Fort Myers Beach community helps 84-year-old widower rebuild after issues with contractor

Emma Behrmann, Fort Myers News-Press
·3 min read
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The whirs of saws echoed throughout Joe Salvaggio's front yard, where nearly 30 Fort Myers Beach residents gathered to help him restore his damaged home Sunday.

Volunteers descended on Joe Salvaggio's Fort Myers Beach home on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023 to help clean it up. Salvaggio, 84, survived Hurricane Ian in the attic of his home. After hearing a media report involving a dispute with his contractor for work not getting done, volunteers stepped in and are helping him get the necessary repairs done on his home. One of the volunteers, Rick Loughrey is negotiating with the contractor to get the funds back to Joe and is releasing the contractor from his duties. Loughrey is setting Joe up to be a builder-owner contractor and will help him with rebuilding his home.

The 84-year-old veteran survived Hurricane Ian, riding out the storm in his attic with his two cats for 20 hours. Afterward, his home was wrecked, and nearly a year later, he's left in limbo by a contractor he paid but who didn't complete work on his home.

He said he felt hopeless and depressed. He was done.

Joe Salvaggio, 84, survived Hurricane Ian in the attic of his Fort Myers Beach home with his two cats. Since then he has had issues with getting his home repaired due to work not getting done after hiring a contractor. He found himself in a funk until a community of volunteers saw a media report about him and stepped up to help him through the process of rebuilding.

But when his situation gained media attention from WINK News, the Fort Myers Beach community flocked to help. That support was apparent Sunday, as residents worked in his yard, and Mayor Dan Allers and Rick Loughrey, best known as "Rick on the Roof," constructed a wooden deck and paver pathway in front of his trailer's steps.

"I'm feeling the love of my community banding together and helping me," he said.

Salvaggio lost his wife shortly before the hurricane damaged his home Sept. 28. In an effort to rebuild, he hired a contractor in February, but the bank couldn't give him the necessary money because his wife's name was still on the mortgage. Finally in April, the bank sent the check of $40,000. Despite payment, the contractor did nothing, Salvaggio said.

Volunteers descended on Joe Salvaggio's Fort Myers Beach home on Sunday, Aug. 20, 202,3 to help clean it up. Salvaggio, 84, survived Hurricane Ian in the attic of his home. After hearing a media report involving a dispute with his contractor for work not getting done, volunteers stepped in and are helping him get the necessary repairs done on his home.

"He promised me 'Oh, I'm going to get somebody else to sign,'" he said. "That's fine, but why are you waiting nine months to do that? Why are you making me sit here and suffer for nine months of nothing being done?"

His contractor has been communicative recently. Loughrey, who Salvaggio described as instrumental in getting him back on track, had conversations with the contractor about releasing him of his duties and returning Salvaggio's money.

Rick Loughrey: 'Rick on the roof' descends from his Fort Myers Beach garage without answers

"Hopefully, by the end of the week, I will have a check for most of the $40,000," Salvaggio said.

His daughter and granddaughter created a GoFundMe to raise money for rebuilding efforts, which has raised about $5,500 in the last three days. Community members have also given Salvaggio checks for $250 or anonymously donated another $200.

Loughrey's wife, Amy, has helped him keep track of everyone who's donated time or money, so he can thank them. She actively posts ways to help Salvaggio on Facebook and was in the yard Sunday.

Friends and neighbors turned volunteers planted flowers and revived Salvaggio's garden that his granddaughter said he loved to tend.

Amy said the community is moving forward with his home as an owner-build and community businesses are pitching in.

Volunteers descended on Joe Salvaggio's Fort Myers Beach home on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023 to help clean it up. Salvaggio, 84, survived Hurricane Ian in the attic of his home. After hearing a media report involving a dispute with his contractor for work not getting done, volunteers stepped in and are helping him get the necessary repairs done on his home.

Dave Drumm from Reflow Plumbing will donate his time and materials to complete Salvaggio's plumbing. An electrician is looking to donate time as well. Another company reached out to Loughrey and wants to donate kitchen cabinets and complete his floors. Someone else will donate windows.

Complete strangers knock on his door to talk to him and encourage him to keep going. He said it's restored his faith in humanity.

"As of last Monday, my life has changed 100%," he said. "I went from where I thought it was all over to where now it's just beginning."

Emma Behrmann is a breaking news reporter for The Naples Daily News and News-Press. You may contact her at ebehrmann@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @emmabehrmann.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: FMB residents help widower rebuild after issues with contractor