DUNEDIN, Fla. — Many who dwell in Westwind Cellular House Park close to Dunedin are nonetheless being hit with a vortex of stress, anguish, and nervousness virtually seven months after Hurricane Helene.
Cyndi Varney is aware of that firsthand.
“We don’t sleep effectively in any respect anymore— not since we acquired the letter,” she mentioned.
In March, she obtained a letter with penalties: a considerable harm letter from Pinellas County. Due to a FEMA rule for particular flood hazard areas, Varney and her husband, Rod, should elevate, relocate, or abandon their house except they will show it isn’t considerably broken.
Lots of extra throughout Pinellas County face the identical dilemma.
“A number of these individuals are aged,” mentioned Norma Scheele, who additionally lives at Westwind and was additionally dealing with a considerable harm dedication just lately. “They haven’t any place else to go.”
Monday, Pinellas County offered some aid.
The county moved the compliance deadline from June 1, 2025, to June 1, 2026, which suggests owners now have greater than a 12 months to both comply, present they’re making an attempt to conform or work their reassessment case.
This extension permits owners to stay of their properties whereas working towards compliance.
“Nonetheless, it doesn’t allow owners to undertake enhancements past minor repairs crucial for security and habitability,” a Pinellas County spokesperson clarified. “Owners are anticipated to exhibit progress towards compliance throughout this era.”
The county spokesperson mentioned the extension would additionally give individuals extra time to doubtlessly obtain monetary aid, which might come from the $813 million grant the county obtained from the federal authorities earlier this 12 months. The county is at present drawing up a plan to spend that cash to finest assist storm victims.
“What can we get assist with?” Rod Varney mentioned. “You recognize, it’s out of pocket.”
The Varneys are skeptical that the deadline extension will in the end assist them. If something, they imagine it delays the inevitable: the choice they may need to make to desert their house, which they are saying was declared considerably broken regardless that the within didn’t flood throughout Hurricane Helene.
“That is the situation that we selected to be in and we invested in all these years,” Cyndi mentioned.
For now, the stress, anguish, and nervousness aren’t going anyplace anytime quickly.
The Might 31, 2025, deadline to file for a reassessment of a considerable harm dedication has not modified.
In line with the county, within the occasion of a named storm this upcoming hurricane season, individuals dwelling in properties with a considerable harm dedication and non permanent occupancy permits should comply with the identical evacuation orders as different residents.
“You recognize, it would simply be time we have a look if HOAs are actually even crucial.
Possibly we should always simply cast off house owner associations as an entire.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it might be time to cast off owners associations altogether, as extra Floridians communicate out about rising charges, expensive lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He mentioned this week that he’s contemplating submitting laws within the subsequent session that will abolish HOAs statewide.
Lawmaker seems to be to ban HOAs