BRANDON, Fla. — A single mom in Brandon is worried her family could be homeless in a matter of weeks after Ian sent a tree through the roof of her rental home. Rachelle Hale, a mom of four, said the lease isn't up yet but her landlord ordered the family out by October 31.
Hale said the crash of the tree shook the house, knocked her 1-year-old son out of his high chair and shattered everything on the side of the house it hit.
With the ceiling and walls punctured by the tree branches, rain poured into the home and damaged the family’s furniture and belongings.
The landlord tarped the roof, removed the tree and boarded the hole in the dining room. But Hale said the home’s owner refused to fix her stove top which she said shattered when a glass piece fell off the microwave door.
The family said they can get by with half-working appliances, but now she worries they could soon be without a home.
After the hurricane was over, the landlord posted notice of non-renewal of the lease. The notice taped to the door terminates the lease and orders the family to vacate the premises by October 31. Hale told ABC Action News her lease is not up until January 31, but she doesn’t know where to turn for help.
“I don't have the finances; I don't know the resources to help,” she said.
ABC Action News asked consumer attorney Charles Gallagher to look over Rachelle's lease agreement.
“There can be no unilateral move by one party to change those terms of the contract,” Gallagher said.
After hearing her story, Gallagher said he would defend Hale pro bono if the landlord tried to force her out before the lease is up.
The landlord has yet to respond to our questions about the notice to vacate the home by October 31.
ABC Action News put Hale in touch with code enforcement, and they've ordered the landlord to make multiple repairs to the home, including the microwave and stove. He has 15 days to comply.
