Code enforcement cracks down on homeowner who plugged drainpipe with concrete

LONGWOOD, Fla. — A woman who plugged a drainage pipe as part of a neighborhood dispute is being ordered to fix the mess she’s created after yet another rain-induced flood.

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North Shadowbay Boulevard, near Longwood, has repeatedly filled with water since workers hired by the homeowner pulled in with a concrete truck.

Documents show the pipe has been in the ground since the 1980s in an easement running along the edge of the woman’s property. However, she sent a letter to the HOA across the street asking for payment in exchange for the pipe’s continued existence.

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Seminole County leaders previously said there was nothing they could do because the entire neighborhood is private property. However, the repeat floods appear to have finally pushed them over the edge.

Code enforcement sent the homeowner a letter ordering her to fix or replace the pipe or face a special magistrate judge if the work isn’t completed by July 22. The letter threatened fines of up to $300 per day if the homeowner misses the deadline.

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The cost for the work is unknown. Concrete pipes of that size range from several thousand dollars to more than $50,000, not including the labor to dig up the old pipe and install a new one if a full replacement is needed.

“As a community, time is not on our side. So we are not giving up on any avenues of resolution,” said HOA Treasurer Robin Rodriguez, who has been pushing the county for action. “Everything stays in flight until the pipe is fixed. Something will give sooner or later.”

Channel 9 texted the homeowner to see if she had a comment on the code enforcement letter. The inquiry was not immediately returned.

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