A dramatic chapter in a heated dispute over a luxurious mansion addition has come to a close as a Florida millionaire, who spent weeks in jail, is now back home. The conflict centered around a $1 million pickleball court and guest house that Michael Martin, a well-known Tampa businessman and real estate mogul, had constructed.
Martin, visibly weary from nearly three weeks behind bars, was released on Friday. He was incarcerated for refusing to comply with a court mandate demanding the removal of these lavish additions to his $1.8 million Beach Park residence.
The terms of his release stipulate that Martin must dismantle the backyard extension, which has been at the heart of a long-standing neighborhood feud in one of Tampa’s most affluent areas.
This embarrassing legal battle has not only disrupted Martin’s family life but has also stirred significant discontent among his neighbors and property owners throughout Florida.
Demolition crews are slated to begin the removal of the contentious structures—including the two-story guest house, swimming pool, and pickleball court—sometime next week.
The dismantling project is anticipated to cost Martin an additional $400,000, adding to the estimated $1 million already invested in the ill-fated development.
‘I’m doing okay, a little tired,’ Martin told Fox 13 shortly after his release. ‘Lost about 12 pounds and a little run down. But it was worth it.’
The extraordinary neighborhood feud became one of the most explosive property battles in Tampa, pitting Martin against neighbors Barbara and Gordon Babbitt in a yearslong courtroom war over whether he was ever legally able to build on the land behind his mansion in the first place.
Tampa businessman Michael Martin was released from jail after agreeing to comply with a court order to demolish structures on his property
Martin shelled out over $1 million to construct a guest house with a swimming pool and pickleball court. A judge later ruled that a City of Tampa zoning official had erroneously granted planning permission for the additions
The warring neighbors share an adjoining property line behind their multi-million dollar mansions, and the Babbitt’s claimed the construction just seven feet from their property line ruined their ‘ability to enjoy their home’
Martin had long insisted he did everything properly.
The businessman bought neighboring parcels of land in 2017 and later secured city permits to construct a massive backyard addition that included a luxury guest house, pool and pickleball court on what had once been an abandoned cul-de-sac area known as ‘Block E.’
‘I just thought it was kind of ‘crazy town’ that someone would challenge a city’s permit,’ Martin told Fox 13. ‘Everything I did was by the book. I got permits. I went to the city. I played by the rules.’
But almost immediately after construction began in 2021, the Babbitts launched a legal injunction against the project.
The wealthy couple argued the towering structure violated decades-old restrictions dating back to 1924 that deemed the parcel non-buildable land.
They also claimed the enormous guest house loomed over their property, blocked sunlight and destroyed their enjoyment of their multimillion-dollar home.
At one point, the partially constructed building featured windows facing directly toward the Babbitts’ residence.
‘They can’t even enjoy the pool that they have,’ Beth Leytham of the Leytham Group, representing the Babbitts and Hill Ward Henderson.
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Martin spent nearly three weeks behind bars after being held in contempt of court
Wealthy Florida businessman Michael Martin, 62, (right) has languished in jail for weeks for refusing to tear down a $1 million guest house and swimming pool after a judge decided he was wrongly issued permits to build it
Tampa Businessman Michael Martin was jailed over a guesthouse he built in his back garden in Tampa. He started building in 2021 resulting in five years of court battles with his neighbors
The guest house and pickleball court can be clearly seen from above
The dispute quickly escalated into a brutal courtroom battle.
Martin continued building even after being warned the project could ultimately be ordered demolished if the courts sided against him.
‘He chose to move forward and build this 27-foot monstrosity,’ Leytham said.
In 2023, Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Christopher Nash ruled decisively in the Babbitts’ favor, finding that the guest house violated city codes, Florida law and the original plat restrictions governing the land.
In his ruling, Nash wrote that ‘the Babbitts’ loss of enjoyment of their home and the loss in value that they have suffered outweighs the consequences to Mr. Martin as a result of the removal of the structure.’
The judge ordered Martin to demolish the guest house and associated structures and restore the land to a ‘nonbuildable’ condition.
But Martin refused to back down.
Instead, he launched multiple appeals while leaving the structures standing, insisting he had relied on permits and approvals issued by Tampa officials throughout the project.
‘Well, we’ve been in a series of appeals,’ Martin said of his refusal to comply. ‘I still have an active appeal.’
The legal gamble ultimately backfired spectacularly.
Michael Martin, seen during his court appearance, languished in jail from April 20 after a judge held him in contempt of court
Martin’s neighbor Barbara Babbitt (pictured last month) and her husband Gordon successfully sued to get rid of the extension – but their neighbor has now gone to jail for contempt of court instead of complying with a judge’s order to do so
The Babbitts’ sued Martin to stop him building behind their $2.2 million mansion (pictured) in Tampa, Florida
Nearly three years after the court’s original judgment, Martin was found in contempt and hauled off to jail last month after continuing to ignore demolition orders.
The arrest unfolded in front of his wife Katherine, 32, and their children.
Friends, relatives and supporters later rallied outside the home carrying signs reading ‘Free Martin’ and ‘Fix the System,’ arguing the businessman had become the victim of a catastrophic failure by city officials who approved construction only for the courts to later declare it illegal.
‘It’s gone way too far,’ neighbor Nick Meoli said. ‘I’d like to see this situation resolved as soon as possible in a respectful way and also in a way that makes sense for both parties.’
Complicating the already sensational dispute, Martin was briefly accused of bringing illegal drugs into Hillsborough County Jail during his booking.
That felony contraband charge was later dropped after Martin proved the pills in question were prescribed benzodiazepine medication for anxiety.
Even behind bars, Martin insisted he was not surrendering.
‘I’m not done fighting,’ he told Fox News after his release. ‘I’m not throwing in the towel.’
Still, the pressure appears to have mounted after appellate courts denied his latest emergency challenge to the incarceration order.
His attorney, Sam Heller, said the strain of jail ultimately became too much.
The Martin family attempted to get the word out by placing signs around the neighborhood
In the time Martin was locked up, his friends, family and neighbors staged a protest to bring attention to his case, holding up signs reading ‘Free Michael’ and ‘Fix the System’
Martin has repeatedly argued that Tampa officials approved every stage of the project and continued inspecting the property even after lawsuits were filed
According to Heller, the stress of incarceration was ‘too high a price’ for Martin to continue resisting while appeals remained unresolved.
Now demolition appears inevitable.
Martin must pay demolition costs into a trust account to remain out of jail, and court orders reportedly require complete compliance or risk being sent back behind bars.
The exact timeline for restoring the property remains unclear.
Meanwhile, both sides are still blaming others for the chaos.
Martin has repeatedly argued that Tampa officials approved every stage of the project and continued inspecting the property even after lawsuits were filed.
‘If this could happen to me, it could happen to anybody,’ Martin said. ‘That you’re able to do everything by the book and then somehow be ordered by the court to tear down the buildings that you built with the permission of the city.’
But attorneys for the Babbitts insist the courts merely corrected a planning mistake that should never have happened.
‘I think they made a mistake,’ Leytham said of the city. ‘You or I could make a mistake, and I think that the court rectified it.’
‘He went to jail. I’m sure it was not a comfortable experience. We hope he learned his lesson.’
The City of Tampa has largely distanced itself from the bitter dispute.
‘The city of Tampa approved the improvements, but neighboring residents challenged that decision in court. The court ultimately ruled that the area in question was not buildable – a decision that was later upheld on appeal,’ a statement by city officials said.
