As owners failed to pay taxes, lots became available for purchase through tax deeds. County records show that the original buyers typically paid about $5,500 in the 1980s. A random check of deeds found many tracts owned by residents of Puerto Rico and at least one by someone in China. Residents of New York, Ohio and other states own plenty of lots, while many deeds list owners living throughout Florida, include some from Polk County. As Rancho Bonito became an unofficial recreation park, owners began selling partial shares of deeds to allow access. Some deeds recorded with the county have hundreds of partial owners, some with stakes as small as 0.01%.