One of the most telling elements of this sad story is this quote regarding the covenantal restrictions on the homeowners: "As soon as they moved in, the condo’s roof began to leak. No big deal for Rousseau. Relieved to have left New York, she set about to get it fixed. She contacted the condo manager. The manager told her to talk to the Town Center Foundation. When she reached out to the Foundation, they didn’t respond. Rousseau was confused. How did you get things fixed around here? She couldn’t fix it herself, because of the peculiarities of Celebration condominium law. The residents own only the interiors of their units. Anything inside, they can change. Anything else, anything structural—like say, a roof—they can’t touch without owner approval. 'Think of it like the Titanic,' Rousseau said. “'We are on a ship going out of control. But all we own is our little box in it and the air rights to get to our unit. That is it. Nothing else.'”
Wow. The incredibly restrictive covenants that were meant to ensure uniformity, adherence to design and maintenance standards, and excellence in the upkeep of the town were not only undermined by the greed of Metin Negrin but were exploited by him to the great detriment of the residents.
While it's good that the Disney Corporation still has some tangential involvement, it is also clear that the sale of Town Center by Disney in 2004 was the beginning of a steep decline in the beauty and liveability of the town and its neighborhoods, not to mention the ongoing property values of the homeowners. In order to avoid embarrassment, Disney needs to exert its corporate muscle back into this situation and uphold Walt's legacy. As a shareholder in Disney, I would certainly support this effort.
