JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Local families tell Action News Jax they're being forced to live with mold, mildew and bug infestations inside their Southside apartment complex.
Michael Walsh, who's lived in Avalon Hill Apartments for nearly two years, says, "I cannot bring my baby home from the NICU to this. I'm next door packing up everything I own, so I can get out as quick as possible."
Walsh and some of his neighbors at Avalon Hill Apartments say they're fed up with their current living conditions.
Walsh says, "There's been standing water at the bottom of our stairwell, probably two inches of what appears to be sewage water. It's horrendous. It's stinking up the stairwells. It's starting to stink up the apartments and even in my own apartment."
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One neighbor, Jeremy Smith, tells Action News Jax that mold is also starting to grow inside their homes, their kitchens, bathrooms even bedrooms.
"My daughter sleeps here every night and we have to deal with this," Smith said.
Larry Johnson, who just moved in a month ago, tells Action News Jax, "We send maintenance requests almost every day. We've been dealing with this for months."
Johnson says he's even started a petition in hopes of getting management to finally do something about the issues.
Action News Jax took their concerns to the property manager, who says there is a plan to fix the problems, but didn't provide a timeline.
We found a number of complaints about the apartment complex from the city of Jacksonville.
According to the documents, there 10 open code enforcement cases right now.
In one case from Aug. 16, the inspector found "Unsanitary conditions on the walls. Sliding glass door will not shut and is open constantly. Interior smell of mildew and unsanitary conditions."
The inspector also notes that the tenant is moving out, which is exactly what Walsh and others tell me they plan to do.
"I'm going to leave here and I doubt I get my security deposit back. I mean, it's certainly not an easy move. It's certainly not something I'm prepared for."
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