North Fort Myers Family Hit With $50,000 in Fines While Squatters Take Over Their Storm-Damaged Home

On River Road in North Fort Myers, a storm-wrecked house sits empty while its rightful owners face mounting fines. The bills have hit $50,000 as unwanted guests keep moving in.

"We swam out of Hurricane Ian," said homeowner Jennifer Carver per WINK News. But that was just the start of their troubles.

After Ian struck, chaos took hold. The property turned into a makeshift camp. "The whole house was overrun, tents all on the outside, bike piles. And it was a nightmare," said Carver.

Risk keeps the Carvers from setting foot inside their own walls. "It's been a revolving door for squatters," Carver said. Each cleanup attempt brought new problems. "Every time we went back to clean up the place, there [would] just be more people there. We got threats from many."

Two code enforcement liens now total nearly $50,000. Despite filing several unlawful detainer notices, the Carvers lack funds to keep up the legal battle.

"Basically, the homeless made us homeless, and...there's nowhere for us to go," Carver said. The family stays elsewhere, blocked from their own property by strangers who won't leave.

A cleanup mission by Lee County Solid Waste has been scheduled. Officials from both the county and the sheriff's office will meet with the Carvers to map out next steps.