Repairs begin on Fort Myers condos in ruins

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FORT MYERS, Fla. – After paying nearly $1,400 in fines, the owner of the Banyan Tree Condos on Alderman Street filed for the proper building permits, sending crews to begin making major repairs.

The structural issues at the Banyan Tree Condos include broken stairs and rotting floors, which go back as far as 2014.

But crews were seen working on renovations on Thursday to bring the property back up to code.

For code enforcement officer Rick Scott, the sight of construction at the condo complex is hard to believe.

“We got to the starting line way too many times to really take that to heart until we actually saw it happening,” Scott said. “The work they’re doing when they finally accepted what needed to be done — they moved forward with it. It was either that or we were going to shut the complex down.”

While the outside of the complex is being fixed, some residents said the interior is falling apart. But Scott said the complex owner is only responsible for the exterior.

Many who live there are skeptical about the improvements.

“They’re fixing it but they’re messing things up, too. They do both at the same time,” a resident said.

Condo owners said they don’t think the construction will properly address the complex’s issues.

“I’m not holding my breath on this place,” another resident said. “They say this is going to get better, but they’ve been saying that for years now and they’re still trying to make it better?”

If problems at the Banyan Tree Condos persist, the owner could face a daily $500 fine.

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