Storm Program Is Clouded By Missteps

By JOHN W. ALLMAN The Tampa Tribune

Published: Sep 18, 2007

TAMPA - From the get-go, Jim Agnew's foray into the My Safe Florida Home inspection program was peppered with problems.

From misinformation to miscommunication, he and many others say they have grown increasingly frustrated with the program, which offers free wind inspections and matching grants to better fortify homes against hurricanes.

For Agnew, 66, that frustration became anger last week.

In late July, he was approved for a grant to match half the cost of any improvements made to his house, which sits on a waterway in The Villages at Bay Port. The improvements can include such things as replacing garage doors, strengthening the roof and upgrading windows.

So Agnew ordered a new garage door for about $3,000, and had it installed in early September.

Last week, however, a top official with the state Department of Financial Services told him he wasn't eligible to receive reimbursement. His house exceeded the maximum insured value allowed by the Legislature.

Agnew was floored.

"What if I was living on just my Social Security and not getting very much and I said I spent my money, and I'm going to get it back?" he said. "I could be in deep doo-doo."

Three days later, though, the same official, special programs administrator Tami Torres, called Agnew back to acknowledge a mistake - after discussing the situation with a Tampa Tribune reporter. He did qualify for a grant after all, according to a grandfather clause in the legislation.

"She said, 'Please just process that as soon as possible because we want you to get your money for the door,'" Agnew said.

Changes Prompt Complaints

To date, the state has provided free wind inspections to about 90,000 homeowners. Of those, about 15,000 have applied for a matching grant to offset the cost of structural improvements.

Torres is upfront that the program isn't perfect. She acknowledges consumer frustration because of legislative changes this year.

The Legislature, after a bumpy pilot period from August 2006 to February 2007, tweaked the rules to allow only homeowners within the state's wind-borne debris region to receive grants. The region is a boundary based on wind velocity that extends inland about one mile in most coastal areas.

State lawmakers decided to limit the improvements that qualified for grant reimbursement, and they reduced the maximum insured value of eligible homes from $500,000 to $300,000.

Agnew's home is insured for a little less than $500,000, he said.

But they also placed a clause in the law that allows anyone - such as Agnew - who received an inspection before May 1 to qualify under the old requirements.

Agnew and other residents say they were never made aware of changes to the eligibility requirements. Agnew said he was not told about the grandfather provision, before or after submitting his application for a grant.

"It's on our home page," Torres said, adding that e-mails and letters were sent to participants in the pilot program. "We've been doing everything we can to make people aware of the changes."

Agnew requested his inspection in August 2006, during the pilot period, and an inspector arrived in January 2007. He said he has received no notifications from the state other than his inspection report and his grant approval packet.

"I think they just expected you to go back to their Web site and keep checking and see if there were changes," he said. "It makes no sense."

The Tribune heard from 90 people last week from across Hillsborough County and elsewhere in the state. Many said they had never heard of the year-old program and wanted to request an inspection.

Others, however, gave detailed accounts of problems ranging from not being told about eligibility changes to finding inaccuracies within their free inspection report.

Savings Still Available

Torres and her staff complained last week about negative news coverage.

"This is not a perfect program," she said, "but we are committed."

Others involved with the inspections also contacted the Tribune to say that such media reports are hurting local participation.

"The big problem was with the transition from last year to this year. The current program is very clear, and produces effective results," said Christopher Thomas, president of Thomas Enterprising Inc., one of the 11 inspection firms contracting with the state. "While the grants may be harder to get, the program has opened the door to significant insurance savings for homeowners across the state."

He is referring to the savings that the state says many homeowners can now receive without making a single improvement. The inspection report tells participants whether their house is better fortified than they thought and, if so, how they can alert their insurance carrier. The average savings statewide is about $154.

Program officials are pushing this as a possible alternative to grant allocations.

Agnew said he plans to submit his grant reimbursement paperwork soon.

"We'll send it to them," he said. "If they reject it, then I'll raise hell."

Reporter John W. Allman can be reached at (813) 259-7915 or jallman@tampatrib.com.