A year and a half after Wilma, S. Florida buildings remain unli...

Scattered across Broward County are scars from Hurricane Wilma's rampage 19 months ago: houses, condos and commercial buildings still so badly damaged they can't be occupied.

[Robert Perkis]

I feel for these people I really do as they are likely victims of inferior building standards, contractors and inspections. Like no one knew there might be a hurricane in Florida.

What I do find interesting is how many mobile homes survived while these houses, condos and commercial buildings blew apart. Our park had 737 mobile homes, roughly 100 were damaged enough to be demolished rather then repaired. Most of the damage was from trees falling on them. Yet all the hurricane prep plans say oooooh you're in a mobile home, that's not safe go stay with someone in a condo, etc. After I saw the effect of barrel tile coming off three story roofs onto the condo owner's cars, I'd rather stay in the mobile home which came through without a scratch except for the shed and carport which were not built to HUD standards for hurricane resistance.

[You must protect yourself]

How old is Sunrise Lake?? 20 something plus. For those of you who have older buildings with patched and repatched roofs need to understand it will happen to you too. The winds generated in these storms are much much worse when you get above two srories. If your roof is older than 13 years you are living with with below standard codes. Don't cry when it blows off

[DRS]

The Next One will Take care of THAT

[Lady Justice]

A lot of the people whose home were damaged by the storm decided to hire unlicensed contractors to do the job. Why?? you many ask, so they could keep some of the cash the insurance companies gave them. Yet they complained when the job is not done or does not pass inspection. Also many have lived in the same house with the same roof for 20,30 years and over and expect their homes to survive. Along with that are windows and many south floridians do not think shutters are important. I have seen many of them tape their windows with duck tape in an X pattern thinking that it will hold it together.

Then they have the odacity to blame the government for the lack of help and funding... Although for many who really needed the help FEMA was all talk and no action. Those are the saddest stories. If you have lived in south florida for any period of time, you need to get proactive and have shutters, replace your roof if is a certain age, change out those windows that are being held by a couple of nails. Have a hurricane plan, supplies, etc... If you cannot be a survivor nor live the camping life for more than a day, then you should not live in florida.

[Depressing]

Wilma taught a very hard lesson that if one window fails in a high rise, it lets in wind and water to trash the entire building. The interior walls are not designed to withstand a vortex of air that will flow in the building after a breach. Tower 1515 was gutted in such a manner and search for stories on that if you want to read a real nightmare

[Observer]

When there is a condo association governing the building (s), that's who is completely and totally responsible. They hire, they fire, they pay the bills. The buck stops with them. If you building is not back to normal, then get rid of the board members. In fact, go after them, they all carry E&O insurance paid by you.

[You must protect yourself]

And Another thing,

i visit these condos and or associations daily. I hear property managers gripe about the boards they work for and feel for them. In most cases they're dealing with people over 65 who have no concept of what is really needed for their buildings. Instead of letting the managers repair items properly they bandaid everything. I was on a roof thursday that had gone through years of crapping work on it without every being brought up to code and the insulation was left wet below the surface for way to long. Well guess what the crew almost fell through when the metal deck gave way. So now these really smart people are left with a 500,000 change order that the city inspectors demanded. if they had good roofers on the building prior they would have maybe had a moisture survey in the past pin pointing the wet areas and removed the insulation before it corroded the deck. Pay some now or pay a lot later.
PEOPLE MAINTAIN YOUR PROPERTY'S PROPERLY!!!!

[Draggar]

Our roof is still leaking, but that's because the board hasn't gotten them fixed yet.

Fire the board? No one else in the community wants to run and there's some serious suspicious activity going on with the board to begin with.

[Palm Bch Cty Sucks]

I am a victim of the hell from Palm Beach and Boca. Wilma hits and tore loose some roof tiles and some screens, and blew in one screen door and NO leaks. However, it took a year before I could get someone to give me an estimate on damages because visually, it didnt look that bad. The folks then showed up after a year, and all the pool screen and the roof needed to be replaced, insurance company messed around another 10 months before agreeing to fix. Then come the Palm Beach CtyCode enforcer nazis. They dont care that anything is under contract or in process, they fine $500/day for not having things fixed. The due process given is a joke. They people are nasty and mean spirited at best. In the mean time, the insurance company has dropped us and fines continued, I wish the new york nazis would leave florida and their stupid subdivission laws and county enforcement a.......

[The Great Oz]

It's hard to point the finger. Is it the boards who are shady? The property management company? The insurers, the contractors? All of the above??

Ah, Florida! She is a lady of vice and not of virtue.

[solomon]

isnt this crazy? everyone somewhere has a story. there are 3 apartment buildings in our neighborhood that are semi boarded up(n.of g.b.)no one is doing anything and the smell and rats are growing. theres a few private homes in the same condition. delray beach must be sleeping. its disgusting and a health hazzard.

to the city: come to ne 9th ave or palm trail and see for yourself. the rats are outnumbering the people. and homes cost over $500,000.00 here.

[ex-ex]

What happened because of Wilma has become a real tragedy for lots of people. It is obvious that large condo complexes cannot be effectively managed in times of natural disasters by former salesmen, accountants, retail store owners. The job is much too big for them. It probably is too big for anybody. Unfortunately we do not live in a risk free world and there are no easy fixes to very complex problems. The piper must be paid.

[ADAM THE MACHO LIFEGUARD]

Draggar wrote:

Our roof is still leaking, but that's because the board hasn't gotten them fixed yet.
Fire the board? No one else in the community wants to run and there's some serious suspicious activity going on with the board to begin with.

I SPENT SPME QUALITY TIME WITH A NICE LADY FROM GRENADA NAMED WILMA. AFTER THIS "HURRICANE" CAME ASHORE, SHE CANNOT REPAIR HER HOME EITHER. SHE WNTS TO CLING ON TO ME LIKE LINT IN THE DRYER. I TOLD WILMA "BABY, YOU JUST GOT AN "E" TICKET RIDE. REMEMBER ALL THE GOOD MOVES AND DROPS AND SCREAMS OF EXCITEMENT AND MOVE ON".

IT IS LIKE THAT WITH THE STROM ALSO. IT PASSED THROUGH. WE NEED TO REPAIR THE SCARS THAT NO ONE SEES. IT IS FAR MORE EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL THAN ACTUAL PHYSICAL DAMAGE.

I MISS WILMA.

[Jay More]

So what do we do were not getting the proper help(FEMA)and were on the edge of losing everything what do we do month after month it's da same broken promises are being made.

[HART client]

Anybody that made a claim needs to contact Hurricane Action Response Team (HART)@ hurricaneresponseteam.com .
They can help out individual claims, business claims, or condo (master policy) claims.

[kram]

It's amazing how many owners refuse to carry any insurance for their belongings and personal property.

They think FEMA (that's you and me) or the taxpayers from Utah and Minnesota should pay for their new cabinets and carpet. Sorry but no thanks

[Typie]

Reason 689 of 10,000 why NOT to live in South Florida! DUH!

[Krystal Enortep]

wat a poor lady. i feel bad for her. im sure her family loves her tho.

[No 1 Sidekick]

You must protect yourself wrote:

And Another thing,
i visit these condos and or associations daily. I hear property managers gripe about the boards they work for and feel for them. In most cases they're dealing with people over 65 who have no concept of what is really needed for their buildings. Instead of letting the managers repair items properly they bandaid everything. I was on a roof thursday that had gone through years of crapping work on it without every being brought up to code and the insulation was left wet below the surface for way to long. Well guess what the crew almost fell through when the metal deck gave way. So now these really smart people are left with a 500,000 change order that the city inspectors demanded. if they had good roofers on the building prior they would have maybe had a moisture survey in the past pin pointing the wet areas and removed the insulation before it corroded the deck. Pay some now or pay a lot later.
PEOPLE MAINTAIN YOUR PROPERTY'S PROPERLY!!!!

That is the truth. Many people do not maintain their roofs and many condo associations only have cheap, patchwork done instead of replacing and/or maintaining the current roof. My husband sees that stuff all the time and constantly complains. No one wants to pay to have it done properly and his company won't just "patch" things. He sees so much shoddy work that has been done by "Joe pick up truck". The only reason why he is seeing it, is because the roof is beyond repair, but now needs to be replaced. Also, avoid those tile roofs. Those are the worst. Not only do they come apart easily, the tile is expensive, usually back ordered causing delay in repair and become missles during a storm. Don't just think aesthetics.

[Marlene]

Heidi -

Your condo Board should consider filing a complaint against First State Development with the DBPR, the BBB and with Broward County. Also talk to Hipolito Cruz in the building code services investigations department. Filing a lawsuit won't do you any good, and will only cost you more money for your lawyer and court fees. First State will ignore you and ignore any judgment you get against them because they know you won't be able to collect.

Ron Green has owed more than 30k in child support since the mid 1990s. He has successfully evaded judgment on this by lying on non-identity affidavits for properties he sold in Dade County. He is pure scum. Steve Kiser owes over 40k to the State of Texas in employment taxes going back to 1985. These people have no morals, no scruples and no conscience. They are SCUM.

First State Development, AVLR, Inc., Aid to Victims with Leaky Roofs, All South Florida Maintenance, Inc.- these are all other companies owned and operated by the same lying thieves.

Spread the word, Heidi. You and everyone at Southgate Gardens, Gardens of Burnam Woods, Villa Victoria, Lake Pine Village and all the others they have screwed over.

If enough people complain about these criminals to the right places maybe their license will be revoked.