Fatigue sets in for third day of FEMA hearings

Writer: Sommer Senne
Published: Updated:
Third day of hearings
Third day of FEMA Code Compliance hearings are happening for the City of Cape Coral. CREDIT: WINK News

Flying several hours to come to a code compliance hearing is the reality for John Gasparini from Maryland.

“This has really been an inconvenience,” he said. “I’m having north of $2,000 in expenses.”

Gasparini lives in Baltimore but owns a house in Cape Coral.

His house was tagged by FEMA as having unpermitted work.

“FEMA determined that there was a violation, which precipitated this whole need for me to come here and basically testify and defend myself,” Gasparini said.

His hearing was scheduled for Thursday where he and 50 others stood before the code compliance special magistrate and waited to hear his decision.

“FEMA can make these charges,” said Gasparini. “You really have no control.”

Gasparini did everything right.

He pulled a permit for his pool screen and dock repairs and filled out the FEMA packet.

The special magistrate found him not guilty.

Gasparini says it’s nice to know he’s in compliance, but he has words for others about this situation.

“Be careful of FEMA,” he said. “That’s my overall assessment.”

Friday is the last day of these code compliance hearings where another 50 people will go before the special magistrate and have their cases heard.

FEMA tagged 207 homes in Cape Coral as having unpermitted work.

After Thursday, 150 people had gone before the special magistrate.

Forty-seven of those people were found not guilty of having unpermitted work and filling out the FEMA paperwork.

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