Neighbors want Trump to go elsewhere after Jan. 20

First lady Melania Trump plans to slip down to Palm Beach, Florida, via government jet on Friday for a weekend walk-through of renovations underway at the Trump family’s private quarters at Mar-a-Lago, to make sure it’s to her liking before she and President Donald Trump move to the private club after Jan. 20, when President- elect Joe Biden moves into the White House.

But beyond the new paint, fabrics and finishes, there looms a much larger issue with the permanency of the move: whether or not it is legal.

When he turned the private residence into a club, Trump had agreed with the town to limit his stays there, and now some Palm Beach residents say he might be violating that agreement.

In order to transform the private residence into a revenue- generating business, Trump had to agree to certain limitations, based on guidelines presented as dealbreakers from the town of Palm Beach. For example, there could be no more than 500 members, there were rules concerning parking and traffic, and club members — Trump included — could not spend more than seven consecutive days at Mar-a-Lago, for no more than three weeks total a year.

However, he has been exceeding that number by staying at Mar- aLago far more often while president, and is apparently hoping to make the club his permanent home after he leaves office — something nearby residents in posh Palm Beach are not interested in supporting in a neighborly manner.

According to Brian Seymour, a Palm Beach County land use expert and attorney, the allowances the town gave Trump during his presidency could end once he becomes a private citizen again.

If the club doesn’t comply, the town can try to enforce its regulations and agreements it made, such as by suing or fining Mar-a-Lago to enforce the residency limits, Seymour said.