ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — Homeowners hit hard by storm damage are losing patience trying to get repairs done as soon as possible and now code enforcement is out threatening stop work orders so savings continue for policyholders with federal flood insurance.
Brian Leggett moved to his dream retirement home in St. Pete Beach four days before Hurricane Helene. He says the government shouldn’t tell him he can’t repair his private property.
“I never imagined that I could not start repairing my own home,” he says. “I’m simply wanting to put back what I bought a week before the hurricane hit because the house was in perfect shape. It was beautiful.”
Leggett’s first floor flooded during Helene. He’s a new resident with a contracting company in Georgia and thought he could bring workers down to paint, hang drywall and replace floors; that is until a few days ago when city officials stopped by and urged him to stop working.
“That's when I started getting harassed by code enforcement and they call them ‘construction investigative officers,’” he says.
Cities and counties are out enforcing federal and local laws requiring proper licenses, permits and appraisals for all flooding and storm repairs. If your local government bends or breaks those rules to help you repair faster, FEMA could revoke discounts from the national flood insurance program.
“The FEMA rule is national federal guidelines but it is implemented into the municipality’s flood ordinances,” says Bradenton appraiser Patricia Staebler. “Many municipalities in Lee County got in trouble with FEMA because they obviously didn't follow certain rules. This will not happen in Manatee, Sarasota, Pinellas. Everyone will be super sharp and comply with FEMA rules.”
After Hurricane Ian, FEMA investigated Lee County if proper permits had been pulled before restoration work could begin. In April, it temporary revoked the FEMA flood insurance discount for more than a hundred thousand policyholders in the county, eventually backing off the penalty.
The other regulation stirring emotions right now is the “50-percent rule,” meaning you can’t pay more than half the appraised value of your home for restoration work, or else raise the home up or tear it down. Using an appraiser should give you a higher number than the tax-assessed value.
As for Leggett, he applied for a permit tonight but won’t stop the work.
“I'm going to submit the application,” he says. “But I’m not going to stop my guys from working.”
Cities up and down the Gulf Coast are hosting public meetings to discuss all the FEMA rules and regulations. The next one is in Madeira Beach on Wednesday night.