Sanford homeowner puzzled after unauthorized driveway removal sparks investigation

Luz Lenzi says she never approved anyone to rip out her Sanford driveway, yet that is what she found after a February crack repair turned into a far larger and far more expensive problem.

Lenzi, who is selling the home to help fund her retirement, said a second crew later arrived, removed the entire driveway and left piles of gravel and broken concrete behind. She told News 6 that a colleague warned her, “there is a mountain in front of your house and your driveway is gone.” Lenzi expects the damage to cost about $5,000 to fix.

She filed a police report, and Sanford police said the case remains under investigation because it involves contracts and financial transactions. Investigators said those cases often take longer because they must wait on company records and work through paperwork that can show who ordered the job, who got paid and whether any authorization ever existed.

One of the key questions is whether the work was a mistake, a bad business arrangement or something more serious. News 6 reported that officers tracked down the crew after workers left a business card with a neighbor. The man who answered the crew’s phone said a contractor hired him to do the work and later told him to stop after a check bounced. A woman who answered when News 6 called the contractor’s company said the company is cooperating with police and that the matter is under a pending investigation.

For Sanford and Seminole County homeowners, the case is a reminder that driveway and construction work should leave a paper trail before anyone starts tearing up concrete. In unincorporated Seminole County, a residential driveway permit is required for driveways connecting to certain county-owned roadways. The Seminole County Building Division also offers permit information, inspection scheduling, permit status lookups and contractor permit inquiries, records that can help show whether a job was properly approved.

Homeowners can also verify a contractor through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and check whether the license is active, then confirm the contractor is insured, as the Florida Attorney General’s Office advises. If the job was done by a licensed contractor under a signed construction contract, Florida’s Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund may offer limited financial recovery for certain losses.

In a county where home repairs are constant and property values are under pressure, Lenzi’s case shows how quickly a driveway job can turn into a fight over consent, payment and responsibility.