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Property's Code Violations Force 13 Veterans To Vacate

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By JOYCE McKENZIE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

TAMPA - Veterans in need of a place to live have called Liberty Manor home for more than a year.

On Friday, 13 of the 17 residents at its North Ninth Street site were forced out by order of the state fire marshal.

"We were under the impression that we followed proper protocol when the Tampa fire marshal signed off on this over a year ago," said Bill Blaney, who owns the North Tampa property with his wife, Connie.

Blaney estimated it will cost about $60,000 to bring the two-story house up to code.

"I think I've been misled and been given bogus information," he said.

The Blaneys say they received a call about two weeks ago from a state spokesman telling them that the house, classified as a hotel by state fire code standards, needed to be inspected by fire officials.

Bill Blaney said he was given no indication that it was in violation until Monday, when Tampa Assistant Fire Marshal Geoff Brown showed up.

"Geoff said, because of the violations, we had 72 hours to vacate," Blaney said.

The home is in violation of Florida fire code that requires such housing to have hard-wired smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and a sprinkler system. If the dwelling is more than one story, there must be exits on each floor.

In March 2007, Tampa City Council approved the rezoning of an 11,000-square-foot parcel of land containing a single-family dwelling and detached cabana at 10015 N. Ninth St. The Blaneys equipped the house and cabana with 17 beds, decorated them with furniture and accessories, and renovated the baths and kitchen.

Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman Bill Wade said the fire department and city council approval then was strictly to rezone the property. A specific site plan outlining the projected renovations never was presented for the council's endorsement.

"This house is unsafe the way it is now," Wade said.

Tampa Housing and Community Development representatives were on hand Friday to provide housing assistance to the evicted veterans. However, Connie Blaney said she has made arrangements with New Beginnings, a nearby Christian organization, to house them while the code infractions are rectified.

"This is unbelievable," said resident John Turner, who seven months ago was homeless.

Veteran Tom Smith agreed.

"I moved here last July from The Salvation Army," he said. "This is home. Connie and Bill are wonderful people and we're a very close-knit group of guys who enjoy the camaraderie we have together."

Blaney said he and his wife believe the opportunity to house the veterans has blessed their lives, as well, and he is saddened by the present state of affairs.

"But we have no options," he said.

The couple's second Liberty Manor home, at 9806 Myrtle St., which opened in June 2007, also is in violation of state fire code requirements. Four of its eight residents also have been relocated to other sites.

"We're just a middle-class family trying to keep these men who fought for our country together and we need the community's help," Connie Blaney said. "We're not going to go away."

The Blaneys can be reached at (813) 900-9422 or (813) 269-4735.

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at jmckenzie@tampatrib.com or (813) 865-4849.

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