Rotting Florida mansion goes up for auction after becoming neighborhood eyesore for nearly a decade in exclusive coastal enclave

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By ALYSSA GUZMAN, US NEWS REPORTER 18:34 10 Oct 2026, updated 18:48 10 Oct 2026

A rotting Florida mansion is set to be auctioned off after the exclusive coastal enclave got sick of the eyesore.

The dilapidated home, located at 1215 Spanish Lace Lane in Vero Beach, is set to go to auction on October 20 after years of being in a state of severe disrepair.

The home was owned by John and Dorothy Lucey, who passed away in 2006 and 2021, respectively. The home has since been passed down to their 71-year-old daughter Maureen, who has left the structure in shambles.

The opening bid will start at $58,525.86 – the total of the unpaid property taxes, Vero News reported.

The house and lot have been valued at $1,039,179, Vero News said.

Lucey’s inherited home also faces a separate foreclosure lawsuit filed by the City of Vero Beach, which states the daughter owes more than $140,000 in unpaid fines.

Neighbors told Vero News that the home has been empty for at least a decade. While vacant, the structure has suffered from roof leaks, which caused part of the ceiling to collapse, and there are rotting holes in the exterior walls.

Vines have also started climbing the outside walls, as the landscaping has been left to grow wild, the outlet said.

Dorothy was first cited for the home in 2017 for roof damage. She received more complaints from the city for covering the damage with tarps, the outlet said.

In April 2021, the home received a notice of violation, deeming the structure ‘unsafe,’ Vero News said. Maureen was given 180 days to make the repairs, or the home had to be torn down within 60 days.

Her limit ran out, but the city stalled any further action after Maureen gave a $23,000 deposit to a roofing company for repairs. However, workers had to stop their work after the home was deemed unsafe for them.

In December 2021 and January 2022, new permits from a different company were gotten to repair the structural damage. After that was done, the first company was able to restart their job.

The county later came to inspect the work, signing off on it in May 2022, Vero News said.

More construction was supposed to be done, but the company stalled work after Maureen refused to pay the $40,000 deposit, the outlet said.

The company then sued Maureen in September 2022 for the unpaid deposit. Maureen argued she was not responsible for the work, as her mother had signed off on the investment.

However, Judge Cynthia Cox said the signature appeared to be in Maureen’s handwriting and the daughter had been the one to authorize the work. Cox ruled Maureen owed the unpaid installment, plus taxes and attorney fees, totaling $87,171.37.

If she failed to pay, the home could go up for auction. Maureen paid the day before.

However, Maureen didn’t stop getting hit with fines. In October 2022, Vero Beach’s enforcement board started fining Maureen $100 a day for not finishing the home repairs.

She also received another $50-a-day fine for another code violation. Both fines grew to a total of $145,950 by the time the city filed for foreclosure in September 2025.

Maureen also faced a lien by the home’s HOA for $2,650 for the unfinished work. The HOA then placed a second lien in April 2025 for nearly $8,000. These fines are being included in the city’s foreclosure request.

Maureen has argued in court that she was not properly summoned for the case, Vero News said.

The new homeowner will be responsible for clearing the HOA liens before being able to sell it, Vero News said.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Maureen for comment.

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