PINELLAS COUNTY — It’s
a condo owner’s nightmare.
A couple has been waiting months for repairs after a storm
damaged their property in Pinellas County.
The Breitensteins said they’ve tried to work with their HOA
and various vendors but now desperate, they’re turning to 8
On Your Side. They’ve been dealing with delays for 20
months.
The couple says they’ve lost their peace,
money, and something they can never get back, time.
It’s block walls and metal studs now, but for 40 years,
their home was paradise.
Mike and Marlene Breitenstein have been escaping the brutal
cold in Ohio and spending their winters at their condo in
Indian Shores. Then, in the summer of 2021, came the
storm—literally and figuratively
“We’ve been married 62 years, and we’re
getting a little anxious with each other every now and then,
it’s horrible,” said Mike. |
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The storm ripped off part of the roof.
The couple says the company hired by their HOA did not
correctly attach the tarp.
“The water came out of there like Niagra Falls,” said Mike.
“Yes, that’s when our cabinets fell off the wall,” Marlene
added.
Now, 20 months later, the repairs are still not done.
Mike and Marlene say they’re trying to work with their HOA’s
contractors, but some vendors have made mistakes. And as the
seasons change, so have the board members, further slowing
the process down.
“The right never never knows what the left hand is doing.
It’s mass chaos,” said Mike. Marlene agreed.
“The rebuild has just been one nightmare after another with
incompetent workers in here and a board that isn’t forcing
them and a company that doesn’t want to care at all.”
8 On Your Side contacted the HOA, their attorney, and the
restoration company about the apparent delay.
The HOA did not return our calls but the restoration company
did, promising the project would be complete by this month.
Mike and Marlene aren’t just waiting for one unit to be
fixed. A second unit, their investment property, was also
damaged.
“We are so past all of this, you know, I’m tired of staying
with my son!” said Marlene.
“You are the first people that showed any concern to really
help us,” said Mike.
The restoration company tells 8 On Your Side they’ve only
been on this project since July. They’re in charge of fixing
the plumbing, electrical, drywall and framing.
Once they finish, the city would need to do the final
inspection.