Thursday, August 4, 2005

That's Just Wrong: Demolished Home

Reported by:

Craig Stevens

Producer:

Diana Reed

Contact:

dreed@wsvn.com

Archived Reports:

All That's Just Wrong

If you believe home is where the heart is...Then you could say one area woman is heart-broken. Five months ago, the county tore down her house promising to build her a new one. But tonight, she tells the nighteam's Craig Stevens the way she's been treated is just wrong.

WSVN--Kelly Rainey is a single mother.

Kelly Rainey: "I lost my husband four years ago."

Her husband died of a heart attack in this house. A few years later she took care of her dying father here too.

Kelly Rainey: "Up to giving him his medicine, giving him his shots, ya know anything he needed."

When he died...He left the house to Kelly.

Kelly Rainey: "The electrical needed to be replaced. The roof was bad. There were some structural deals going on."

The damage - so bad, Broward County claimed the place was beyond repair. Instead, it promised to build Kelly and her children a new home as part of a rehab program for low-income families.

Kelly Rainey: "All the memories I had built in this house were just torn down. That was a very hard thing for me."

The day the county tore it down…tore at her heart.

Kelly Rainey: "Well they told me I would have my house built before July."

But July quickly turned into August and not only does Kelly have no new home, the lot where her house is supposed to be built is weed ridden and piled with dirt.

Kelly Rainey: "They haven't even come in and started."

And that has Kelly and her kids saying "That's Just Wrong."

Kelly Rainey: "I'm ready for a new start. My children are ready for a new start."

But the kids may be getting more of a new start than they bargained for. Now, they can't register at their old school. Because they don't live in their old house.

Kelly Rainey: "It's ludicrous. The poor kid's been through enough as it is. He already has no house. There's lots of issues."

And that's when 7 News decided to pay a house call of our own. When we contacted the county redevelopment program, it told us the building department had a problem with the plans for Kelly's house...So they had to redraw them. Once those plans are approved, construction will begin right away. As for the children. The county is technically correct. The kids are supposed to go to the school closest to where they are living. However, exceptions can be made. And in this case, they decided to do just that. And now Kelly and her kids can finally look forward to that fresh start and a brand new home of their own.

Kelly Rainey: "They need the stability. Make sure that they don't have to worry about being uprooted or anything else like that."

 

PLEASE SEND STORY IDEAS TO:

thatsjustwrong@wsvn.com

Dade: 305-598-HELP
Broward: 954-796-HELP

http://florida529plans.com/

 

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