Bonita Condo Owners Displaced And Face High Bills One Year After Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian damaged condominiums around Bonita Beach. Construction is still ongoing in the condo complexes, making residents unable to access their units. Many residents have to pay rent elsewhere while still covering the cost of maintaining their condominium unit ownership.

Hurricane Ian and Displaced Condo Owners

Ann Bonilla, a resident of a condominium at Dolphin Way along Bonita Beach, has been unable to access her home for nearly one year. The residents are kept out of the properties along Hickory Boulevard as tall metal fences mark the ongoing construction. Hurricane Ian has caused severe damage to the condominiums nearby.

The lack of parts and staff has delayed the work. There have also been some complications when coordinating with HOA insurance companies, and permitting has been slow. This was not as problematic for the snowbird condo owners who simply didn’t visit during winter. Instead, the problem has been the most taxing on full-time residents forced to move out and pay rent elsewhere while still covering condominium taxes, insurance, HOA fees, and assessments.

According to Bonilla, they were initially hoping to move in by August. The target date has since been delayed to October. She says that she visited the condominium, and it seemed no work was done too quickly.

Unlike other homeowners, she is lucky to have someplace else to stay. Nonetheless, she’s upset by the red tape and says they should have simply knocked all the structures down and started from scratch. In addition, the HOA dues have increased because the insurance premiums have also gone up. Bonilla pays $2,500 every quarter for the condo she cannot use.

All Up in the Air for Seascape

Ron George is the president of the Seascape board, wherein the HOA has 136 units and 10 permanent residents. He’s also been displaced and must pay rent elsewhere while construction is ongoing. George has been trying to help the construction work progress and informing the other residents. According to him, people won’t be able to move back in for another 6-8 weeks. Even then, it wouldn’t be a nice place to live.

George’s condominium complex lost all its electrical utilities on the ground. To make matters worse, there has been a global stock shortage. Even after ten months, the complex’s three buildings still do not have complete power. During this time, the bills increased as they had to protect the buildings from mold.

The HOA residents initially paid $500,000 monthly to use generators to pump air into the condos. Later, they switched to FPL Power, which was cheaper but still cost $175,000 monthly to rent external handlers. Now that electricity is back on, costs have been lower. They needed electricity to power the fire suppression systems, fire alarms, pumps, and elevators.

Additionally, the condominium’s amenities and parking lots did not have flood insurance. During construction, the workers also discovered more damages that needed repairs. This piled up the work order quotes, funding needs, and permitting requirements. Moreover, they needed to clean the water and sewer lines.

The residents already faced a $15,000 assessment, and they are still expected to be levied $30,000 more. According to George, it might take another year before the building has all the amenities back. That will be two years after Hurricane Ian.

Decent Progress in Casa Bonita 1

Near Seascape is Casa Bonita 1, a condominium of 54 units with 10 full-time residents. The president of the condo association, Bob Haberstroh, seems more optimistic. He says their job is incredible, as they’ve been able to get the electrical system up and running. Each unit has power, and it is permanent.

Moreover, the condo has a new roof and windows on the first and second floors. They have also replaced the cast iron pipes with PVC. The condo is also the only one with working elevators, as they hired a contractor for new elevators even before Hurricane Ian. As a result, they had already ordered the necessary parts.

They only need steel doors for the elevators and the hydraulic and electrical rooms. After installing the doors, the city can authorize elevator use. The steel doors are weeks away from delivery. Moreover, Casa Bonita 1 needs a new fire protection system. Despite his sadness, Haberstroh remains hopeful.

Difficulties in Casa Bonita Grande

Casa Bonita Grande is a condominium with 54 units, 4 of which had full-time residents. Jane Thomas McCosky is the president of the HOA and was one of those who lived there full-time. She and her husband have been living in Venice during construction. Unlike Casa Bonita 1, their condominium is in dire need of elevators. The building still looks as if Hurricane Ian had just happened.

According to McCosky, construction has focused on building a new elevator room and electrical room. However, they’re having trouble finding vendors, so the work has been slow and frustrating. The building has endured nearly $10 million worth of damages. While insurance covers the damages, it is not enough, and the community has started assessing its residents.

December Target Date for Bonita Beach Club

Bonita Beach Club has 192 condos, 15% of which have full-time residents, according to Dennis Fahey, manager. It sits on the empty tip at the end of the island and Hickory Boulevard. The condo needed extra work because of its unique location. They needed permits and engineers to repair the pilings by the beach.

Nonetheless, there has been decent progress on the construction. The condominium has changed all the panels and hydraulics in the elevator room. They also have the necessary permits to repair the amenities and first floor. However, the building still needs to repair its safety systems and elevators. They also lack supplies and must deal with insurance settlements and permit delays. According to Fahey, they hope to invite the members back by the end of December.

In the meantime, the residents must bear the consequences of being displaced. Dani Korson, a unit owner, still pays bills on their Bonita Beach condo. She and her husband have also decided to rent a condo in Estero this winter. They are paying $11,000 per unit for the insurance deductible. On top of that, they also own four other units meant to be used as rental property that they have to maintain.

Lulu Castro, an owner of a condo at Egret on Bonita Beach, didn’t expect the damage Hurricane Ian would inflict. She left on September 27, 2022, and stayed at her daughter’s condo to avoid the storm. However, what was supposed to be a one-night stay was extended for almost one year.

There were no other places to live right after the storm, as hotels were housing first responders. Other displaced homeowners also booked other areas of accommodation. According to Castro, she might have lost her job if she couldn’t stay with her daughter. She says she’s lived in Florida since 1966 and has never seen a hurricane as destructive as Hurricane Ian.