Oh Dora Ann, We're Moving In

By Elizabeth Scheinberg

And now back to the show and tell. I was recently contacted by Mount Dora, Florida. No, really, Dora, herself, found me, Echo. The sleepy little farmer-artist, Dora, residing in her own personal paradise, a homesteader of sorts, near the crossroads that once carried the sweet aroma of orange groves. In the boom town years, the plateau was named for her. Mount Dora, Florida. It is with a quiet voice that Dora confides, she isn't sleeping well lately. It's been a rough decade for her. Her home, upon a rare plateau overlooking lakes Dora (yes, named for her), Bertrude (her sister) and Beauclair (her brother) and home to three fresh water light houses, is in a state of disgrace. The once-upon-a-time hamlet, now-grown - hosts events dedicated to the arts, tourism, and kitschy festivals of every kind. Hardly a month goes by without a special community event. However, Dora's problem isn't with the community, tourists, or even the guy who painted his house to look like Van Gogh's Starry Night.

http://www.dailycommercial.com/news/20170926/mount-dora-artist-doubles-down-on-controversial-mural

BTW, Lake County, imo Starry Night should stay.

It's a rockin' piece of living graffiti art.

Nope. These are not Dora's concerns.

Dora's problem is real estate and uncontrollable egos that can't be caged. Perhaps Dora needs to invest in a riding crop. I know someone who can lend her one. However, what portends to be a real estate problem is truly one sympathetic to Echo and a local facility that goes by the name the Carlton Palms Education Center... once known as Au Clair Florida.

Here's the buzz:
http://www.mountdorabuzz.com/newsworthy/mount-dora-landlord-sues-local-woman

Mount Dora Landlord Sues Local Woman. Well enough, Landlord-Tenant Cases are a dime a dozen. Almost none deserve a blog post, especially here on a blog dedicated to an ill-famed internet villian who beat a child with a riding crop, unless...

Unless the plaintiff is Ken Mazik, THE Ken Mazik, who, now at 77, has been able to elude offering anything substantial (except for a letter to the editor on "crack babies") to newspapers for nearly two decades while building his real estate holdings in Mount Dora, Florida, where he also operated the ill-fated Carlton Palms Educational Center which describes itself on its website as:
...well-known throughout the southeastern United States for its success in treating serious behavioral problems. Our clinicians expertly design an individualized, comprehensive behavioral plan for each individual admitted... I think I can find some families that disagree. Unless death is a comprehensive behavior plan.

But, I've digressed.

We'll get to why this Au Clair sister school is ill-fated soon enough. Because, if you thought Mazik worked Magik in Delaware, you'll be even more impressed with his infiltration of Mount Dora.

Back to Dora. It all begin with this headline: Mount Dora Landlord Sues Local Woman.

In July, an attorney for Main Street Leasing (MSL) and its owner Ken Mazik, a prominent downtown Mount Dora businessman, sent a missive to a local woman demanding a public apology for critical opinions she expressed. The letter dictated that her apology must include arguably demeaning language about herself in order to avoid a defamation lawsuit. The resident, Amber Antonio, refused and was sued on August 16.

Mazik's attorney claims that Amber Antonio defamed Mazik on social media and at a town meeting. You can meet Antonio here: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/95037822-132.html, where she tells her side of the story. And where you will quickly learn that Mazik will have an uphill battle proving she defamed him. That's one of the great things about the first amendment and defamation suits. The weight of proof, a preponderance of evidence must be proven by the plaintiff, not disproven by the defendant. A true innocent until proven guilty situation. One in which the "offending" Antonio will be free to walk the streets until her December court date.

And this defamation thing, it's a real thing, a catchy little thing that businessesmen have hung their hats on to shut-down free speech and critical criticism:

Mazik, 77, is part of a growing trend of businesses and companies that have struck back against accusations and online comments they say are untrue and harmful to their business.

Mazik’s lawsuit says Antonio’s statements have “diminished profits” for his business, Main Street Leasing. The comments have had a “harmful effect on Main Street’s reputation and good standing in the community,” the suit says.

But Antonio is standing her ground. She refused to apologize and shot back that she was simply stating her opinion and that his business already suffers a bad reputation. ------- Orlando Sentinal

Antonia is right about one thing - Mazik already has a bad reputation when it comes to local leasing. A visit to a friendly MSL website does show that the company currently has 10 commercial properties in need of tenants. Ten of 24 company owned units, a 41% (being generous and rounding down here) vacancy rate. Some properties are rumored to have sat empty for 1 to 2 decades. In a town that relies on tourism it's difficult to understand why a local leasing company would let 41% of its assets go idle. It raises some eyebrows. Tax shelter perhaps? No. Not the Magikal Mazik. He's about income...not losses. Rent too high? That's an indication of whole other issue, aging. He is 77, not the pretty young thing he was when faked his credentials and opened Au Clair.

Ok, if you don't already have your giggle on and you haven't figured out that Mazik's case will be thrown out in December as it's junk clogging up the judicial system, and an affront to the legal system, you're going to love this one last twist in the story Dora told me. Ready. Antonio wasn't the only one who received a threat to sue from Mazik. John Sharp, a relative unknown, who isn't even a resident of Mt. Dora received a warning indicating that if he didn't apologize for his facebook comments, Mazik would take legal action against him. Suffice to say, he isn't planning to apologize.

Mazik should be enjoying his golden years. Why is he wasting time and resources scouring facebook? There's a name for that. Trolling.