Okaloosa County officials are closer to recovering some of the cash from former tourism director Mark Bellinger’s illegal purchase of a four-bedroom house Destin.
The federal government sold the house in Kelly Plantation on March 8 for $620,000, said attorney Greg Stewart, special counsel to the county.
“It appears that the net sale proceeds after commission and closing costs due the United States government will be approximately $573,000,” Stewart said in an email to the Daily News. “That does not appear to include the past cost of maintenance of the property, which would further reduce the net sale proceeds.”
County Administrator Jim Curry said he was pleased the home finally had sold.
“With the market conditions like they’ve been, I’m glad it has moved,” he said.
Bellinger bought the house at 4384 Stonebridge Road in August 2011 for $747,000 with money from a BP oil spill grant. He disguised the purchase as a multi-city “Boast the Coast” advertising campaign on an invoice from Lewis Communications, an advertising firm that previously contracted with the county.
Bellinger lived in the spacious, golf course community home with his wife. Authorities later discovered $6,258 in stolen furniture inside.
Stewart said the county’s next step will be to petition the U.S. Justice Department for 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale, minus the maintenance costs.
He said he is “hopeful” the request will be approved.
According to Curry, BP officials have said they want the county to recoup the oil spill grant money and use it for its original intent, which was to boost tourism in the area.
County officials also could soon dispose of the 40-foot $710,000 Marquis yacht that Bellinger bought with bed tax money in December 2011.
The 2011 Marquis 420 SC has been for sale since last summer. The county recently received an offer from Ralph Fernandez of Coconut Grove for $458,000.
Read a copy of the offer.
The broker-to-broker sale would include a 10 percent broker fee, bringing the county’s net proceeds to $412,000.
County commissioners are expected to vote on the offer at their meeting Tuesday.
“It costs us to continue to maintain it,” Curry said. “It costs us to continue to keep insurance on it. It’s probably the right thing to do to dispose of it and get those funds returned as well.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bellinger’s house finally sells (DOCUMENT)