Ormond Beach residents say repairs to condos damaged in hurricane stalled by insurance company

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — Eight months after Hurricane Matthew roared up the east coast of Florida, some residents in Ormond Beach said repairs have still not been made to condos damaged in the storm.

The insurance company has denied or delayed most of the claims made by residents of Heritage Condominiums, said Joe Radcliff, with Paramount Disaster Recovery.

In the claims that have been denied or delayed, the insurance company is questioning whether the damage was caused by Matthew, he said.

Until the claims are approved, work cannot start at the complex, Radcliff said.

In the meantime, blue tarps can be seen covering damage to the roof and dangerous amounts of mold have been growing in the units.

“Penthouse 2 in the south tower was the one with the highest elevations of (black mold),” Radcliff said. “(It had) a count of a million, which is the highest I’ve ever seen.”

The black mold levels in Penthouse 2 are potentially deadly, he said.

Building officials told Channel 9 that 80 percent of the south tower is contaminated with black mold.

The condo complex has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the insurance company over its refusal to pay for repairs.

Company representatives declined to comment.

Cox Media Group