Insurance headaches have added to a couple’s woes after a lightning strike nearly a year ago at their home in The Villages.
A bolt of lightning punched a hole in the roof and ignited a blaze this past July at the home of Charles and Linda Formica at 2269 Foggy Brook Loop in the Village of St. Charles.
Their misfortune was compounded when their insurance company came up short when they explored rebuilding their home.
Charles Formica testified at a deed compliance hearing Monday at the District Office at Brownwood about the challenges they have faced since the fire.
“We immediately contacted our insurance company and started a claim,” Formica said.
Over the next few months, he went back and forth with the insurance company, which had tried to declare the home was not a total loss.
“We were standing in our house looking at the sky,” Formica said.
Eventually, the insurance company agreed the home met the definition of a total loss. However, then there was a certain amount of “depreciation” debated with the insurer.
The couple paid $775,000 for their home in 2024, just a few short months before the fire. When the insurance company finally agreed to cut a check, it was $234,000 short of the builder’s quote to reconstruct a new home on the fire-ravaged site.
The Formicas are scheduled to take their reconstruction plan before the Architectural Review Committee on June 11. They hope that the rebuild can begin immediately after they secure the blessing of the ARC.
Their builder has told them that the project will take 12 months. Community Standards had recommended giving the couple six months to see the project to fruition.
“Obviously, it’s been a struggle,” said Special Master Terry Neal. “I know you probably would like to get back into your house.”
She granted the Formicas nine months for the rebuild. She pointed out that if the couple needs more time, they can appeal to the Community Development District 8 Board of Supervisors. They could also ask the board to waive any fines that might be imposed if they exceed the nine-month limit.
Two CDD 8 supervisors, Wayne Anderson and Duane Johnson, were in the audience at the deed compliance hearing.
In neighboring Community Development District 9, supervisors have struggled in recent years with fire-ravaged homes where reconstruction was painfully slow to begin. Neighbors regularly spoke out at CDD 9 meetings to express their fear and frustration with living near a burned-out carcass of a home.
Related
Clinton Mora is a reporter for Trending Insurance News. He has previously worked for the Forbes. As a contributor to Trending Insurance News, Clinton covers emerging a wide range of property and casualty insurance related stories.