Article
and Video Courtesy of Channel 6 Miami
By Alina Machado
Published
June 15, 2016
|
Watch
VIDEO
|
A young couple said when they found out they needed
to replace their roof, they did what they're supposed to do. They
reached out to their HOA for approval, but after months of waiting, they
turned to NBC 6 Responds for help. (Published 4 hours ago)
A young couple says when they found out they needed to replace their
roof, they did what they were supposed to do, they reached out to their
homeowners association for approval.
"I was thinking we were going to get approved within
a week," says Ivan Paredes.
But when weeks,
turned into months Ivan and Krystle Paredes called NBC 6
for help.
"It turned into the most chaotic thing that I could
think of," says Ivan Paredes.
"A disaster," his wife agreed.
The Paredes purchased their Southwest Miami-Dade home in
the Bird Lakes Community in May of 2014. A year and a
half later, they noticed their roof was leaking. They
called a roofer, paid him a $4,000 deposit and, on
February 1st, submitted an application to their HOA. |
|
|
They say it wasn't until April 3rd - more than 2 months later - that
they learned there was a problem with their application. In an email
from an attorney for the association, they were told they had not
submitted "everything required".
In subsequent emails, the property management company said they told
Krystle Paredes the application was missing items, including a sample of
the roof tile, when she went to the office with the initial request. The
Paredes dispute that claim.
Meanwhile, with every storm, the condition inside
their home continued to deteriorate. Mold could be seen
growing inside their master bathroom and in other areas of
the home. Adding to the sense of urgency, Krystle was
pregnant with their first child.
"I’m not asking for anything crazy," says Ivan Paredes. "I
just want to fix my roof so that way I can bring my baby
here...without having to go rent somewhere when she’s born."
Because the HOA had not given the green light, Ivan says the
roofer refused to start working. We reached out to the
roofer, who agreed to return the $4,000 deposit. |
|
|
"They had me sign a hold harmless
agreement and they finally gave me back the $4,000 check that I had been
expecting for a little over a month and a half now," says Ivan Paredes.
In a letter dated May 5, the HOA officially denied the Paredes'
application saying "it does not meet the architectural standards of Bird
Lakes Homeowners Association". The letter offered no specifics on what
are those standards. NBC 6 saw at least a dozen different roof tiles
throughout the community.
We made repeated attempts to speak with the HOA board president, through
emails, phone calls and visits. Instead, we received a call from the
association's attorney, who declined to go on the record with NBC 6
about Ivan and Krystle's situation.
Meanwhile, the Paredes' found a new roofer to do the job, without the
HOA's approval. They are scheduled to do mediation with the HOA later in
June. They hope to reach an agreement with the HOA so they can focus
their energy instead on caring for their newborn girl who was born May
29. |