ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A woman is facing challenges after the addition she wanted built was done without permits.
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The woman thought she paid for the licenses, but the county says nobody ever filed the required paperwork for construction.
Tammy Allen showed Channel 9 the room she built after her family was kicked out of their apartment.
“I was trying to help my son and my grandchild,” Allen said. “They would have been outside because they can’t afford the rent.”
She hired her first contractor in 2022, and work was started without a permit.
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“Starting to rebuild a place for them, and that’s when everything started to happen,” Allen said.
After several months of the violation not being addressed, the county said a Special Magistrate ruled it was a violation, and she was given a $200-a-day fine since neither she nor the contractors ever obtained a permit.
“He kept saying we’ll we’re going to get the permit,” Allen said. “The permit is here, but every time I talk to the people at the code enforcement, they say no.”
Now, she owes $105,000 in fines.
She has worked with three contractors so far.
These bills show Allen paid for what she thought were the variants and permits needed
“I had taken out money on my burial,” Allen said. “I took out loans trying to get the place up to par.”
The county requires a permit before any structural modifications are made and a notice saying work has started.
This week, the Special Magistrate granted a foreclosure authorization.
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“I’m hurt,” Tammy said. “I was just trying to help my family, and it’s backfiring.”
“If this did not exist right now, where would they be in a shelter,” Allen said.
An Orange County spokesperson said the foreclosure authorization is part of the procedures spelled out in the Florida statutes. If a code violation is not addressed, it allows the county to foreclose on the lien, but it does not mean the county can or will.
Channel 9 asked the county what happens to Allen’s property now.
The property has a homestead exemption, which prevents the county from closing on the lien, so it can’t be sent to auction.
However, the lien on the property would make it difficult for Allen to sell her home.
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