Marshall Fire Victims Face Expensive Permit Fees To Rebuild

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LOUISVILLE, Colo. (CBS4)– Getting a permit to rebuild from the Marshall Fire is an expensive proposition. You can’t blame Erin Lindsay if she is frustrated. She and her husband are brand new parents living in a rented home.

(credit: CBS)

Their house was among the more than 1,000 homes destroyed by last December’s fire. A permit to rebuild costs tens of thousands of dollars in taxes and fees.

“If they need money, they shouldn’t be taking it from us when we just lost all of our monetary possessions,” she said.

The house is in a devastated neighborhood of Louisville. She can’t believe how much they are being asked to pay just to get a permit. Their insurance will not cover it.

“I’m not trying to build a new home, I’m trying to replace the home that I had. I am trying to get home… these are fees that should be waived,” Lindsay said.

(credit: CBS)

In nearby Superior, a house that cost $400,000 to rebuild would involve an $11,000 permit cost and an $800,000 house would be around $23,000. But Superior is offering rebates to its residents to help ease the pain while Louisville, so far, has not. We were told getting a permit is not easy.

Lisa Ritchie with the City of Louisville earlier told CBS4, “It’s primarily financial, that they are staying in touch with their insurance company and staying within their own budgets, architect, home builder and submitted plans in order to get a permit.”

Some of the fees for those rebuilding is made up of state use taxes, county use taxes and RTD tax.

With her baby boy in her arms Lindsay reacted, “I cannot believe this has not been addressed adequately in some compassionate way for the citizens of Louisville.”