If you live in Tampa, a designation you may never have even heard of could drop your property’s value. The city’s attempt to manage storm water issues could cause a flood of financial problems for homeowners. A Tampa resident showed FOX 13’s Sorboni Banerjee the South Tampa lot where her dream retirement home was supposed to be built. The lot has been redlined — flagged by the city as being prone to storm-water flooding. The homeowner, who didn’t want us to use her name, had no idea before buying the property. She won’t get a building permit until she makes the necessary fixes — at a cost of $20,000. We took her problem to Tampa’s Public Works and Utility Services administrator, who supervises storm water services for the city. Brad Baird showed us how to search an interactive map on the city’s website for redlined properties. The website defines redline properties as “properties which experience or may be reasonably expected to experience frequent localized flooding problems or which may have other problems or requirements associated with storm water management.” Problems that earn a property redline status include things like being in a flood-prone area, having pipes under structures, insufficient easement, or need specific building or design accommodations. But to use a tool like the one on the city’s website, you have to know it exists, how to find it, and what to search for. This homeowner didn’t. Chances are, others don’t know either. We asked if there is any notification process in place for homeowners at the point of purchase or from the appraiser’s office. “No, there’s not,” Baird admitted. “The appraiser’s office is aware of the map but there’s no process that I know of.”
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