Stop Work Orders issued for Tampa Bay area residents during hurricane recovery

Brian Leggett moved to his dream retirement home four days before Hurricane Helene. He says the government shouldn't tell him he can't repair his private property.

[carlosflores]

Then don’t take money from the government!

[tmic]

He’s asking for more trouble now but he’s also rich so

[shanemichael]

As a retired builder my recommendation is to document and take a lot of photos before covering up walls to show electrical and insulation is correct and studs and framing are up to code. The penalty is a lot less than time lost.

[pkabza]

Folks forget that the next owner of that home has the right to expect that the rebuilding met current codes. He is only the temporary owner of that property.

[darylb]

Does nobody else think it’s funny that they got the lady with the German accent to let everyone know the government is in charge?😂
You vill comply!

[src]

These Tampa people don't realize these evils with this government want to build a fifteen minute city there, that's why all the tornadoes and hurricane in that area. Just like in Maui.

[kennethloki]

Unfortunately theres good reasons for the rules. Betweeh shady people doing sub par work then vanishing, property owners making fraudulent claims, insurance companies refusals to pay, etc. After every storm theres always people who take advantage or get taken advantage of.

[AStanton]

The deal should be, if you are simply replacing something or making a repair, no permit should be required.

[erthmthr]

Fake contractors will prey on these poor people, if not treated & repaired properly, the mold that will grow in the walls of those homes will become a health hazard by 2025.

[rustynut]

Once upon a time you didn't need the governments permission to build or make repairs on your own property. You actually had freedom.

[jvees]

That means you can’t fix your own home! Hire a licensed contractor

[Petestakes]

Yup I was there yesterday & just to get through the toll booth into Boca Grande they’re asking for personal information like id & phone number just to get through and ask you what your doing there!!!! Can’t do that!

[Fireflyyhill]

The park we were in, in Fort Myers’s Beach they rebuilt 1970 mobile homes after IAN that had 8’ of water inside. The motto was don’t ask some residents never even applied for permits.

[UncleDavesKitchen]

So sorry for the guy that just moved in 4 days before the storm. I was in Asheville NC 10 days prior to their storm looking at property and had such an overwhelming feeling of doom that I left after 3 hours, had planned on 3 days there. I left Tampa after Andrew 32 years ago and not been in a storm since.

[sandyshore]

The 50% rule sounds like it benefits the insurance companies. Not fair to the homeowners that want and need to rebuild. Some have paid for Wind and Storm and Home Insurance for maybe 30 years! Not right. In recent years insurance costs have skyrocketed. They wanted for our home and wind and storm insurance renewal this past year about $ 4300, with a $6000 deductible that you have to pay first before you can get any insurance payments when you need it for a claim. It is not waterfront property, but is on the beachside area in Northeast Central Florida. We are NOT in a flood zone area, and the house is only 1600 sq. Ft. living area!
We didn’t pay it. We paid $1300. for just homeowners insurance, no wind and storm. We have lived here for 31 years. I am 69 years old. It used to be affordable. We paid $1832. in 2019 for everything, with a $500 deductible . It was even less than that before Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
The lady down the street with about the same size house got a bill for over $5000. She didn’t get the wind and storm either. She is in her 80’s. I can’t imagine what this man paid in Tampa on the waterfront!

[RedMartin]

Have fun with that thank God I left there six years ago you really did your homework on that purchase

[ReneRivers]

When you do your own repairs and then sell the house do you tell the buyer that you did work without permits? Of course you dont.

[johnsalaman]

F the gov...fix your house and f the ins co too

[zeke]

Owner -builder has always been standard in Florida

[allen]

I imagine they are worried about people just patching it up to sell. Not getting rid of mold.