JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville woman said she’s been living out of suitcases and sleeping on couches for months, all while her fire-damaged townhome sits unfinished.
Now, the City of Jacksonville has issued a stop work order, citing improper permits and licensing by the contractor hired to restore her home.
The contractor, OneRestore, was assigned through a “Managed Repair Program” by Homesite Insurance, the company providing the homeowner’s coverage. But city officials now say the company didn’t hold the correct license to work on a multi-unit townhome.
“I have paid for homeowners’ insurance every year for 17 years. This is not how somebody should be treated, not just from a contractual standpoint, but as a human being,” homeowner Andrea Shilhavy told the News4JAX I-TEAM.
The fire broke out just before midnight on May 24, 2024, Memorial Day weekend. It started in a neighboring unit but left Shilhavy’s home severely damaged by smoke and fire.
“I was woken up by neighbors shortly before midnight that there was a fire,” Shilhavy recalled.
She filed an insurance claim through Homesite, expecting the company to handle the repairs. What followed, she says, has been nearly a year of delays, miscommunication, and displacement.
“As of November 7, my insurance company stopped paying my additional living expenses,” Shilhavy said. “They had exhausted my limit, and I’ve essentially been homeless ever since. I bounced around from hotel, Airbnb, friends’ homes, couches, pretty much anywhere I could.”
Initially, the insurance covered temporary living expenses, but Shilhavy says poor management by a third-party vendor burned through more than $30,000 within a few months, leaving her with no housing support while repairs remained incomplete.
Christian Reed, a public adjuster with River City Claims, is now working with Andrea to investigate what went wrong.
“It took more than 60 days for the insurance company to even get a contractor involved,” Reed said. “In sight of that time, they had some mitigation done, and from what we see, it was done incorrectly. We have a report that shows that as well. Since then, the contractors basically left the job and haven’t completed the work needed for her to move back into the home."
Some of the remaining issues with the home include excess moisture and mold behind the newly installed drywall and flooring, mismatched cabinets that were improperly installed in the kitchen, and a missing sink and countertops.
“[The insurance company has] actually stated that in numerous emails that there’s nothing keeping the insured from moving back into the home, other than getting the electric turned back on,” Reed said.
One of Reed’s biggest concerns is lingering smoke damage behind the walls. Independent tests reviewed by the I-TEAM show high levels of residue remain inside the drywall, and the smell still permeates the house, despite insurance claims that the home is livable.
Records obtained by the I-TEAM show that OneRestore is licensed as a Certified Residential Contractor. But, because Shilhavy’s unit is part of a 6-unit townhome building, city officials say a Certified General Contractor license is legally required.
That finding triggered a stop work order to be posted on Andrea’s door this week by the City of Jacksonville’s Building Inspection Division.
“The fire wall is damaged by the contractor,” the inspector wrote. “The walls are damaged and wet.”
Permitting records show that the only permit pulled for the job was an electrical permit by a subcontractor.
Shilhavy says she agreed to Homesite’s “Managed Repair Program” under the assumption that the insurer would ensure proper repairs.
“This wasn’t a contractor I picked,” she said. “It was presented to me by the insurance company. Every step of this process has been guided by them.”
A signed authorization obtained by the I-TEAM confirms Shilhavy agreed to let Homesite assign OneRestore to the project.
Homesite Insurance declined to discuss Shilhavy’s case directly, citing customer privacy:
“We prioritize our customers’ privacy and adhere to a strict policy that prevents us from disclosing specific information about a customer, their policy, or their claim.”
Alacrity Solutions, the vendor that connected OneRestore to the project through their “Managed Repair Program”, told News4JAX:
“Every contractor must successfully complete a rigorous screening process, which includes verification of all relevant licenses… Alacrity Solutions’ involvement was limited to the scope of work approved by the policyholder’s insurance carrier.”
In a statement received just before this story was published, OneRestore said:
“According to OneRestore, it is not aware of any stop work orders that have been issued by the city of Jacksonville. OneRestore’s work on this property has been on hold since late November 2024 due to specific circumstances.
OneRestore has indicated that the work conducted at the property, at issue, was fully permitted. The primary reasons for the work stoppage include, but are not limited to, complications arising from the adjacent property and the inability to restore power to Mrs. Shilhavey’s property. The inability to restore power is not related to the work performed by OneRestore and is causing additional issue for the property.”
For Shilhavy, the delays have taken a personal toll. She’s spent nearly half of a year in limbo — not because of the fire itself, she says, but because of what happened afterward.
“I didn’t start the fire. I didn’t cause it,” Shilhavy said. “The insurance company is pointing fingers at me. Contractors pointing fingers at other contractors, back at the insurance, everybody’s pointing fingers. But no one has stopped to say: What about Andrea? How do we get Andrea back to where she needs to be, in her home, with her property, so she can start to rebuild her life? Nobody’s asked that.”