Midtown Sacramento homeowner wins permit plea after hanging bold banner outside storm-damaged home
SACRAMENTO -- A Midtown homeowner who took a bold stance in July to call out city hall is finally getting answers on when he can begin to put a months-long mess behind him.
Juan La O hung up a banner outside his home as a cry for help months after a Sacramento city tree came down on his roof.
The banner in large black letters read, 'City tree smashed my house on January 8th, 2023. Still no permits.'
Wednesday, Sept. 6, La O finally got to take that banner down with the news that his permit was granted.
"It's the first big milestone and it took us 8 months to get here," said La O.
In January, the City of Trees toppled in hectic rounds of winter storms.
La O at the time assumed the damage at his own home would be resolved quickly.
"We thought they were going to have a fast track process for us because it was a city tree, a storm, a state of emergency, it smashed the house. We were hoping we would get some sort of fast lane to go through given the situation and I don't think that happened at all," said La O.
The hassle of dealing with red tape and the city level, with his insurance company and with his contractors who could not begin the work without the permit left La O waiting and bouncing between rental properties and hotels. He could not stay in his house with the roof gaping wide open.
"I never thought I would be worried about the next winter coming before we could put a roof on it," said La O.
As a historically designated home in Midtown's Capitol Mansions district, the city's Preservation Society would have to approve any construction.
So after seven months of waiting, up went the banner.
La O says that and CBS13 coverage helped him finally get that permit Wednesday.
"I feel like I should throw a party, we are super excited about finally getting this thing done," said La O.
A green light for construction to begin as La O crosses the finish line.
"I'm hoping nails, hammers and saws are gonna be making racket starting as early as Monday hopefully," said La O.
But the work is only just beginning now that an 8-month-lingering storm cloud has finally cleared.
La O hopes to be able to move back in to his home in February, more than a year after the storms.