Bonita Springs driver says pothole caused $400 in damage; city opens code case

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (WINK) — A Bonita Springs man says a pothole at a shopping plaza left him with a costly repair bill, and now city officials have opened a code enforcement case after WINK News started asking questions.

Mike Mahan says he was leaving Springs Plaza, located at 8951 Bonita Beach Road, on Sunday, June 21, when he hit a large pothole near the exit of the property.

"I hit the pothole, I heard the air coming out of my tire," Mahan said. "My front driver side tire blew out, and also the back driver side tire had damage to it, where I had to replace both tires."

Mahan says the damage cost him about $400.

He told WINK News he did not see the pothole before hitting it and believes he was not the only driver affected that day.

While waiting for a tow truck, Mahan says he was told by a AAA driver that other vehicles had experienced similar problems.

"There was actually a AAA driver sitting in the parking lot," Mahan said. "He said prior to me doing that, another vehicle did it while I was sitting there. Two more cars came through, and you could hear the air coming out of their tires once they hit the potholes."

WINK News visited the plaza on Wednesday and observed two large potholes — one at the entrance and another at the exit.

Most drivers appeared to steer around them, though several vehicles were seen driving through the damaged areas.

Craig Stevens, who frequently drives through the area, said large potholes can quickly become expensive problems.

"There are very few potholes around, but when they happen and they're large, it doesn't take much to really cause a lot of mechanical damage," Stevens said.

Another driver told WINK News the potholes had already affected his vehicle.

"They need take care of the pothole. I already messed up my car the other day," the driver said.

Mahan says he simply wants the issue addressed before more drivers experience damage.

"Get somebody in there to get it fixed," Mahan said. "Those have been there for a while and you can tell. Apparently, nobody cares, or somebody's got to do the maintenance there."

One of the biggest questions surrounding the potholes is who is responsible for repairing them.

The City of Bonita Springs told WINK News the location is private property and that it had not previously received any complaints regarding potholes at the site.

However, city officials said a code case has now been opened.

During WINK News' visit, a cone was also placed near one of the potholes.

According to information provided by the city, the registered owner of the property is Springs Station LLC, which is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

WINK News contacted the property management company for the plaza. A representative requested that questions be submitted by email. As of publication, the company had not responded.

WINK News will continue following up with both city officials and property management regarding repair plans and the newly opened code case.