BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Condo owners across Broward County are grappling with mounting repair costs and stricter safety inspections.
For residents of Springbrook Gardens, a 17-unit condominium near Fort Lauderdale Beach, life has been upended.
After additional inspections uncovered corrosion in the building’s foundation, residents are now facing millions in repair costs.
“It was one problem after another,” said Warren Sackler, a 17-year resident. “Four and a half million dollars to do what you see fixed.”
Sackler and his neighbors initially considered staying, but after engineers deemed the building unsafe in September, they began exploring selling the entire property to a developer.
“This was my forever condo,” said Sackler while walking through what was once his home.
Now, he has moved out, unable to shoulder the costs of temporary repairs.
Residents were temporarily evacuated but returned after a second opinion allowed for emergency fixes. The financial reality, however, has been devastating.
“Never expected numbers like that,” said a neighbor. “It just wasn’t feasible.”
Similar challenges are being reported across Broward County, with aging buildings undergoing stricter inspections and skyrocketing assessments.
William Brown, a longtime condo owner in a nearby 11-unit building, said his property recently completed its 40-year inspection.
He says repairs, fees and restoration work have stretched budgets thin.
“We got hit for a million dollars,” Brown said. “A lot of my friends in Broward County can’t afford big assessments like here, and they’re going to lose their homes.”
Since the Surfside condominium collapse in 2021, inspections and safety mandates have increased, leaving many condo owners struggling to pay for structural updates.
“Supply and demand,” Brown added, noting how insurance, contractor availability, and rising costs have compounded the issue.
Local officials, including those in Fort Lauderdale, are pushing for state relief programs to assist condo owners.
For now, many residents, including those at Springbrook Gardens, are left with no choice but to sell to developers.
“This building is in a prime spot,” Sackler said. “But the county needs to do more to help us.”