ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. — An Altamonte Springs couple in their 80s has been stuck in their home for weeks after a complaint from a neighbor stopped construction on an elevator for the husband, who is disabled.
Before Juanita Jackson, 85, and her husband moved into their new home in Altamonte Springs, Jackson signed a contract for a lift to be installed to help her husband get to the second floor without having to use the stairs.
Jackson’s husband, 80, is a disabled veteran who is battling Alzheimer’s and has trouble getting up and down the stairs.
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“It’s extremely hard for him to maneuver up and down the stairs,” Jackson said. “On top of that, I’m afraid he’ll fall trying to move up and down these stairs. That’s what I told him it was imperative that I have this lift.”
The contract shows Jackson hired Bailey Elevators, paying nearly $30,000 to start work on a lift that would connect the two floors, but construction came to an abrupt halt about two weeks ago.
According to the city of Altamonte Springs, a neighbor complaint led a city inspector to come to the property; issuing a stop work order on Nov. 4 because Jackson never applied for a permit.
Since then, Jackson has been trying to get answers about how to fix the situation.
“I can’t get in touch with anybody to even find out what’s happening, so I called you because I hoped you could find out for me if I’m going to be able to get this finished,” Jackson told Eyewitness News.
Oak Harbor HOA attorney told Channel 9 that first and foremost the city’s “stop order” would need to be lifted. Then the project would need to come to the HOA for approval since the townhome shares common areas.
Jackson just wants to see the project finished.
According to the attorney, the project would be approved by the HOA, if the contractor can show that structural integrity on the home is maintained.
If you are considering construction of any kind, it’s always a good idea to check on if permits are required. You can do that by calling your local government’s building department.
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