A Dania Beach homeowner doesn’t like what’s hanging over his head and he wants the city to protect his family and his property.
7’s Heather Walker investigates.
Three-year-old Katie loves to play.
Michael Combs: “Wanna play?”
Her backyard was always her favorite place.
Heather Walker: “This under here — is your daughter’s playhouse?”
Michael Combs: “Yes.”
And now, the playhouse is covered by a tarp because construction dust and debris are falling from above.
It’s not just her playhouse the entire backyard is now off-limits for her own safety.
Heather Walker: “Was this going to be your forever home?”
Michael Combs: “Yeah, this was going to be our forever home. We put so much time and money, effort, blood and sweat into this house to make it the way we like it.”
Michael Combs and his wife wanted to raise their family and then retire here. But their plans were crushed when work began on a nearby apartment building last year.
Their once quiet neighborhood is now filled with the sound of construction.
Even more worrying is the crane that passes over their home.
Michael Combs: “It’s a monster. I mean, it really is disturbing.”
Disturbing and costly since construction began Michael has been forced to repair his car after concrete dripped on it and his AC unit after it filled with dust.
And he’s not alone. His neighbor’s fence and tree were also damaged during the construction.
Michael Combs: “Normally, nails would drop down, chunks of concrete would drop down. I actually had a nail hit me in the head. If it would have gone straight down, I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you right now.”
The project was approved by the Dania Beach City Commission in 2022. The developer bought up the homes in the neighborhood but Michael’s was not one of them.
Michael Combs: “Your local government, you trust it as a resident, a taxpayer, they’re going to look out for you. I think that they should’ve forced the builder to work something out with us, including my neighbor, instead of just ignoring us and building around us.”
7Investigates reached out to the developer The Apollo Companies. They tell us they did offer to buy Michael’s home but Michael said nothing was ever put into writing.
As far as the dust and damage, The Apollo Companies said they have power washed the property and offered to make repairs.
Michael Combs: “We have hope that we’ll get out of this in a positive way. But as far as our dream, living here and retiring here, that dream is gone. It’s not going to happen.”
Michael has put his house up for sale and hopes to find a new place to call home.
Heather Walker, 7News.
