ORANGE COUNTY -- More than 100 condos at an Orange County condo are still being repaired from last year's back-to-back storms.

Heavy rain from Hurricane Ian led to flooding at Dockside at Ventura. The water damage forced dozens of families, on the first floor, out of their homes. In total, that's 133 units. It's been more than six months since the storm, but residents tell WESH 2 there's little to no movement on repairing their homes. "I don't know what's gonna happen. How much more can this take, you know?" said Andrea Hallam, who moved to Dockside more than 20 years ago. Hallam lives in building 19. She moved in with her daughter since her home is now gutted.

 

"We don't have very much communication from the board or the Access Management. They said they were going to do building 1 through 4 first and then proceed to the rest," Hallam said.

Hallam and a group of other homeowners turned to WESH 2, hoping to get answers from those in charge.

WESH 2 obtained a letter sent to homeowners on May 15. In it, Michael Laster, the senior vice president of operations, said: "We wanted to take a moment to provide an update on the re-construction project at Dockside. As you all know, the construction has begun on Building 1 - 4. The majority of the insulation, drywall and air conditioning units on the 1st floor have been installed. Building 1 is almost complete and awaiting some cabinets along with some texture repairs and final cleaning. Building 2 - 4 are in progress and we anticipate the first 4 buildings to be completed in the next 6-7 weeks.

"As you may be aware, we have not received funding to do all of the buildings at this time. We are working with the adjusters and our legal team to recover the necessary funds to complete the remaining buildings. The board has secured an additional $4M in financing for the next 4 buildings which will begin shortly. We are working to secure funding for the remainder of the project in the unlikely event that the insurance carrier delays the process further. We have filed for arbitration, but that is also a process that take times and we want to avoid delays in the project if possible."

Laster did not want to speak with WESH 2 on camera. In an email, we asked, "what is the status of working with adjusters and their legal team to recover the necessary money to finish the buildings?"

Laster said, "This is a legal process which we are working through with the guidance of counsel and our adjusters."

We also asked, "where did the board secure $4 million to begin repairs on the next four buildings?"

Laster responded saying, "This was a private loan secured to continue construction efforts until the claim process can be settled."

He also confirmed repairs on buildings five through eight are underway. He hopes to finish the first four buildings in the coming weeks.

When it comes to tenants still paying maintenance fees, Laster said, "The association has expenses to operate the community regardless if there are owners in their property. Homeowners/tenants should consult with their insurance carrier to see what coverages may be available to them for the displacement. This is not something that the association insurance provides coverage for unfortunately. We are working as quickly as possible to get the property restored given the limitations on insurance and funding."