Yes, you read that correctly. Florida Man Marc Lane Hermann, 53, of Longwood, has been charged with four counts of arson after he set fire to his condo and shot himself in the neck as revenge against his Homeowners Association.
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Hermann was in arrears with his Homeowners Association fees of $29,000. In January, a Seminole county circuit judge denied Hermann’s request to stop a foreclosure on his condo. 4 days later, the apartment went up in flames.
The saga began in 2017 when the Crown Oaks #2 homeowners’ association filed a lien against Hermann’s property, claiming Hermann owed three months of unpaid assessments to the HOA totaling $1,432.
One year later, the debt had grown to $4,780, and the HOA filed an action to foreclose on his condo.
The HOA attempted to serve process on Hermann 11 times in January and February 2019 but was unable to locate him at the condo. By this time, the debt had grown to $15,546.
Fast forward to March 2022. Hermann hired a new lawyer; they met with a mediator and settled. Under that settlement, Hermann agreed to a consent judgment against him for $28,831, but the HOA could sell the condo if he failed to pay the amount within 90 days.
sitting on the ground draped in towels and bleeding, the documents said.He allegedly told a paramedic who was treating him that he " started the fire in an act of revenge against the Homeowners Association in charge of his property."Another..https://t.co/CxoGkVwyRp
— Argo Times (@argo_times) January 25, 2023
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Just two months after signing the settlement, Hermann asked a judge to set aside the agreement, claiming “newly discovered evidence” that proved “misrepresentation” on the HOA’s part about how much money he owed.
But wait, there’s more.
Hermann now claimed that his HOA payment was automatically deducted from his bank account since 2014, and he has paid all fees in full.
On July 26, Hermann’s condo was auctioned to a real estate investor for $82,000.
Less than two weeks later, Hermann filed court papers objecting to the auction and asking the judge to vacate the sale of his condo.
During January 2023 hearing at the Seminole County courthouse, Circuit Court Judge Dawn Fields denied Hermann’s request to vacate the sale of his condo and ordered the Clerk of Court to issue the title to the winning bidder.
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Four days later, Condo residents and witnesses described smelling gasoline shortly before a large explosion rocked the 8-unit condo building.
Firefighters stated that at least three units were affected, and 2 of the residents were home when the explosion occurred. One woman said she ran out the front door dodging flaming debris, and another resident stated he had to jump from the second-story balcony to escape.
A paramedic who treated Hermann for injuries told investigators that Hermann admitted to shooting himself in the neck after igniting the fire and wrote a sworn statement that.
“Hermann started the fire in an act of revenge against the homeowners’ association in charge of his property,”
Hermann was arrested and charged with four counts of arson.
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