The uncertain process of repairing Hurricane Charley’s damage has begun in earnest, with homeowners across the region navigating an unfamiliar sea of insurance deductibles, qualified contractors and long waiting lists for repairs.
While some patch their roofs, others are seeking professional assistance to mend busted windows or remove fallen trees. Meanwhile, Maribel Albaladejo waits. She lost everything and now must start over.
A month before the storm hit, she and her husband made the last payment on their first home, a $7,000, two-tone purple mobile home shaded by a giant oak tree.
When Charley’s winds toppled the tree, it rendered their south Orlando home a mess of twisted siding and aluminum.
They did not have insurance. They have put their hopes on their family for temporary shelter, and on federal disaster funds for rebuilding.
“To be honest, I’m not expecting they’ll do much,” Maribel Albaladejo said of the government. “I’m just moving on. If they give us money, we’ll look into buying another house. If not, we’ll have to rent,” she said.
Those who fared better have found monthslong waiting lists for repairs.
A booming housing market has left building materials in short supply and few roofers, carpenters and electricians to take on emergency jobs. It could take a year, at least, to rebuild Central Florida, construction experts and building officials warn.
Until their time comes, most homeowners are making do with the barest of temporary repairs.
In Ormond Beach, Charley peeled off Wanda Johnson’s 5-year-old roof like the lid of a tin can, soaking her ceiling tiles and dripping rain onto the carpet below. A pair of strangers — “angels” she called them — that her husband met at the local hardware store applied a simple tarp to keep out the elements.
“It may be months before we can get it fixed,” she said. “The lady at the roofing company told my husband there were about 2,000 people ahead of us.”
To meet intense demand, out-of-state contractors are pouring into Florida.
Jim Niles headed into Orange County from Lexington, Ky., in search of a few dollars removing downed trees. He found county officials more than willing to grant him a temporary occupational license. “I wanted to be legal,” he said, “but I wanted to help.”
Cleanup is one thing. More skilled construction work requires state licenses, which have some of the nation’s most stringent requirements. The home-building industry has been pushing state officials to grant temporary licenses to out-of-state contractors. But a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation said state law would not permit that.
Officials warn that homeowners should be skeptical of those doing repairs.
“They need to be careful if someone approaches them and says they can do the work without a permit,” said Robert Olin, manager of Orange County’s building division. “That should be the first red flag.”
Unlicensed work could void someone’s insurance coverage for future damage, Olin said.
The state, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a network of building trade associations have set up the Disaster Contractors Network, a Web site to link up consumers with contractors in times of emergency (www.dcnonline.org).
Earlier this month, about 1,000 contractors had posted information about their availability on the network, which also gives tips on avoiding unscrupulous contractors. In addition, building departments across Central Florida are loosening permit requirements and waving fees to help homeowners make quick storm repairs. Some departments have been touring neighborhoods handing out permits on the fly. Others have been granting permits by phone.
While this brings comfort to those beginning repairs, others find themselves waiting for insurance checks before they can think about rebuilding.
At Max Seigel’s lakeside home on Neptune Road outside of Kissimmee, fallen oak trees crushed his shed and work truck, and tore through the roof of a home at the back of his property. Amid the wreckage sits a spray-painted sign on a bent piece of aluminum: “State Farm adjuster wanted.”
If he starts repairs before his insurance company inspects the damage, they might not see how bad it is, he said. So he waits.
“I hope someone from State Farm passes by and sees my sign,” he said.
In a minute and a half, three massive pine trees crashed onto Tom Eyerly’s house in south Orlando, splitting one of the roof trusses, and creating a large crack in the bedroom he shares with his wife. He wedged a 2×4 between the floor and the crack as a precaution.
“I just don’t want gravity to win,” he said.
Outside, building officials affixed a bright orange sticker declaring the house “unsafe.”
“Enter at your own risk, as entry may result in injury or death,” it reads. He did not leave, though. It could be months before his house is fixed, he said, but he wants it repaired correctly, not quickly.
“The insurance company is anxious to give me a check. But I don’t want just a check. I want a fair settlement,” he said.
Meanwhile, the nation’s two largest owners of home mortgages — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — have set up relief programs for those who may have trouble making payments because of storm-related unemployment and damage losses.
Fannie Mae said mortgage payments may be suspended for as long as three months. Payments may be reduced for up to 18 months. In special cases, a longer repayment plan can be implemented.
Freddie Mac said it is urging companies that service the mortgages they own to provide relief through reduced or suspended mortgage payments for up to a year.
At Rita and Luis DeJesus’ home just west of downtown Kissimmee, it could take months to fix their broken fence posts, fallen shingles and crushed above-ground pool. The timetable depends on 56-year-old Luis DeJesus’ strength.
They’re convinced a handyman would be too expensive.
“I’ll do it myself,” he said.
