Watch Walt Buteau’s full report: Tampa veteran enraged after dream home turns into nightmare
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Huggins family thought the two-story on East Osborne Avenue in Tampa was their dream home.
It was the perfect size for their young family in a neighborhood they liked and, with the Department of Veterans Affairs-backed loan, it was affordable.
“Our game plan was to get married, go on our honeymoon,” Jonah Huggins said, “Come here and start our family and everything was going to be perfect.”
Huggins said he and his wife bought new furniture for their home and set everything up so that they could just unpack their bags after the honeymoon.
But something else had already move in before they could.
“Swarms of termites,” Huggins recalled.
That did not make sense for the Army veteran, who then checked the paperwork from the loan.
“The [WDO] report said there were no termites. I would’ve never bought the home if I knew there were termites,” Huggins said. “This entire process let us down.”
Making it worse, the bug infestation was only the first issue that Huggins claims was not disclosed by the sellers. Three months after the closing, the Huggins still have not moved into their furnished home.
“Rage,” he said when asked how he felt after discovering the problems. “Someone lied.”
Since 8 On Your Side started investigating what happened, Huggins has filed a lawsuit against the seller and their realtor. The man who conducted the Wood Destroying Organism (WDO) report – that stated there were no termites – has also been investigated and fined by the Florida Department of Agriculture.
