Tracy & Dalia: Don't let creek devour home
Donation protected
To fully explain my friends' situation, we must go back several years. Tracy and Dalia are both combat veterans with more than 23 years of military service each, both had combat tours of service in Iraq, and both have a strong sense of duty and family. Tracy has a full time job and Dalia is disabled and has endured 35 surgeries since returning home in 2008. They are in a situation of caring for a parent with medical and sight issues.
On April 1, 2016 Tracy and Dalia purchased a house with a large enough lot to add a small detached suite in the back for Mom which would allow them to provide more care and supervision. The house required major renovations...but it was the house they could afford. They did everything right and yet everything has gone so wrong! Unfortunately there were numerous unexpected issues with the property. It started the day after closing on the house. There was a heavy rain, resulting in 3 inches of water in the house and causing the ceiling to collapse. After 17 months of interior renovations and paying two mortgages, my friends were able to move into the house. They could now turn their attention to building the in-law suite for Mom. To date they have obtained architect drawings, had land cleared and surveyed, and secured many permits. Additional unexpected repairs have included septic removal, hook up to city sewer, a new AC system, and engineer fees. They have spent $32,300 to date with no progress toward breaking ground on mom's in-law suite.
The back property line fronts a creek. Normally this is a docile little creek that local animals traverse. It was not even visible due to overgrowth when Tracy and Dalia purchased the property, and the sellers failed to disclose the erosion. When there are heavy rains or water is released from a retention pond upstream, the creek rises over its banks flooding the back yard where the suite is to be built. The banks are eroding as shown in the pictures, with a current loss of 10 feet so far. With every storm and water release, the creek moves closer to their home and building Mom's in-law suite has been postponed. To permanently address the erosion, the repair quote is $200,000. Without this, the home, their investment, and everything they have been working so hard to accomplish will eventually be lost to the creek. They have tried every avenue for 2 frustrating years from home owners insurance, the city, county, and EPA, to identify funding options but with no luck. Selling the home would result in a significant loss as the erosion issue must be disclosed and the cost to remediate it would be taken into consideration by the buyer when negotiating the price.
This looming expense of $200,000 is overwhelming! But this must be done! Otherwise their home will literally fall into the creek.
Believe it or not sadly there is more.
Adding to the emotional stress of a home with expensive and unexpected repairs, they lost one of their beloved dogs, Joe, on August 20, 2017. Then only 1 month later Chavez (the disabled veterans service dog) did not survive a necessary, low risk, routine surgery. Five months later they lost their last dog, Kayden, due to congestive heart failure and a broken heart. Tracy and Dalia had broken hearts too.
There are also the physical burdens. They continue to care for their mom, going over to her home every day. They cook, clean, take care of the lawn and do house maintenance. They take her to doctor appointments, grocery shopping and anything else that might be needed. Mom's income is limited to Social Security which is insufficient to cover her expenses, so my friends also provide financial assistance. There are no funds left to hire help.
As much as they would like to start construction on the in-law suite and moving mom close - improving her support and reducing my friends' burden of maintaining two homes - they can't move forward until the creek erosion is fixed...but it's $200,000!
Please help. If anyone deserves help it is this couple. They give so much and now they need our help! They worry constantly not having their elderly Mom nearby, especially with her health and sight issues. They are exhausted from the property issues. Shoring up the creek so they can move forward is key to their health and in removing the enormous emotional burden of feeling like they have to choose.
We are seeking financial assistance to enable them to do the repairs to the creek and position themselves to do the right thing for their family. Tracy and Dalia are an inspiration! They sacrifice so much for the care of their Mom and for each other too. This is especially hard since Tracy works full-time and Dalia is disabled.
Your financial assistance is appreciated more than you know.
On April 1, 2016 Tracy and Dalia purchased a house with a large enough lot to add a small detached suite in the back for Mom which would allow them to provide more care and supervision. The house required major renovations...but it was the house they could afford. They did everything right and yet everything has gone so wrong! Unfortunately there were numerous unexpected issues with the property. It started the day after closing on the house. There was a heavy rain, resulting in 3 inches of water in the house and causing the ceiling to collapse. After 17 months of interior renovations and paying two mortgages, my friends were able to move into the house. They could now turn their attention to building the in-law suite for Mom. To date they have obtained architect drawings, had land cleared and surveyed, and secured many permits. Additional unexpected repairs have included septic removal, hook up to city sewer, a new AC system, and engineer fees. They have spent $32,300 to date with no progress toward breaking ground on mom's in-law suite.
The back property line fronts a creek. Normally this is a docile little creek that local animals traverse. It was not even visible due to overgrowth when Tracy and Dalia purchased the property, and the sellers failed to disclose the erosion. When there are heavy rains or water is released from a retention pond upstream, the creek rises over its banks flooding the back yard where the suite is to be built. The banks are eroding as shown in the pictures, with a current loss of 10 feet so far. With every storm and water release, the creek moves closer to their home and building Mom's in-law suite has been postponed. To permanently address the erosion, the repair quote is $200,000. Without this, the home, their investment, and everything they have been working so hard to accomplish will eventually be lost to the creek. They have tried every avenue for 2 frustrating years from home owners insurance, the city, county, and EPA, to identify funding options but with no luck. Selling the home would result in a significant loss as the erosion issue must be disclosed and the cost to remediate it would be taken into consideration by the buyer when negotiating the price.
This looming expense of $200,000 is overwhelming! But this must be done! Otherwise their home will literally fall into the creek.
Believe it or not sadly there is more.
Adding to the emotional stress of a home with expensive and unexpected repairs, they lost one of their beloved dogs, Joe, on August 20, 2017. Then only 1 month later Chavez (the disabled veterans service dog) did not survive a necessary, low risk, routine surgery. Five months later they lost their last dog, Kayden, due to congestive heart failure and a broken heart. Tracy and Dalia had broken hearts too.
There are also the physical burdens. They continue to care for their mom, going over to her home every day. They cook, clean, take care of the lawn and do house maintenance. They take her to doctor appointments, grocery shopping and anything else that might be needed. Mom's income is limited to Social Security which is insufficient to cover her expenses, so my friends also provide financial assistance. There are no funds left to hire help.
As much as they would like to start construction on the in-law suite and moving mom close - improving her support and reducing my friends' burden of maintaining two homes - they can't move forward until the creek erosion is fixed...but it's $200,000!
Please help. If anyone deserves help it is this couple. They give so much and now they need our help! They worry constantly not having their elderly Mom nearby, especially with her health and sight issues. They are exhausted from the property issues. Shoring up the creek so they can move forward is key to their health and in removing the enormous emotional burden of feeling like they have to choose.
We are seeking financial assistance to enable them to do the repairs to the creek and position themselves to do the right thing for their family. Tracy and Dalia are an inspiration! They sacrifice so much for the care of their Mom and for each other too. This is especially hard since Tracy works full-time and Dalia is disabled.
Your financial assistance is appreciated more than you know.
Organizer and beneficiary
Gregory Connie Dichtas
Organizer
Dunedin, FL
Tracy Leggett
Beneficiary