The town of Palm Beach is performing a legal review of Donald Trump’s use of Mar-a-Lago as his private residence.
Trump bought the former estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1985, before turning it into a members’ only club in 1993. The “special exception use” permit that Trump signed allowed him turn the estate into a for profit club but he had to agree to certain terms.
There could be no more than 500 members, there were rules concerning parking and traffic, and club members, including Trump could not spend more than seven consecutive days at Mar-a-Lago, or no more than three weeks total a year.
Trump will have been at his property for more than seven consecutive days in 2021 since he arrived on the morning of Jan. 20 after skipping President Biden’s inauguration.
“This matter is under legal review by our Town Attorney, John ‘Skip’ Randolph,” Palm Beach Town Manager Krik Blouin told CNN via email, adding that “Mr. Randolph is reviewing the Declaration of Use Agreement and our Code of Ordinances to determine if former President Trump can live at Mar-a-Lago.”
“There is absolutely no document or agreement in place that prohibits President Trump from using Mar-a-Lago as his residence,” the Trump organization said in a statement.
Last month, Trump’s neighbors at Mar-a-Lago took legal action to prevent him from using the club as his private residence because it would violate the contract he signed in 1993. At that time, Palm Beach officials say they were awaiting confirmation from Donald Trump about his residency plans before making a decision about whether he can permanently live at the club or not.
