CASSELBERRY, Fla. – Almost a year and a half after Hurricane Ian, a Florida family is still struggling to get back on their feet and into their own home.
They have purchased a new home in Casselberry, but building delays are preventing them from moving in.
Deborah Wettberg, 70, says she almost lost everything during Hurricane Ian.
She and her adult daughter survived the storm, but she says getting back into their own home has been a challenge.
Sanibel Island, Ft Myers Beach, and Pine Island bore the brunt of Hurricane Ian’s powerful winds and storm surge.
It did an estimated $100 billion in damage, ruining thousands of structures, including Wettberg’s home on Pine Island.
“We went back to the house, and I couldn’t even believe what it looked like,” Wettberg said. “All my stuff was thrown into the woods and all over the yard. We were still alive. So, we had that.”
Since then, Wettberg and her adult daughter who is disabled have been picking up the pieces.
To avoid living in a shelter, they moved to Orlando with her nephew and have shared a bedroom for a year and a half.
Wettberg found a piece of land in Casselberry and took out a loan to purchase her own manufactured home. She purchased it from Family Dream Homes in Christmas.
“It’s just been one nightmare after another,” Wettberg said.
The home has been situated on a lot in Casselberry, but she still isn’t allowed to move in because the house still doesn’t have a Certificate of Occupancy from the city.
According to the loan agreement, the work was supposed to be done on or before Sept. 25 of last year, but Wettberg says there are still many things that have to be done including electrical, a carport and a driveway.
She says the company stopped communicating with her.
“All I want is answers. If you don’t have an answer, at least text me and say, ‘you know what, we don’t have an answer for you, but I’m working on it something,’” Wettberg said. “I can’t get any answers. I want something.”
News 6 did get some answers. Family Dream Homes is now Palm Harbor-Family Dream Homes.
News 6 spoke to Doug Bassett, the general manager, by phone multiple times. He initially agreed to an on-camera interview but then decided against it. He blames the delays on wet weather, inspections and permitting.
News 6 checked and according to the city’s permitting department, the company applied for a permit in May of last year. However, the city didn’t approve the permit until Sept. 20.
There have also been issues with inspections.
Meantime, Wettberg is stuck making interest payments on a loan for a home she can’t live in.
“I should have been in my house. I’m not getting any younger,” Wettberg said.
According to the head of Casselberry’s permitting department, this type of permit typically takes 2-3 weeks, but this one took 4 months.
The company had to resubmit a couple of times because the city didn’t have all the information needed to sign off on it.
Bassett says they are going try their best to have Wettberg in her home within a month, weather permitting.
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