Help the Sharkey's Repair Damaged Home!!
Spc. Michael Sharkey and his wife Danielle, are a typical Army family. They got orders to go to Hawaii, then closed up their New Port Richey, FL home and obeyed those orders. Then Michael got deployed to Afghanistan for a year.
Earlier this year, while Michael was still in Afghanistan, Danielle found out that squatters had broken in to their home and were illegally living there. She flew to Florida, call the Sheriff's office, only to be told that it was a "civil" matter to get the criminals out.
After discovering that the costs to remove the squatters would be horrendous and could take months, a friend of the Sharkey's contacted WFLA Channel 8 "Eight on Your Side". WFLA started investigating and running a story about the Sharkey's dilemma. Their story went "viral" - people from all over the country wanted to help remove the squatters.
VeteranWarriors contacted WFLA and got the ball rolling! Within 24 hours, with the assistance of Sand Soldiers of America, we helped the Sharkeys' get an attorney, who immediately served the squatters with a 24 hour notice to quit. Ironically, the publicity generated by WFLA's story provoked citizens to "encourage" the squatters to leave immediately!
The squatters are out legally and the property is now under the care and supervision of VeteranWarriors until the Sharkeys return June 1st!!
The squatters left the Sharkey's home in a disgusting state. Beyond the filth, dog feces, trashed furniture and garbage, there are some significant repairs to be made:
1. Roof has a 4" hole and mulitple sections of what appear to be deliberate damage
2. There are 3 cabinets in the kitchen that the squatters put in. They are on the floor and destroyed.
3. The tile in the kitchen is destroyed.
4. The bedrooms have laminate wood floors. The squatters dogs LIVED in these rooms - and used the floors as their bathroom!
5. The sliding door is destroyed as is the living room window.
6. There is a disgusting large pool in the back yard that needs to be removed.
7. The garage was turned into an illegal "bedroom". It needs to go back to being a garage.
8. The squatters bypassed the electric meter...a licensed electrician needs to hook it all up.
9. Painting all the rooms and the exterior.
10. Clean up the yard and put down some sod...most of the yard is now dirt from the squatters dogs.
11. All the screen from the patio is gone. Needs to be rescreened.
If you wish to donate, all proceeds will go directly to the repairs of the residence to make this a HOME again for this American Hero!
If you wish to offer materials, services or labor; please EMAIL US at: [email redacted]
Below is the WFLA link to their story.
http://www.wfla.com/story/25328798/squatters-left-dogs-at-soldiers-house-in-new-port-richey
