LAKELAND, Fla. — A Lakeland man who has racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for housing people experiencing homelessness may soon get some help of his own.
For years, Tampa Bay 28 has followed the story of Virgil Robinson, who turned his property off Memorial Boulevard east of Lakeland city limits into a place for people down on their luck to stay. Dozens of people now live on the property, many with nowhere else to go.
WATCH: Cleanup planned to support Lakeland man fined while sheltering homeless families
But, that effort has come at a cost.
Polk County code enforcement has cited Robinson for violations, including trash, debris and open sewage. As of Dec. 2024, Robinson reported more than $200,000 worth of fines.
Despite that, he has continued allowing people to stay.
“Virgil’s property gives a home to between 30 and 40 people, and those people are trying their hardest to make it,” said Michael Carrano, president and founder of The Cosmo Project.
Now, that nonprofit is stepping in and organizing a large-scale cleanup effort scheduled for Saturday.
Volunteers plan to remove trash and debris, improve conditions on the property, and work toward bringing it into compliance.
“In order to even move forward with the fines, we have to try to fix what’s going on there now,” said Carly Sabato, one of the volunteers helping lead the effort.
Organizers say the work is about more than code enforcement: it’s about preventing a larger problem.
“I think it’s astronomical,” Carrano said of homelessness in Lakeland. “We do not have the beds, we do not have the infrastructure to be able to house all these people.”
He says if Robinson’s property is shut down, the people living there won’t simply disappear.
“Without that, all those people are going to be strewn out into the streets,” Carrano said.
The group hopes that by bringing the property up to code, they can open the door to a conversation with Polk County about reducing or restructuring the fines.
The Cosmo Project says it is still seeking volunteers and donations to help with the cleanup and offset the cost of fines. You can help the nonprofit at this link.
In a statement, Amber Smith, a spokesperson Polk County government, told Tampa Bay 28 that if the property is brought into full compliance, the daily fines would stop once that is verified.
However, Smith said full compliance would require returning the land to a vacant lot by removing all RVs, tents, and other structures; addressing safety concerns such as an open septic system; and ending all occupancy on the site.
Smith added that while some portions of the fines may be reduced through a formal process, other costs, including thousands of dollars tied to past cleanup efforts, cannot be reduced and must be paid through property tax assessments.
Smith said Polk County government appreciates the community-led cleanup effort but emphasized that public safety and code enforcement requirements must be met.
"The violations associated with this property – including unpermitted occupancy, makeshift structures, improper waste disposal, and unsafe conditions such as an open septic system – present documented risks that must be addressed in accordance with established codes and legal orders issued by the Special Magistrate," Smith wrote.
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Chad Mills calls Polk County home and has witnessed the area’s growth firsthand. He is focused on sharing stories from his neighbors in Lakeland. You can use the form below to connect with Chad.
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