Idiot Wind

County officials can only shrug. "A lot of homes are paying the price of complying," admits division chief Martin. The building supervisor then waxes philosophical: "In a larger sense, it's a problem with society in general -- people who don't play by the rules."

Alberti argues that the limited equity she has accrued in her house does not merit paying exorbitant fees to the county in order to have her permits approved. Deprived by the agreement she signed of the right to sue, Alberti says her only alternative now is to declare bankruptcy. Doing so, however, would destroy her good credit rating.

Alberti sits in her dream home turned nightmare, a pile of county permits, letters, and architectural drawings spread over her kitchen table. She wonders aloud how many other hurricane victims might be in a similar situation but are unaware of it. She then sighs: "Every hurricane season I find myself hoping that one will come and just take this whole place away.