DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Nearly four years after Hurricane Ian forced the Plaza Resort and Spa to close, the owner of the landmark Daytona Beach property has yet to pull a permit to begin repairs, according to city officials.
Now, the city is fining the owner hundreds of dollars a day, with those penalties potentially increasing to $1,000 per day.
More than a dozen individual unit owners traveled to Daytona Beach on Tuesday and gathered outside the resort with signs and chants, calling on the city to take action.
The protest came as another special magistrate hearing was held over conditions at the property.
The owner, Vienna Capital CEO Jonathan Eid, did not attend the hearing. City inspectors said they have also been unable to reach him.
Unit owners say they have been locked out
The Plaza is a condo hotel, meaning individual owners hold units inside the building while the property is operated and managed as a larger resort.
“We feel like as unit owners who are paying our HOA fees every month now for over four years, the city should help us get access to our building,” unit owner Pat Camp said.
Camp said unit owners have not been able to access the building for four years.
City code enforcement officials said Tuesday that they also have been unable to get inside the property. Officials said the fines accumulated so far are tied only to conditions visible on the exterior.
Special Magistrate David Vukelja questioned why the property owner has been able to prevent access to common areas.
“What authority does the property owner have to keep you from entering all the common areas?” Vukelja asked.
Code enforcement officials responded that the city needs permission to enter the building.
Individual unit owners have already given the city permission to access their units.
No permits pulled for repairs
Eid took control of the more than 100-year-old resort in 2021 and also serves as president of the condo association.
In August, a special magistrate found the property noncompliant and ordered repairs.
A month later, code enforcement officials said Eid still had not pulled any permits to begin the work.
Eid currently faces a $500-per-day fine until the resort’s pool is repaired.
He has until October to address the remaining violations. If the work is not completed by then, fines could increase to $1,000 per day.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Vukelja questioned the lack of progress.
“If we had a responsible owner, he’d be down here orchestrating his plans to us and sharing a construction schedule,” Vukelja said. “Have we seen or heard anything like that to date?”
“No, sir,” a code enforcement official responded.
9 Investigates has followed property for years
The latest hearing is part of a continuing 9 Investigates examination of the Plaza Resort.
Previous Channel 9 reporting found the property owner received more than $20 million in insurance payments after Hurricane Ian.
According to the city, no repairs have been made to the property.
The resort has remained closed for nearly four years, while individual unit owners say they continue paying HOA fees despite being unable to access their units.
The city also revealed Tuesday that the property is approximately $35,000 behind on property taxes.
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