7 On Your Side: Homeowners in a bureaucratic bind

BRICK, NJ (WABC) -- A Jersey shore couple says they are prisoners in their own home, all because of government red tape. They say a law that most people don't even know about is also costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It's because of a property line putting them in a protected fish and wildlife zone. They feel handcuffed to their homes, unable to sell, with seemingly no end in sight.

WWe can't move," homeowner Rich Zucchi said. "I spent a lot of sleepless nights wondering how I was going to get this fixed."

Retirees Rich and Janice Zucchi were looking to cash out their home and downsize, but they say their golden years are tarnished because they're stuck with a home they can't sell.

The problem is that the Zucchis and five of their neighbors on their idyllic Ocean County cul-de-sac found their homes all fall with an deemed "protected" by US Fish and Wildlife, labeled "coastal barrier resources, CBRA, or Cobra for short.

"Because this is a CRBA area, we can't get any federal assistance at all," Rich said.

And that includes, most importantly, federal flood insurance, now required for each homeowner, post-Superstorm Sandy.

"You can't get flood insurance, and mortgage companies won't lend to people who don't have flood insurance," Rich said.

That makes it impossible for any of the residents to sell their homes.

"Seven buyers (have pulled out)," Rich said. "This could technically ruin all of us financially here, if we don't get it fixed."

Making matters worse, Rich says the CBRA line, made 25 years ago, was drawn in the wrong place. The correct line, he says, shouldn't include any of their homes.

"It has nothing to do with Fish and Wildlife," he said. "It has nothing to do with the environment. It's has to do with simply they made a mistake when they drew the line."

Rich has appealed to Fish and Wildlife, even enlisted the help of two local legislators. But the answer he keeps getting is that there's a backlog of similar complaints, so their problem won't even be addressed until 2017 at the earliest.

"I can't wait that long," Rich said. "And really, none of us should wait that long."

U.S. Fish and Wildlife confirmed they won't rule on the issue until 2017, when they finish re-drawing the maps for their area.

Then, those maps will have to be approved by Congress. A rep said they're working through a 10-year backlog of similar complaints.

The takeaway is that before you buy anywhere, check the address on the CBRA maps. Iit takes only seconds, but can save you years of frustration.

Visit http://www.fws.gov/cbra/Maps/Mapper.html to check your address.