BONITA SPRINGS — It may look like paradise on Little Hickory Island, but for the residents of Dolphin Way of Hickory Point condominium complex the last year-and-a-half have been a disaster.

The damage from Hurricane Ian was so severe, the residents couldn’t fully move back in until January of this year.

“We had probably 10 to 12 feet of water here. Everything here was underwater,” said Jim Boehme, who bought his condo with his wife in 2020. Everything on the bottom floor was destroyed. The pool has yet to reopen. The gates are still heavily damaged. The electrical rooms floated away from the complex. “The only thing done now is just the basics to allow people to live here,” said Boehme. “You’ve got painting. You’ve got tile replacement. God knows how much for the pool.” Then comes the battle with the insurance companies. Boehme says the Homeowners Association has filed claims with two different insurance companies for more than $17 million but have only received $1.5 million.

Meanwhile the residents have had three different assessments, totaling more than $52,000 that each homeowner has had to pay individually.

“We’ve spent 8.6 million dollars of our own money so far. We’re waiting for the insurance companies to come to the table so we can negotiate,” said Boehme.

But the wait for insurance could take months.

The association has filed a lawsuit against one insurance company and is planning another.

Because of active litigation, the insurance companies wouldn’t comment to Fox 4.

Insurance law experts tell Fox 4 the average lawsuit can take 18 to 24 months before the case goes to court.