Land development in Florida was many years ago the subject of many a scam, with people buying property under water, in swamps and other undesirable places.  Now, the stakes are higher, and the problems less obvious.  Here is a story from Lauderdale about Harborage Club dry-storage marina in Fort Lauderdale’s marine district .

"Two days before the City Commission was to consider the project in May, residents of the nearby Mark I condo building asked Atlantic Marina Holdings for $550,000 and other conditions to quell their opposition to the 15-story project.

The developer didn’t pay, and the city approved a site plan in May for a 340-boat waterfront project at 1335 SE 16th St. about a quarter mile from the landlocked condo building at 1050 SE 15th St.

With approval in hand, Atlantic Marina turned around and sued the Mark I association, its law firm Becker & Poliakoff and several area residents in Broward Circuit Court last summer.

The Mark I proposal was “nothing less than an unlawful, extortionate ‘shakedown’ attempt,” the developer declared in an August court filing in its lawsuit seeking $40 million in damages.

The battle between the condo residents and Atlantic Marina is hardly isolated.

Across South Florida, land-starved developers have pushed into established areas with grandiose plans. "