Florida homeowners who were forced to clean up migrant boat tell their story: 'Three days of not sleeping’
Florida homeowners Jack and Sue Bartkus said they were "threatened" with a $100,000 fine and a felony charge after a migrant boat showed up on their property.
After two Florida homeowners, Jack and Sue Bartkus, found an abandoned migrant boat on their property, they were "threatened" with paying for the environmental clean up and even a "felony" charge if anything went wrong, the couple told Fox News Digital.
Roughly 20 migrants from Cuba left their boat on the Bartkus’ personal property at about 2:30 in the morning, Sue Bartkus said.
"We were all sleeping," she added, except for her granddaughter, who woke up and asked her if she saw that there was a boat "in front of the house."
FLORIDA HOMEOWNERS FORCED TO CLEAN UP 'BOAT FROM CUBA' THAT MIGRANTS ABANDONED ON THEIR PROPERTY
The migrant boat made up of barrels welded together, obtained by Fox News Digital.
The design of the boat itself, Jack Bartkus said, was "remarkable."
"[It] had ten barrels that were welded together and a flathead six-cylinder diesel engine in it" with a piece of flat steel on the bottom, he said.
But after the couple called the police and spoke with a local code enforcement officer, they said that they were told they would be totally liable for the boat, especially if anything went wrong.
Another view of the migrant boat, obtained by Fox News Digital.
If the boat sank with the migrants’ "diesel fuel and gas on board," then they would be "responsible for an environmental clean up," Sue Bartkus said, recounting a run in with the code enforcement officer.
"I still haven’t gotten an answer on whether that code enforcement officer and this city have the right to tell us that they were going to charge us with an environmental cleanup, a felony and a $100,000 fine."
"It’s overwhelming to have people come out and threaten you like that," she added.
The couple emphasized that the issue wasn’t with the migrants themselves, who were fleeing political persecution.
"We have no problem with the Cuban immigrants because I understand why they’re coming here, but I don’t think we should be stuck, as the homeowners, getting rid of their boats."
A picture of the migrant boat being towed away, obtained by Fox News Digital.
Sue Bartkus said it was an experience that she wouldn’t wish on anyone else, and one that caused her and her husband "three days of not sleeping and having upset stomachs."
The couple also expressed concern that that while they were thankful to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for issuing executive order (EO) to help Floridians with the migrant crisis, the fix was only temporary.
"Unless they pass some legislation in Florida and Washington [D.C.] to change the liability of the homeowner, we are all going to be under the gun for this down the road, in the future. That's my concern," Sue Bartkas said.
Jack and Sue Bartkas said that around 20 Cuban migrants were on the boat that landed on their property.
The EO is set to expire by March 7 2023, less than 60 days from now.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced at a Jan. 12 press conference that the state would assist homeowners in clearing the derelict boats.
"We are going to clear the vessels free of charge for those residents because it wasn’t their fault," DeSantis said.
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