Homeowners can’t remove squatter boats
HOLLYWOOD — Homeowners in North Lake are stuck.
They woke up after Hurricane Irma to find abandoned boats smashed up against their docks, seawalls and mangrove trees. But they can’t remove the boats because they don’t own them and don’t know who does.
“It’s like a war zone of broken vessels,” said Kim Ottaviani, who went to check on a friend’s boat and saw the carnage.
Mike Remaly’s dock was destroyed when a sailboat smashed into it.
“These are missiles during a storm,” Remaly said. “We’ve had a problem with boat squatters where they park their boats out in the water. Now we have multiple boats smashed against docks and seawalls.”
They want to know who’s going to tow the boats and pay for the damage.
“At some point the boats will be removed,” Mayor Josh Levy said. “It’s not the No. 1 priority right now.”
He could not say when the boats would be removed, but said either Hollywood, Broward County or the state would handle it and get reimbursed by FEMA.
“This whole thing could have been prevented,” said Brent Spechler, whose dock and seawall were damaged when a sailboat slammed into them during the storm.
He estimates there are at least five boats submerged near docks in North Lake or resting in mangroves.
“It costs $60,000 to bring a boat back up out of the water,” he said. “That boat is worth $10,000 before it sunk. Now it’s worth nothing. And the owner probably has no insurance. My dock is worth $50,000.”
The mayor said homeowners need to check with their insurance companies to see if the damage will be covered under their policy.
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