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The News Press
January 11, 2007
ASSESSMENTS TROUBLE HOMEOWNERS
Some worry about impact on sale, others about how to pay
Property owners in the Southwest 4 utilities expansion area are making decisions now about how to pay their assessments for water, sewer and irrigation lines being installed in their neighborhoods. The assessments start at $17,992 for a typical, two-lot home site and increase for larger sites, plus there are thousands of dollars in hook-up fees.
The News-Press is publishing a special report each Thursday, profiling residents and how they are dealing with the impact of the assessments.
Jad Azzi
Azzi and his family are moving out of state, not because of the assessment, but they're wondering how the amount might impact the sale of their home.
"I'm not sure yet. It's a big chunk of change," said Jad Azzi, 27, of Southwest 32 Terrace.
He and his wife Rebecca, 27, plan to move back to New Jersey, but the assessment has become a hurdle.
"We're holding off to see what happens with the sale," Rebecca Azzi said. The buyer might want it all paid or placed on the annual tax bill. If the house doesn't sell soon, the couple has a plan.
"We have the money if it doesn't sell," Rebecca Azzi said. "It'll impact our move if we have to pay that money."
The couple will have less money to use to buy a home in New Jersey, explained Jad Azzi.
The couple's assessment is around $13,000 for sewer and irrigation water. They already have city water. Additional costs to hook up and abandon the septic tank will push their expenses higher.
"So I'll pay 18 grand for what?" asked Jad Azzi, who said his septic tank works. The home was built in 2003.
The couple didn't expect to get a bill for so much money. In New Jersey such projects were paid through taxes, they said.
"We never thought about it," Rebecca Azzi said.
Judy Boylan
Single mom Judy Boylan of Southwest 8th Court said she's undecided about how to pay her assessment but has a lot of questions about the project.
"Why are we paying these thousands of dollars?" Boylan asked. "The city is not taking into consideration that I'm a single mother. What do they expect me to do?"
Why was auditor Michael Kessler treated like he did something wrong is another question she raised.
Kessler conducted an audit of previous projects and raised questions about how much the city is being charged by the main contractor on the job. He also reported activity that made him suspect bid-rigging might have occurred.
"The people are talking. The people are saying they feel cheated. They feel robbed. They hate living in Cape Coral," Boylan said.
Maria Barboza
A house for sale sign may be the only option Maria and Manuel Barboza have left to cope with their utilities assessment.
"If I put my house up to get a loan, I really don't think I'm able to pay for it," Maria Barboza, 55, said. Their home is on Southwest 9th Place. Construction workers already have turned the asphalt street into a dirt road.
"We've been in this house since 1994," she said.
Their 18-year-old son is ill and her husband is disabled. Their daughter recently married and will be leaving home soon.
"I really don't know what to do," Maria Barboza said. "If my husband was able to work we'd probably be able to manage."
Her husband is 62.
Author - Don Ruane
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