LAKELAND, Fla. — With work underway on the sinkhole that opened in Lakeland last week, legal experts are weighing in on the sinkhole problem in Florida and what homeowners need to know.
Jack Hall lives steps away from where the sinkhole opened near Scott Lake Road and Fitzgerald Road on private property. He’s been a building contractor for 35 years, so he knows quite a bit about sinkholes and what they do.
“My home’s been remediated already. I’ve got, had a half million dollar claim on this home putting concrete under it. So ultimately, I’m not worried about it on my property, but being 42 feet from my back property line; they’ve talked to me a few times about having me leave, so that’s what puts me on edge," said Hall.
It’s an issue Florida homeowners need to keep in mind.
“You always want to do your due diligence prior to purchasing,” said Stephen Hachey, a local real estate attorney.
Hachey said if you’re a prospective purchaser or a buyer, at the time of entering a contract, make sure you request a seller’s disclosure from the seller.
"One of the questions on the seller's disclosure is has there ever been any sinkhole activity on the property. If they check yes, then obviously you're now aware,” said Hachey.
His other recommendation is to hire a licensed home inspector prior to closing on the property. That inspector can take a look at the property and see if there are things like cracked tiles or cracks in the walls.
"If that appears, typically their recommendation would be hire an inspector that's familiar with sinkholes, and then ultimately, that inspector can go out and definitively say is there a sinkhole or not a sinkhole,” said Hachey.
Also, prior to closing, Hachey said there are a few other places where sinkhole activity can be found.
“One is the public records, and that’s searched by the title company. Oftentimes if there has been sinkhole remediation, there will be a recorded engineer report saying so, or two, you can also check the property appraiser,” said Hachey. “In situations where sinkholes have been discovered and the county has been alerted or notified, they’ll often reduce the taxable value of the property down to zero if it’s a significant sinkhole.”
If you already own a home and have a problem with a sinkhole, Hachey advises you to check in with your insurance company.
"Unfortunately, due to the amount of sinkholes that are occurring in Florida, the majority of times, the insurance company will not cover sinkholes, but certainly want to reach out to ask,” said Hachey.
