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Affidavit: Longwood man who set his condo on fire after getting upset with HOA charged with arson

LONGWOOD, Fla. — A Seminole County man upset with his homeowner’s association intentionally set fire to his condo, according to an arrest affidavit.

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Officials said they were called to the scene of a residential fire at 264 Crown Oaks Way near Longwood on Jan 14.

When investigators arrived at the fire scene, they found Marc Lane Hermann, 53, of Longwood, sitting on the ground bleeding from his face and hand.

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According to a report, Hermann told investigators that the blood was his and that “the management company was responsible for what occurred.”

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Investigators said Hermann told a paramedic treating him that he “started the fire in an act of revenge against the Homeowners Association in charge of his property” and that Herman had shot himself in the neck after starting the fire.

Witnesses told fire investigators that they had been inside their residence when they heard a loud explosion that “shook the building.”

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Another resident said they heard a loud explosion and smelled gasoline when the fire broke out.

Investigators said that they believed the fire had been intentionally set based on the fire patterns and the strong smell of gas.

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Officials said that based on the evidence, Herman was charged with four counts of first-degree arson of an occupied residence.

He is currently held in the Seminole County jail on a $60,000 bond.

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Matt Reeser

Matt Reeser, WFTV.com

Matt Reeser joined WFTV in 1998 as a news photographer and has worked for television stations in Kentucky and West Virginia.

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