SWFL.io - Local NewsOlivia Jean
•8/10/2026
FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK News) — As Southwest Florida enters the busiest stretch of hurricane season, several residents at a Fort Myers senior living community are questioning a new policy that could cost them $1,000 if a hurricane hits.
Barbara Costabile, Karen Taylor and Richard Vail brought their concerns to WINK Listens in Fort Myers, saying the fee was introduced after Sinceri Senior Living took over Calusa Harbour earlier this year.
"They're charging us $1,000 per occurrence, per hurricane to move us out of an area that is a mandatory hurricane evacuation area," Costabile said.
The residents said they never had to pay an evacuation fee under the community's previous owner.
Vail recalled being evacuated after Hurricane Ian damaged the building. He said residents were relocated to other facilities while repairs were made, and the previous owner transported residents and even moved their belongings without charging extra.
Now, they worry the new policy could create a financial hardship for many seniors living on fixed incomes.
"My Social Security makes my rent, and that's about it," Vail said. "Now they take that away and charge me another grand. What the hell am I going to do?"
Costabile echoed those concerns.
"How many seniors have plenty of money today who are living on Social Security?" she said, adding that many residents rely on retirement income to make ends meet.
The residents also questioned what would happen if Southwest Florida experiences multiple hurricanes in one season.
"What if we have three hurricanes in one season?" Costabile asked. "It's going to put people under a bridge to live. That's what it's going to do for seniors."
Residents also said they never signed new agreements after Sinceri Senior Living assumed management.
"It was never in the original contract that we would pay for evacuation, and none of us have signed contracts with Sinceri," Costabile said. "They're throwing a 5% increase in rent, all of these increased prices ... and $1,000 per occurrence."
The group asked WINK News to find out whether the new fee is legal.
"We don't think this is legal. We don't think it's fair to the senior citizens that we live with," Costabile said. "We really feel like we're being taken advantage of."
Calusa Harbour told WINK News the evacuation fee is part of its hurricane preparedness plan and is intended to protect residents during severe weather.
"At Calusa Harbour, resident safety is our top priority before, during, and after any weather event," the community said in a statement.
According to Calusa Harbour, the $1,000 fee applies only to independent living residents who require the community's assistance during a state-ordered mandatory evacuation.
The community said the fee covers the direct costs of safely relocating residents, including transportation, temporary lodging, meals and additional staffing for the duration of the evacuation.
Calusa Harbour also clarified that residents who are able to both provide their own transportation and secure their own accommodations off-site during a mandatory evacuation will not be charged the fee.
The company said the policy was communicated to residents and their families in advance. They also confirmed that no residents are grandfathered into the previous policy, meaning the fee applies to all independent living residents who rely on the community's evacuation assistance.
To answer the residents' biggest question, WINK News spoke with Paul Boudreaux, a professor at Stetson University College of Law.
Boudreaux said a fee like this can be legal if it is reasonable.
"If it's a reasonable fee, meaning that it's something that makes sense, there's some kind of reasonableness in deciding to implement a fee like this, and the amount is reasonable, then it is lawful," Boudreaux said. "For $1,000 for evacuation fees, and maybe to have housing and food, that might be difficult to challenge as being unreasonable."
He said Florida law generally permits communities to charge residents reasonable fees for necessary services, including transportation related to hurricane evacuations. While residents can challenge an assessment they believe is unreasonable, Boudreaux said courts typically give property owners and associations broad discretion in making those decisions.
The fact that longtime residents did not pay the fee under previous ownership does not necessarily exempt them now, he said.
"Simply the fact that they didn't pay it in the past does not necessarily grandfather them in."
Boudreaux said he would not be surprised to see similar fees become more common as Florida communities prepare for increasingly costly hurricane seasons.
"I think a lot of communities might see this as a better way to do things ... to provide a safer way for, especially for older people, to deal with hurricane evacuation, even though the cost could be difficult for some people," he said.
He also acknowledged the residents' concerns.
"Residents, understandably, get upset, especially if they're on limited incomes for things they haven't planned on," Boudreaux said. "But living and expenses can be expensive, especially in Florida, and especially as we experience more and more hurricanes and other weather-related difficulties."
For Costabile, the issue is about protecting seniors who may not have many options.
"What can we do? Can we go find jobs? No, we're all 60s, 70s, 80s... in that building," she said.
Florida law prohibits price gouging during a declared state of emergency, but it does not specifically prohibit private senior living communities from charging evacuation-related fees.
Calusa Harbour says the policy is designed to ensure residents receive the support they need during mandatory evacuations while helping cover the costs of relocating and caring for them until it is safe to return.