Nicole Rissler Video
Director of Sarasota Parks and Recreation brags about $14M acquisition
23 Elderly homeowners lost their homes in Camp Venice. Sarasota County Commissioners and Rissler ignored their pleas for help
The Homeowners
Camp Venice Homeowners
There were over 10 families in the park that owned Park Model homes. The only home for some and a vacation home for others. Many had owned their home for decades. They took pride in their homes and yards. It showed and Camp Venice was a beautiful little neighborhood.
During Hurricane Ian in September 2022, the Myakka River surged 8 feet of water into the park. A couple of the homes sustained so much damage they were not salvageable. But the rest spent up to $40,000 to repair their homes. Camp Venice management gave them one free month of rent even though it took months to get their homes repaired. The homeowners were tight-knit and they never thought about walking away from their homes. Little did they know that only a couple of years later, their neighborhood would get destroyed by something even worse than a hurricane... the SARASOTA COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
We read about the sale in the newspaper
On Saturday April 5, 2025, someone posted this newspaper clipping to our private Camp Venice Facebook group. It was from the April 4th, 2025 Sarasota Herald-Tribune article about Snook Haven which is next door to our Camp Venice RV Resort.
We were in shock and reached out to neighbors to see if they knew anything. The onsite park office was closed but someone contacted a staff member only to be told she was unaware of it but would contact the camp owner. We had never met the man, but knew his name was Robert Kurens and told he owns both Camp Venice and the Myakka River RV Resort. The next morning we went to the onsite office and was told by the Camp Venice employee that the newspaper article was misinformation.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune newspaper article let the cat out of the bag and it caused an outright panic in the park. Some of the residents have lived here for decades. Instead of using that opportunity to be transparent with the residents, on Sunday April 6th, we received this email from Kurens. Rest assured, no one believed it for a minute. We contacted the newspaper reporter Earle Kimel who wrote the article and Earle replied that his sources were good. Time to do some Internet digging!
Hello Nicole Rissler
Isn't the Internet great? We found a March 27, 2025, video of the Sarasota County Budget Meeting. Nicole Rissler (Director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources) gave a presentation to the Board regarding the properties that Sarasota County were closing on. Nicole began her presentation by showing this slide of Camp Venice and a neighbor's property outlined in red. She said “We are in negotiations and in the acquisition process for both of those properties. We have gotten to negotiated prices and are working on bringing contracts to the board here in a couple of months. " Link to the video and her speech starts at 2:02:39
So they had reached a purchase price with Robert Kurens on March 27, 2025?
Hmmm is that Kurens John Hancock on a sales contract?
Despite Kurens assurance that the park was not for sale, we found his signature on a sales contract dated April 13, 2025. We also found out that Sarasota County was going to be voting on the Resolution (Contract) to purchase Camp Venice on May 6, 2025. The County website provided the whole agenda for the Commissioner's meeting. We located the contract to purchase Camp Venice for $14 million dollars on the website. The whole contract is here. On page 14 we found a notarized statement signed by Robert Kurnes. Well, Well, Well.
So it appears that Robert Kurens was not being quite truthful when he emailed us days earlier assuring us that the park was not for sale. As you can imagine, this apparent deception caused so much anxiety for the homeowners. We called the front office, emailed, and texted the manager. Crickets. Radio Silence.
If you did happen to catch an employee out in the park, they claimed they knew nothing. Since then, many have came forward as whistleblowers. What a tale they have been telling ;-)
What? Our park will close in 30 days?
Camp Venice homeowners, holding yearly leases expiring December 31, 2025, were stunned to receive an August 5, 2025, email from park owner Robert Kurens declaring the park’s closure. Residents reported that this, and prior emails created significant fear and uncertainty, leading some to sell their homes to a low baller who entered the park offering to buy their homes for as low as $1,500.00. Residents first balked, but soon found out that local mobile home parks had a age limit of 10 years, (most were 80’s models) and even if they could move to a local neighborhood park, they got estimates of upwards of $15,000 to dismantle their Florida Rooms and make their Park Models movable. In at least one case, a family gave their home to Camp Venice to get out of their lease and the $1,077 monthly rent. That homeowner later saw their home listed for sale by Camp Venice manager Ann Moreland, on FaceBook Marketplace.
Residents told their mail is being marked "RETURN TO SENDER"
One resident went to the Venice Post Office on August 14th and was told by USPS staff that the Ann Moreland, the manager of Camp Venice told them that they closed Camp Venice down and the mail trucks would no longer be able to enter the gate. USPS was instructed to mark all mail "Return to Sender."
Camp Venice Homeowners
Dismantled May 2025
Bob and Kay had their home listed with a realtor since they had permission from Kurens staff to sell it in March 2025. They had no idea that the land under their home was being sold.
Dismantled May 2025
93 year old retired Dr. Levine lived here for 19 years. Here he is carrying out his clothes to his car before the semi arrived to dismantle and carry his home away.
Dismantled June 2025
Gina bought her home and moved in it September 2022 five days before Hurricane Ian destroyed it. Five hurricanes and $60,000 later, she gave it away to get out of paying more lot rent to Kurens.
Dismantled May 2025
Given away to Camp Venice
They sold their home for pennies on the dollar to a guy who came in the park offering to buy them. It was Dismantle and removed on May 25, 2025
Dismantled July 2025
Given away to Camp Venice
Given away to Camp Venice
Roger and LuAnn sold their home to the same guy that the others sold to. Like the rest of us, they got a ridiculous offer for their home felt like they had no choice but to take it.
Given away to Camp Venice
Given away to Camp Venice
Given away to Camp Venice
Mike & Sandy turned over their home to Camp Venice for free in order to quit paying rent to Kurens. Kurens manager Ann Moreland advertised it on FaceBook Marketplace for sale $6,000.00. It sold and was dismantled and removed on July 25, 2025