Florida couple left devastated after pumping their life savings into parcel of land... which the city won't let them ever develop

A Florida couple who poured $350,000 into a parcel of land have been taught a cruel lesson after discovering they don't have council permission to build homes on it.

Hani Levy and her husband Maikel Gil Hernandez had dreams of building three two-story homes on their half-acre block in Chula Vista, a quiet neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, which they purchased in September 2023.

A lawsuit filed by the couple alleges the land was advertised as a 'build-to-suit residential' and accuses the seller and agents of 'intentionally' failing to disclose the fact it was landlocked.  

The pair emailed city officials to inquire about developing the land but only heard back about the specific obstacles they would face after closing on the sale.

A narrow road leads to the lot from the main street. The city told them the road is not public and there is no other way to access the property, meaning the land cannot be developed.

Because they paid in cash, there was no requirement to have the land surveyed. 

Hani Levy and her husband Maikel Gil Hernandez had dreams of building three two-story homes on their half-acre block in Chula Vista, a quiet neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, which they purchased in September 2023

The couple had inquired with the city about developing the land via email, but only heard back after closing on the sale

Neighbors across from them are the legal owners of the private street. They were asked if they'd consider selling a section of the road to assist Levy and Hernandez, but declined.

'I don't want this to happen to anyone else,' Levy told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. 'This has been a nightmare.' 

When the couple learned of the predicament, they attempted to rescind the sale, but it was too late. 

They've since filed a lawsuit against both the seller and the real estate agent for failing to disclose that there was no public access to the lot.

When the couple learned of the predicament, they attempted to rescind the sale, but it was too late

A narrow road leads to the lot from the main street. The city told them the road is not public and there is no other way to access the property, meaning the land cannot be developed

The suit, seen by the Sun Sentinel, states: 'Seller and agent defendants intentionally failed to disclose to the buyer that the property was landlocked and lacked any access to be able to proceed with building on the lot all while listing the property as perfect land to build on.'

The couple have also struck an agreement with a separate neighbor, who agreed to sell them a strip of land which can be built into a road connecting their lot to the street.

In exchange, they've handed over a piece of their land, agreed to erect a fence and build their neighbor a pool. In all, they expect this will add an extra $150,000 cost to the project.

But they still need to get the official go-ahead to start construction.

A spokesperson for Fort Lauderdale City told DailyMail.com they 'understand the unique circumstances' in this case and are 'continuing to work with the owner.'

'Any private real estate transaction is between the parties involved and includes certain disclosures to be made and information shared in good faith between the seller and purchaser.' 

Attorney Marc Brown, representing Levy and her husband, told the publication would-be buyers should always seek independent advice before going ahead with a purchase.

'They had the title company but they didn't have an independent attorney,' Brown told the publication. 

'The title agent attorney was assisting them and clearing everything, but they needed to have their own attorney also. Title agents are sometimes just handling the closing and not always representing the buyer as their attorney as well.'

DailyMail.com has contacted the legal firm who represented the seller during the sale.