Stealing Home - Couple invests life savings in home they can't live in

[HeeBGBz]

Latimer, MS

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/16006687.htm

The decision will keep the couple from legally living in the $200,000 home they finished building on Seaman Road after Hurricane Katrina.

The couple built their home at an elevation of 39.1 feet. They should have built at 41 feet.

The supervisors were told by a FEMA representative if they forgive the extra 1.9 feet required by the National Flood Insurance Program maps, they could jeopardize flood insurance for the whole county.

This really sucks for these folks. Also read their comment in this article's comment section:

http://pod01.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?msg=190.82&nav=messages&webtag=kr-sunheraldtm

I am 58 years of age and extremely capable of making my own descisions and living by the consequences. This is our Custers Last Stand. We will not be moved out or bullied by these incompetant so called officials. Unlike the rest of us , these people NEVER Pay the bill for their mistakes, that's why they can afford to make so many. We must do something about this runaway government or we are doomed. This is not about rules, ITS ABOUT CONTROL

Red tape bullshit tearing down dreams instead of helping people rebuild.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. That is really sad

[lapfog_1]

2. It would appear that they simply need to raise the

the foundation by 2 feet. The owners indicate that this is nearly impossible because of the heavy masonry used in construction. However, having watched mega movers on the history channel for like the last few years, I suspect it can be done, but might be expensive. Also, they need to start legal action against the site surveyors and general contractor, who probably had a duty to build the home above the flood plain limit. It's a sad case, but it won't be nearly the last one. There are going to be a lot more of these in the coming future. We build way to close to the ocean, and the oceans are rising. And when the homes get flooded, it's the taxpayers that are expected to bail out these folks.

[kestrel91316]

3. Somebody approved the plans, I assume. THAT somebody owes

these people $200,000 IMHO.

Surveyor, builder, inspector - they all share in the responsibility for the financial loss. Time to hire an attorney. That's what they're there for.

Otherwise, why the hell do people have to pay so much for CONSTRUCTION PERMITS???

[lapfog_1]

4. Maybe not $200,000... but at least enough to pay to raise it

redo the driveways and stuff, redo any landscaping, and something to pay for the inconvenience of it all.

Probably $40,000 to $50,000. But, of course, that's a WAG.

[uncle ray]

6. yes it can be done.

and the house built "like" a fortress of masonry, as stated in the article, if built so well, should handle the elevation just fine.

i don't feel sorry for them. the regulations were in place for decades before they build. too many people build, or do additions etc. with the mindset that it's easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission. well, when it comes to zoning, they are wrong! chances are this guy was his own general contractor, any experienced contractor in the area would know the requirements.

but then i also prejudged them as selfish assholes based on the vehicle parked in their driveway.

[HeeBGBz]

7. "the regulations were in place for decades before they build."

No, new regulations after Katrina.

[uncle ray]

8. from the article...

" He even brought in the issue of the county's Planning Department being in turmoil in the months after Katrina, so the Morris' case didn't get the verbal reminder of the required 41-foot elevation, a requirement that has been in place since 1984.

O'Dell told supervisors the property was on a dry creek, was not flooded by Katrina or any other storm in more than half a century and that elevations just weren't on the table.

Had Morris been fully aware of the elevation issue, he would have pushed a couple of more feet of dirt onto the home site before he laid the foundation, O'Dell said."



so the requirements were WRITTEN but because nobody TOLD him he wasn't "fully" aware of them. suuuure.

[HeeBGBz]

10. Oh, ok

I thought it was something different.

[Selatius]

5. The problem is even if they get the waiver, insurance companies might not cover them.

No insurance company is going to cover homes built in areas the government says are flood zones without charging high premiums assuming they don't simply say they won't cover at all. After Katrina, you can bet insurance companies are going to be charging out the ass if you live in coastal areas or in areas in the way of big hurricanes like Florida. I would think the loss of New Orleans must top $200,000,000,000 in destruction.

[MadHound]

9. Somebody, either the couple, county inspector or the contractor, dropped the ball on this one.

If it was the contractor, then they have the right, and should, sue the contractor for enough money to fix the problem, even if the fix is to tear down the current house and start from scratch. If it was the county inspectors, then the same should go for them also. But if this couple were the ones who dropped the ball, well, stop pointing fingers at everybody but themselves, suck it up and deal with it. Trying to get variances, especially for Flood Plain insurance programs, does put the rest of the county residents at risk for either increased insurance rates, or no insurance at all.