LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Nearly three years after Hurricane Ian's devastating storm surge, people across Lee County are demanding greater transparency from their homeowner and condominium owner associations as reconstruction efforts continue to stall.
John Izzo, a 93-year-old Korean War veteran, has been working to return to his home in Cinnamon Cove in Fort Myers for nearly three years.
Izzo says he is still waiting on a supplemental insurance check for $17,000 from his COA before he can return home.
But The COA President, Bill Zook explained that the money is still going through the claims process and is not sitting in their accounts. Zook went on to say that Izzo was the last to submit his claim, and that many neighbors in their community have already received the supplemental insurance. Zook stated that Izzo's home is 100% complete and he can return, but Izzo says he needs the money for electrical work first.
At the Seven Lakes community in Fort Myers, resident Bill Barrow said he has spent hundreds of hours trying to determine how millions of dollars in special assessments are being spent by their condo owner association. When I called the property management company for comment, the call was disconnected.
"I'm sure at the inception of the condo associations it was a very good concept to begin with, but I believe over the decades and the years it's grown into something it wasn't supposed to be," Barrow said.
At Estero Beach Club East, resident Holly Schwab said she has also spent hundreds, possibly thousands of hours trying to understand why her small condo is still not close to being finished nearly three years later. She said holding the condo owner association accountable creates a difficult situation when residents are the ones paying for the lawyers on both sides.
"My question is for you is how can owners hold them accountable, without paying on both ends," Schwab said.
The board vice president of Schwab's property said they still do not have an expected opening date, but cited contractor issues and material backorders as causes for some of the delays.
Previous Coverage:
2.5 Years after Hurricane Ian, some Fort Myers neighbors still can’t return home
