981, but it doesn't look like it was his long term intent to live there.
In a video interview with Tampa Bay's Channel 10, Walter Crumbley says "it's fortunate I've got a driveway". Not only does he have a driveway, but he has a garage, so he has no real need to be claiming use of this public right of way. He has more than enough parking to accommodate his family. If anything, he is exacerbating the problem by taking advantage of section 15-43. A legitimate space in front of his home is being taken away from the general public.
How many other hundreds of people have fallen foul of Judge Crumbley and had their night out spoiled? My calculation is if one ticket is written every Friday and Saturday night throughout the year, that is 104 tickets. At $30 a pop, the City of Tampa ends up with $3120.
If you have, or if you have fallen victim to Section 15-43, then contact us. Perhaps we can sue the City of Tampa and get our money back.
According to the Florida Bar Web SIte
WALTER Sidney CRUMBLEY (Age: 74)
County: Hillsborough
Circuit: 13
Admitted: 06/07/1963
Judicial Position: Administrative Law
Sections: General Practice Solo and Small Firm
Committees: Office Term
Continuing Legal Education Committee 2008
Phone: 813.251.9327
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