The Florida woman whose stolen driveway caught the attention of millions has now had the land restored thanks to a US veteran.
Mikol Rowland was just as shocked as everyone else when he heard the story of Amanda Brochu, who had her entire driveway stolen from her home just days after putting it up for sale.
Shortly after listing the home, Brochu was contacted by alleged contractors who wanted to measure her driveway to price up the cost of replacing it.
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Confused, Brochu sent them away - but days later her doorbell camera captured the moment a bulldozer arrived outside her home and tore up the whole driveway, leaving only the mud underneath.
Rowland, who started a company specializing in concrete after retiring from the military, described the situation as 'unbelievable'.
“Nobody believed that he would steal a driveway, and during the holidays, that’s like the worst time ever," he told WFTV.
Brochu set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to replace her driveway - something she needed to do before she could sell her home - but Rowland knew he could offer a simple solution.
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As the owner of MM Concrete Specialty, Rowland called Brochu and offered to replace her driveway for free.
“Somebody was in need of something that we could offer,” he explained. “We could bring some good into the world with it, so there was no question about it.”
Rowland began filing permits with Orange County, and last Friday (12 January), his plan got the go-ahead.
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On Wednesday (16 January), a concrete truck arrived outside Brochu's house and began pouring fresh concrete over the dirt which had been left behind by the thieves.
In a matter of minutes, she had her driveway back.
Rowland estimated the work cost his company approximately $4,000, but he's happy with his decision - especially after hearing Brochu donated the money from her GoFundMe to charity.
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The homeowner gave the cash to The Russell Home; a charity which cares for severely disabled infants, children and adults since the 1950s.
“I would do it all over again. 10 times, if I could help the kids,” Rowland said.
“It’s just a win-win-win for everybody, and it feels good to hear a good story out in the news.”
Though the scammer involved in the theft is yet to be caught, Brochu is also satisfied with the way things turned out.
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“I was put in a bad situation, but there’s a beautiful outcome to the story,” she said. “I’m happy I’m finally getting the driveway put in and put an end to this madness.”
Emily Brown