A woman who lived in a down town car thought her Miami Gardens home was unsafe

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida. – A Miami Gardens homeowner fears her house could collapse right above her.

It’s been four years since a hurricane damaged 68-year-old Vanessa Wilcox’s roof, but now she’s on the verge of homelessness.

“My roof, it wasn’t good and it just got worse and worse,” said Wilcox. “I have containers everywhere, in my bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, living rooms.”

Photos of the interior of the house show warped ceilings in several rooms thanks to the ingress of water that occurs every time it rains. It’s something the City of Miami Gardens noticed as workers viewed the single-story home as an unsafe building.

“I was devastated because I felt I had been betrayed and manipulated,” said Wilcox.

To be on the safe side, she lives in her car.

“No air conditioning in the house at all,” said Wilcox. “Sometimes I take my dogs with me and we take a little jaunt.”

It is a difficult situation for Wilcox’s neighbors to develop.

“It’s not easy to see that she can’t even shower or warm food or live out her car, and I mean, there’s a house here,” said neighbor Joanne Vanderpool.

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Wilcox has a contractor ready to repair their roof thanks to a grant from the state’s Rebuild Florida program.

But because of the conviction notice, this contractor cannot legally go into the house to start the repair work.

“How you will judge my property and I am about to renovate my property from the roof to the inside,” said Wilcox.

In a statement, the city of Miami Gardens said a process must be followed, but wheels were on the move to correct the situation.

The full statement from The City of Miami Garden can be read below:

Safety is a top priority for the City of Miami Gardens. Regrettably, Ms. Wilcox’s house was inspected and found unsafe after the city received concerns about its safety due to the condition of the property and an impending storm. The city met with Ms. Wilcox and took all necessary steps to provide assistance, including hotel accommodation and liaising with resources such as the Red Cross and Citrus Health. Once a building is classified as unsafe, a planning professional and / or general contractor must meet with the building authority or city agent to discuss a detailed structural plan that addresses the issues to ensure compliance and to obtain any necessary permits.

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Based on the attached report and photos, the city acted in the best interests of the resident to relocate her until she can safely return to her home.

Now that a contractor has been set up, the city will contact Ms. Wilcox to arrange a meeting to resolve this as soon as possible. In addition to the state grant, the city also has a senior beautification program and recently announced a weatherization program – both of which can be accessed and applied to Ms. Wilcox’s property once the structural plans are submitted for approval .

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