A CHESAPEAKE
COUPLE WHO'S
FRUSTRATION IS AT AN
ALL TIME HIGH
CONTACTED 10 ON
YOUR SIDE.
THE COUPLE SAYS
THEY PAID A VIRGINIA
BEACH CONTRACTOR
FEDERAL MONEY TO
RAISE THEIR HOME
FROM FLOODING.
(ANITA)
BUT THE WORK
STOPPED SHORTLY
AFTER IT STARTED AND
MONTHS LATER
NOTHING HAS BEEN
DONE.
10 ON YOUR SIDE'S
JASON MARKS HAS
BEEN LOOKING INTO
WHY THEY'RE LEFT
HIGH AND DRY.
(PKG)
(UNDER WATER VIDEO)
(JOANN
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
THIS IS OUR
PARADISE
WHEN JOANN AND
BOBBY THOMAS MOVED
TO CHESAPEAKE 32
YEARS AGO" THEY
WANTED A PLACE RIGHT
ON THE WATER.
(JOANN
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RWE HAD VERY
GOOD TIMES HERE..
VERY GOOD TIMES
THOSE CHOOSE A
HOME IN ON THE
ELIZABETH RIVER" ON
A STREET FITTINGLY
NAMED DEEPWATER
DRIVE.
(JOANN
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RI USED TO COME
HOME FROM WORK AND
ENJOY COMING OUT
HERE
TH ENJOYABLE DAYS
ENDED IN 1996"
THAT"S WHEN THE
FLOODING STARTED
AND IT HAS ONLY
PROGRESSIVELY
GOTTEN WORSE.
(JOANN
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RTWICE IT
HAPPENED TO US THAT
IT CAME THROUGH THE
WHOLE HOUSE. $60,000
TO REPAIR THE HOUSE
WAS NOTHING
THE THOMAS" HAVE
SUFFERED FROM 15
FLOODS. 2 OF THEM
CATASTROPHIC FROM
HURRICANE ISABEL AND
THE NOR-EASTER
KNOWN AS NOR-IDA.
THEY WERE SICK OF
SWIMMING IN DAMAGE.
(JOANN
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RWE DECIDED IT
WOULD BE GREAT TO
BE ABLE TO GET A
GRANT BECAUSE WE
HEARD FEMA WAS
GIVING GRANTS
YEARS LATER" THE
THOMAS" WERE
AWARDED ALMOST
$200,000 FROM FEMA AS
PART OF ITS FLOOD
MITIGATION ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM. THE
TAXPAYER MONEY WAS
GIVEN FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TO THE CITY OF
CHESAPEAKE AND
THEN TO THE
THOMAS".
(JOANN
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RTHAT WAS
AMAZING. WE WERE
TOTAL AMAZED
BECAUSE WE FINALLY
GOT ONE
THE HOUSE WOULD BE
LIFTED 8 FEET HIGHER
AND A NEW
FOUNDATION BUILT
UNDERNEATH.
(BOBBY
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RRAISING THE
HOUSE OUT OF THE
FLOOD ZONE SO THAT
WE WOULD NEVER GET
FLOODED AGAIN
IT WAS NOW UP TO THE
COUPLE TO FIND A
CONTRACTOR TO TAKE
THE JOB.
NATS OF VIDEO
RHEY GUYS. GLEN
SWEITZER JUNIOR
PRESIDENT OF REGAL
RENOVATIONS.
THE THOMAS" SAY
SWEITZER AND HIS
COMPANY STEPPED UP.
SWEITZER"S PRICE
TAG WAS A BIT MORE
THAN THE GRANT SO
THE THOMAS"
AGREED TO THROW IN
ANOTHER 30 GRAND OF
THEIR OWN MONEY.
(BOBBY
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RWE TOLD HIM
RIGHT THERE THAT WAS
IT. WE COULDN"T
DO ANYMORE THAN
THAT
WORK BEGAN IN
DECEMBER.
(BOBBY
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RIT WAS A RELIEF
KNOWING THAT WE
WOULD NOT FLOOD
AGAIN
THE HOUSE WAS
QUICKLY LIFTED OFF ITS
FOUNDATION. SUB-
CONTRACTORS WERE
MAKING PROGRESS ON
THE 6 MONTH JOB"
BUT JUST THREE
MONTHS IN, THE SUB-
CONTRACTORS
WALKED OFF THE SITE.
(BOBBY
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RALL THE SUDDEN
ONE DAY I SEEN THEM
THROWING ALL THE
STUFF IN THE BACK OF
THE TRUCK. SO I WENT
OUT THERE I SAID
WHERE YOU ALL GOING
YOU ONLY WORKING A
HALF DAY KIDDING WITH
HIM HE SAID I CAN"T
WORK FOR NOTHING
CHESAPEAKE
RELEASED THE MONEY
TO THE THOMAS".
THEY IN TURN GAVE
$180,000 TO SWEITZER
WHO THEY SAY WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE
PAYING SUB-
CONTRACTORS TO DO
THE WORK.
(IAN MORSE/PROJECT
SUB-CONTRACTOR)
RSO THE TOTAL
INVOICE FOR THE JOB
WAS $71,400
SUBCONTRACTORS
LIKE IAN MORSE
HE SPENT $40,000 OUT
OF HIS OWN POCKET
FOR MATERIALS"
MONEY HE FIGURED HE
WOULD GET BACK.
(IAN MORSE/PROJECT
SUB-CONTRACTOR)
RWE HAVEN"T
SEEN ONE CENT AND
NOT ANY EFFORT TO
MAKE ANY KIND OF
PAYMENT OR EVEN
MINIMAL."
(BOBBY
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RI WOULD LIKE TO
KNOW WHAT HE DID
WITH ALL THE MONEY.
HE DIDN"T DO NO
$180,000 WORTH OF
WORK THERE
VERY LITTLE HAS
CHANGED SINCE
MARCH. THE HOUSE IS
SUSPENDED IN THE AIR
AND SOME OF THE
WALLS ARE CRACKING.
THE FOUNDATION IS YET
TO BE BUILT.
(BOBBY
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
ROH IT"S
MISERABLE. I JUST
WISH I NEVER
STARTED
BOBBY IS LIVING OUT
HIS GARAGE AND USING
POWER FROM A
NEIGHBOR. JOANN IS
STAYING A MILE AWAY AT
HER DAUGHTER"S
HOUSE.
(BOBBY
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RWE DON"T
EVEN LIVE TOGETHER
ANYMORE AND IT IS
TOUGH TO BE HERE
ALONE. I ENDED UP
TALKING TO MYSELF IN
THERE
10 ON YOUR SIDE
REACHED OUT TO BOTH
FEMA AND
CHESAPEAKE
OFFICIALS. FEMA SAYS
IT IS AWARE OF THE
SITUATION.
CHESAPEAKE
OFFICIALS SENT THIS
LETTER TO SWEITZER
REQUESTING TO AUDIT
HIS BOOKS. THE
ASSISTANT CITY
ATTORNEY WROTE THAT
IF WORK ISN"T
STARTED AGAIN SOON
SWEITZER MUST PAY
BACK THE MONEY.
(GLEN SWEITZER,
JR./REGAL
RENOVATIONS)
RTHE BOTTOM LINE
IS MY HEART IS FOR THE
THOMAS" TO HAVE
THIS PROJECT
COMPLETED
SWEITZER AGREED TO
SIT DOWN WITH 10 ON
YOUR SIDE. HE TOLD US
AFTER THE PROJECT
BEGAN UNEXPECTED
EXPENSES POPPED UP
AND HE NEEDED MORE
MONEY TO KEEP GOING.
THE CONTRACTOR
SAYS HE IS
DISAPPOINTED THE
PROJECT HASN"T
GONE AS PLANNED.
(GLEN SWEITZER,
JR./REGAL
RENOVATIONS)
RI"VE LOST A LOT
OF SLEEP OVER THIS IF
WE ARE BEING HONEST
AND IT"S NOT JUST
BECAUSE OF HOW I
FEEL IT"S BECAUSE
OF HOW I WOULD FEEL
IF I WERE IN THEIR
SHOES
WE DID ASK HIM WHERE
THE MONEY WENT AND
ADVICE OF HIS
ATTORNEY HE
COULDN"T ANSWER
THAT QUESTION.
THE THOMAS"
FUTURE IS LITERALLY
UP IN THE AIR.
(JOANN
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RWHEN WE ARE
SITTING BACK THERE
NOW WE SIT AWAY
FROM THE HOUSE SO
WE DON"T HAVE TO
LOOK AT THAT PART
AS THEY JUST TRY TO
RECOVER THAT SLICE
OF PARADISE WHICH IS
QUICKLY FLOATING
AWAY.
(BOBBY
THOMAS/CHESAPEAKE
RESIDENT)
RYOU KNOW I
DON"T KNOW WHAT
TO DO
JASON MARKS 10 ON
YOUR SIDE
(ANITA)
THE THOMAS' ARE
EXPLORING LEGAL
OPTIONS AGAINST THE
RENOVATION COMPANY.
WE'LL KEEP YOU
UPDATED.