JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than five months after Hurricane Irma swept a sailboat into a backyard on Jacksonville's Northside, the homeowner is still waiting for the boat to be moved.
Kristen Van Riper told News4Jax on Thursday that she's trying to sell her house, but the abandoned sailboat is affecting the property value and turning away potential buyers.
"There's been a lot of walkthroughs and a lot of open houses. I haven't had an offer," she said. "I thought, 'That's because of the boat.'"
Since September, the sailboat has been a major pain for Van Riper.
"I came back from evacuating from the hurricane and there was a boat in my backyard," she said. "I asked my neighbor if my house flooded -- he stayed. And he said, 'No. No, water touching your house. But there's a boat in your backyard.' And there it is."
Van Riper said the boat was tagged during the aftermath as storm debris to be removed. But now she's being told there isn't enough money in the budget to remove it.
The city, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also told her that they're unable to locate the boat's owner.
"(When I called,) 630-CITY said, 'Call JSO.' I called JSO and they said, 'Call the Coast Guard.' I called the Coast Guard and they told me to call FWC," Van Riper said. "And I was speaking to an officer there. She moved to Tampa and now I don't have a new contact. So I'm just, kind of, left in the dust."
Van Riper said she just hopes somebody will finally come out and remove the boat soon so she can sell the property.