Homeowner wanted revenge against his HOA, so he set his condo on fire, Florida cops say

A man set fire to his condo as an “act of revenge” against the homeowners association in charge of his property, according to Florida court documents.

After setting the fire, Marc Lane Hermann, 53, shot himself in the neck, according to an affidavit for his arrest.

Officials responded to a fire at a complex in Longwood on Jan. 14, according to the affidavit.

A deputy found Hermann draped in towels with blood on his face, the affidavit says. He said the blood was his and the injuries were caused by a gun.

He also told a paramedic that he’d set the fire in an “act of revenge” against his homeowners association and that he’d shot himself in the neck, according to the affidavit.

Neighbors said a “huge explosion” shook the building, according to the affidavit. One neighbor who lived below Hermann’s condominium said water and smoke started “pouring in” to her home from the direction of his, and she had to “dodge flaming debris” as she escaped, the affidavit says.

Another neighbor said he was inside his residence when he started to smell gasoline, and an explosion “threw him into his closet,” the affidavit says. Heavy smoke prevented him from leaving through his front door, and he had to escape out his second-story balcony.

Hermann’s residence had “catastrophic fire destruction,” and three more addresses connected to it were also damaged, the affidavit says.

Investigators found a “strong odor of a gasoline-type smell” in the residence but couldn’t find the exact source of ignition, according to the affidavit. They determined the fire was caused by an “unspecified human act.”

Hermann was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree arson on a building with people present, according to Seminole County Jail records. His bond was set at $15,000 for each count. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 7.

Longwood is about 15 miles north of Orlando.

This story was originally published January 24, 2023 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Homeowner wanted revenge against his HOA, so he set his condo on fire, Florida cops say."