Homeowners still out six months after sinkhole

TAMPA - It was July 2010 when a massive sinkhole opened up at the Bordeaux Village condos. The hole was so big, it swallowed a car before creeping dangerously close to a number of units and forcing homeowners out. Six months later, they still aren’t back in.

“I just assumed it would be solved in a matter of weeks,” said condo owner Wendi Randall.

Randall is one of a number of condo owners still paying a mortgage on a home that’s unfit to live in. Much of what she owns remains trapped inside her unit.

“Articles of clothing I can get out, but the larger furniture is a different story because the staircase is unstable,” Randall said.

What Randall and other homeowners want to know is why repairs still aren’t complete. Six months after the sinkhole formed, the hole itself is covered up, but the building remains sealed off. No one is allowed in or out without a security escort. And adding to the frustration of condo owners is a website set up to keep them informed about repairs, that hasn’t been updated since November.

ABC Action News tried to get answers from Vanguard Management, the company that oversees the property, but we were offered few specifics. A company representative said they’re still waiting on engineering reports, and claimed insurance companies and attorneys are holding up repairs. That representative said he did not think owners would be allowed to go home anytime soon.

That’s not something condo owners want to hear.

“I think it’s forcing owners into some really tough positions because here we are paying a mortgage and having to incur additional living expenses on top of it, and how much longer can that go on?” Randall said.