It was a day that left Lake Padgett Estates with emotional and physical scars: July 14, 2017. A massive sinkhole opened, swallowing two homes and forcing evacuations in the Land O’ Lakes neighborhood. “I think everybody’s insurance rates just went up,” a Pasco County deputy can be heard saying in a body camera recording from that day. In a county notorious for sinkholes, this was Pasco’s biggest one on record. Its widest point measured 260 feet, according to county officials. It led the county to condemn seven homes in Lake Padgett Estates. Six years later, 10 Investigates found people living in some of those homes that were destined for demolition. Four families who live nearby fought to get their homes “un-condemned” — and they won. “I feel more safe next to it because it’s already done its thing,” Brian Bishop said. His family’s home on Ocean Pines Drive is next to the sinkhole. The four homeowners hired engineers to evaluate their properties. “We, as the homeowners, got together and fought against the county. And we ultimately ended up having to sign a release of indemnification, which allowed us to move in, saying Pasco County is no longer responsible,” Bishop said. Those agreements said the county would stop trying to require them to demolish their homes and, in exchange, the homeowners can’t hold the county responsible in the future for loss of life or property, or for anyone getting hurt. We asked GeoView’s president Mike Wightman what those engineers hired by the families would have been looking for. “What they probably would have found is that conditions were stable, that they didn't have any particular areas of concern that were within a certain distance, offset distance, from their home,” Wightman said. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/community-connection/land-o-lakes-sinkhole-survival-condemned-homes-victory/67-6d478657-5dca-47f9-924b-b51b8cbcfb93 ►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube ►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/ ►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay ►Twitter: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay