DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. — With the November election quickly approaching, it’s Your Community, Your Vote. And one issue Florida voters will consider when heading to the ballot box is the cost of property insurance. Major storms, along with the rising cost of rates, have combined to create financial challenges for property owners along the coast.
Tom Baker says living out his retirement at the beach is what he always wanted.
“One of the greatest things about being out here is the fact that your family comes down. You can cook out here, walk down to the beach and walk back. It’s a beautiful place to live, it’s like a godsend,” said Baker.
But in the fall of 2022, hurricanes Ian and Nicole battered the Daytona Beach Shores coastline and tore apart the Marbella Condominium’s entire back deck.
“Everything was taken out of here and it was about $2 million worth of damage, which none of it was covered by insurance. Not a dime,” said Baker.
Baker said the insurance didn’t cover the damage because it was caused by problems with the seawall. And then on top of each condo owner having to split the cost of that damage, shortly after, Baker said the cost of their coverage with Citizens Property Insurance increased by nearly 300%. That means he and each condo owner at Marbella are now paying about $6,000 a year in insurance.
“If they had paid me a couple hundred dollars for repairs and then raised my insurance, it would make sense, but everything has been denied,” said Baker.
Baker is on Marbella’s condo association board. He said they’d be better off not having insurance at all and self-insure, so at least they could save that money they’re spending on insurance for any future repairs.
But Florida law requires condo HOAs to have a master insurance coverage plan for the condo building, common areas and shared amenities.
“Get rid of that piece of legislation, and then allow the condo boards to make their own decision. Let them decide. We’ll sort it out amongst our own selves and then the problem is solved,” said Baker.
Baker, a retired marine and army veteran, said he doesn’t back down from a fight.
“If you steal from me, I might ask you, how come? And if you really needed it, I might give it to you,” said Baker. “But this institutionalized stealing that I’m dealing with now. I’m in a fight, and I’m pissed.”
He’s now fighting for him and his fellow condo owners to get Florida lawmakers to get rid of the condo insurance requirement law, and reduce litigation in damage claims that he believes inflates overall insurance costs. He sent letters to lawmakers, pleading with them to pass changes.
“I sent to every senator and every representative in the Florida government, and I got about five or six responses of any consequence, and most of them were generic rebuttals,” said Baker.
He said he’ll support and vote for local candidates regardless of their party affiliation who will work to give him and other condo owners relief.
“The average person can’t live in this environment without some backup income,” said Baker. “That’s just like all of these people in these condos who are getting hit with assessments and crazy have to repair stuff, and this insurance, and just giving up. Because they came here with an idea of how much money, and they’ve been priced out of the market.”
Baker said he’ll rally his neighbors to join him in his fight to preserve the beachside retirement he and his neighbors worked so many years to enjoy.
“If they haven’t done something about this rule that we have to buy insurance, we’re going to come up on the streets of Tallahassee with a convoy,” said Baker.