A recent report discusses steps being taken by Charlotte County FL officials to address properties that remain abandoned since Hurricane Charley. To run a property report for Charlotte County properties housed in the Safeguard database please click on the following link.

Charlotte County FL Hurricane Charley Demolitions
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Charlotte County threatens to tear down homes

Charlotte County leaders are moving forward with a plan they say will finally erase memories of Hurricane Charley. Homeowners who have not cleaned up their hurricane-damaged properties will be given an ultimatum to either clean up, or have their homes torn down.

Many people might find it hard to believe but debris from Charley is still scattered around Punta Gorda nearly 2 years after the storm hit.

City leaders say they have been patient because they realize the area was hit hard by the hurricane. But now they say their patience is running out.

Bill Zeithammer owns a hardware store and he says if a hurricane heads this way, the biggest threat to his store is a pile of wreckage that sits just a few yards away.

"Should this be in the condition that it’s in now and we get 60-70 mph winds blowing toward our store, we could have a major problem," said Zeithammer.

But Charlotte County Growth Management Director Dennis Murphy says the most troublesome debris is not piles of twisted metal, it is with entire homes that seem to have been abandoned.

"That is probably our biggest frustration. We have several homes where the owners have just picked up and left," said Murphy.

The new ordinance is in the works and it would give the city much more power to remove debris and abandoned homes.

"Number one, either we can just board up the house or we can just fill out a demolition order," said Murphy.

After 22 months the city is tired of the debris. The city council will vote in three weeks on the new ordinance that will allow them to tear down storm damaged homes with or without the owner’s permission.

To view the online article please click on the following link

Charlotte County FL Hurricane Charley Demolitions