Fort Myers Condo Owners Shell Out $1,100 Monthly Fees While Units Sit Damaged Since Hurricane Ian

At Seven Lakes in Fort Myers, owners are still paying $1,100 HOA monthly fees for units left uninhabitable since Hurricane Ian struck in 2022. The wait drags on with no clear end in sight.

"We put an eight-lane bridge across the Mississippi River in St. Louis in three years," said Bill Barrow, a seasonal resident at Seven Lakes, to Fox 4 News. "And I don't feel this should take three years to get drywall and sheet rock up."

The costs have pushed many back into the workforce. "There are some people who had to go back to work in order to pay their HOA fees and find another place to rent," Barrow said. "I mean, I have one lady who actually has a back brace on working as a cashier now 'cause she had to go back to work in order to pay her HOAs."

Construction moves at a snail's pace. Recent footage shows buildings still torn up, with repairs barely inching forward since the 2022 storm. Management stays silent about completion dates.

The endless wait pushes some to list their units for sale. Market watchers predict at least six more months until workers finish fixing all storm damage.