Officials in The Villages feeling burned again by foot-dragging on fire-damaged home

Officials in The Villages are feeling burned again with foot-dragging at another fire-damaged home.

The Community Development District 9 Board of Supervisors on Thursday wrestled with apparent inaction at a burned-out home at 3292 Sylewood Ave. in The Villages.

The home was heavily damaged by fire in December. The owner sold the damaged home in April to Investworks Solutions LLC of Windemere.

In June, a complaint was made to Community Standards due to the decaying condition of the home. During a public hearing in September, Village of Charlotte resident Richard Talbot complained that no work had taken place at the home and that the lawn has been neglected. The CDD 9 board granted six months to Investworks to work on the home and bring it into compliance.

Talbot was back at Thursday’s CDD 9 board meeting and claimed that in addition to still no work being done at the home, it appears that Investworks has yet to obtain a permit from Sumter County to begin the work. Talbot asked the board to reopen the case and put it back on their agenda.

“Clearly, there was some misrepresentation,” Talbot told the board members.

However, the board was informed by legal counsel that it has no appeal process and the board would have to stand by the six months already granted to Investworks.

Board members were unhappy that they appeared to have been misled by Investworks, which in September made it appear as though the permit process was well under way. Supervisors were also displeased that their lack of an appeal process is forcing them to honor the six months already granted to Investworks.

“He’s burned a month and a half and he hasn’t even gotten a building permit yet,” said Supervisor Michael Dollard, who was clearly annoyed with the situation. “He’s owned this thing for six months and has done nothing. And it’s an investment?”

In light of the new information presented by Talbot, Supervisor Steve Brown said it seemed logical that the case should be re-examined by the board. However, there is no legal mechanism for doing so.

In other words, the board is stuck for at least five more months.

It’s not CDD 9’s first ride down this potentially long, bumpy road.

In May, the CDD 9 board settled a lawsuit for $12,000 after a couple whose home was destroyed by fire took many months to rectify the situation. The board had been under pressure from neighbors who were unhappy that James and Christine Noonan had been slow to replace their home at 3000 Luraville Road in the Village of Gilchrist.