Gloria Francine Maxwell, with one of her dogs, which died in a house fire on June 23, 2022.

After St. Pete’s codes department cited resident Gloria Maxwell for unrepaired damage to her home following a fire last summer, the Code Enforcement Board or CEB gave her a six-month repair extension last week.

Maxwell, 75 years old, has lived in her home in St. Pete’s Child’s Park neighborhood since 1974. When a fire struck in the middle of the night on June 23, 2022, Maxwell was in the process of re-insuring her home. Because she was uninsured, all the damage cost will come out of pocket.

“We need to grant you the maximum days that we are allowed to give you,” Code Enforcement board member Gregory Holzwart said at the meeting. “Because you’ve got a tremendous project here to work on.”

In January, codes began citing Maxwell’s property for trash and overgrown vegetation. In May, she was cited for various fire damage to her home. The city’s Neighborhood Team or “N-Team” and some of Maxwell’s friends and family helped bring some of the violations into compliance.

But at Maxwell’s Oct. 25 CEB hearing, code enforcement officer Zoraida Melendez stated four out of six violations remain. That includes what Melendez reported as roof damage, fence disrepair, fascia damage, and smoke on the walls.

“I was in that house 48 years last year, and I like my neighborhood,” Maxwell said at the meeting. “I want to go back to my house.”

Melendez recommended a 25-day extension with a daily fine of $100 imposed on Maxwell for non-compliance.

St. Pete Codes Compliance Director Joe Waugh encouraged the CEB to grant Maxwell more time.

“We understand, based on the extenuating circumstances here, that this case might warrant additional time as you see fit,” Waugh said at the meeting.

The fire rendered Maxwell’s lifelong home unlivable, forcing her to find alternate housing until she can get a new roof and new electrical. Maxwell had just replaced her roof for the first time in 19 years, two months before the fire. Due to the fire, she almost found herself homeless three times in the last year as she searched for senior housing on a fixed income.

“Don’t get old,” Maxwell said at the meeting. “Because if something like this happens, it’s almost impossible to find someplace to live.”

Maxwell told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay repairing the damage is estimated to cost around $60,000. That includes a costly structural engineer, electrical and interior repairs, and more. So far, she’s been unable to get financial assistance from the city’s housing and development program.

“I’m trying to get the house back to livable, and I’ve applied for different programs,” Maxwell said.

St. Pete has a housing and community development program to help homeowners facing code violations to pay for repairs and come into compliance. Waugh told the CEB last week that Maxwell’s home repairs didn’t qualify for the program.

“It’s my understanding that the scope of the work required to do the repairs was beyond what the program could assist with,” Waugh said at the meeting.

If homes like Maxwell’s aren’t eligible, who is qualifying for the program?

According to a statement from St. Pete’s Public Information Officer, Erica Riggins, “The City of St. Petersburg has assisted 48 households with housing rehabilitation assistance and faced improvements at a cost of $1,992,308. The assistance and expenditures occurred during the course of FY 2022-2023, which started October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023.”

CL has asked if it is possible to fund a portion of the repairs to Maxwell’s home and is waiting to hear back at publication.

Meanwhile, Maxwell is thankful for the extension even if she doesn’t have the funds together yet. Two weeks ago, her niece started a GoFundMe to raise money for the repairs.

“I feel hopeful but I feel frustrated,” Maxwell told CL on the phone last week. “It’s been so hard to get any type of funds.”

The unanimous CEB vote grants Maxwell 180 days, or until April 22, 2024, to make the necessary repairs before a $100 daily fine kicks in.

Holzwart noted that if Maxwell runs out of time, she can go to the city’s special Magistrate and ask for an extension.

“You come and explain the circumstances of your case at that meeting,” Holzwart said. “All we can give you is time, and we’re giving you the most we possibly can.”

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