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Acres of interest follow death

Inquiries mix with condolences after the death of Loren Hamm, an eccentric hoarder of prized properties.

By MARY SPICUZZA
Published January 23, 2005

SPRING HILL - The calls began shortly after his obituary was published.

People wanted to offer their condolences over the death of Loren Everett Hamm, an eccentric carpenter who owned millions of dollars worth of undeveloped land in western Hernando County. Hamm, 89, died Jan. 11 at Palms of Pasadena Hospital near St. Petersburg.

Then the callers' questions started. People were curious whether Hamm had any heirs. If so, were they interested in selling any of their newly inherited properties?

"I have no comment on that," Hamm's attorney J. Patrick McElroy said last week. "In due time it will be made public. For now, it's under lock and key.

"There'll be a lot more developments" regarding the future of Hamm's land later, he said.

Hamm was born in Monroe, Maine, and moved to the St. Petersburg area in 1955. Over the years, he became a legendary figure in Hernando County real estate. At the time of his death, Hamm owned about $18.5-million worth of undeveloped property in the county.

He was also known as a tough, unpredictable negotiator and a litigious landowner when it came to property rights.

But McElroy described him as a visionary, a man who bought hundreds of acres in Spring Hill decades ago and held on to them as property values soared.

"He had the vision of knowing the Spring Hill area would develop like St. Petersburg," McElroy said. "And he took advantage of it."

It is unclear exactly how Hamm came to own his land, most of which is in prime areas near U.S. 19 and off State Road 50 in western Hernando County.

Former county attorney Bruce Snow said Hamm purchased his land about 50 years ago. He treated his properties like children, often having trouble parting with them, Snow said.

Hamm was also known to suddenly reverse course about a property sale. He once arrived at a real estate meeting and said he had changed his mind about a land deal because a palmist he had visited told him there were "negative vibrations" around the sale, Snow said.

The reluctance to sell left him with 11 properties at the time of his death. Hernando County property appraiser Alvin Mazourek said January 2004 appraisals put the total value of the parcels at $18.5-million.

"Hamm owned some of the best property in the Spring Hill area," Realtor and developer Gary Schraut said. "It's some of the most desirable land in the county."

Jack Gavish of Century 21 Gavish Realty called Hamm a "wise man."

Hamm's properties include more than 400 acres off Northcliffe Boulevard - part of which he sold to the Hernando School Board in September - and more than 300 acres off SR 50 near Oak Hill Hospital. The school district has also expressed interest in some of the property near Oak Hill.

While Hamm enjoyed buying and owning property, McElroy said he was not "motivated by materialistic things."

"He was one of the most religious and Christian men I've ever met," McElroy said, adding that his client did not belong to any major denomination.

Snow said Hamm had drove a car that was 20 to 30 years old and had a "wardrobe that was probably older than his car."

He would often sleep in his car while visiting Hernando County to avoid spending money on a hotel, Snow said.

Still, he had a passion for his land and a strong desire to protect his property rights. Over the years, he was involved in various lawsuits, including cases against Hernando County, Florida Power Corp., Coastal Engineering Associates and the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative.

"In the later years, he wasn't happy about being on the losing side of litigation," Snow said.

The lawyer recalled seeing Hamm sobbing on the television news after losing a court case over one of his properties.

Snow, who over the years both represented Hamm and defended Hernando against his lawsuits, described him as a "very eccentric individual."

Hamm was survived by his brother and two nephews.

McElroy said that he, too, had gotten calls about Hamm's properties. But he said it was simply too early to discuss Hamm's wishes for his property.

"We just buried him last week," McElroy said. "I don't even have the death certificate yet."

Mary Spicuzza can be reached at mspicuzza@sptimes.com or 352 848-1432.

[Last modified January 23, 2005, 00:13:14]