Residents at an upscale apartment complex in Intracoastal West say they’re living with mold, and nothing is being done.
One couple, both Army veterans, just moved out Friday, fearing their 11-year-old son would get sick.
Wearing a mask to breathe, Kevin Bridger carried the last box from his apartment at The Views at Harbortown.
Before turning in his keys, he showed Action News Jax what appeared to be mold on his vents and a large collection behind his water heater.
Bridger says he first started noticing the mold last month, so he hired an expert.
“He sat us down at the table, and my wife asked one thing, ‘If it was your family, how would you move forward before you got the test?’ He said, ‘100 percent, I would get you and your family out of this apartment tonight,'” Bridger said.
According to their report, the company Mold Inspection & Testing confirmed, "elevated mold conditions do exist."
Bridger said the complex let him out of his lease early, so on Friday, he and his family left.
“I’ve got an 11-year-old son, and there’s nothing more important than his safety,” Bridger said.
Action News Jax was allowed inside three apartments Friday, and the tenants said there were signs of mold in all of them.
Just down the hall, Patricia Stevenson said she’s having the same problem, so she’s having a mold test done Monday.
“I have some [mold] in my living room,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson pointed out her vents and what appears to be mold under her sink.
“I do have concerns about getting sick, about long-term effects,” Stevenson said.
Management at the The Views at Harbortown sent Action News Jax this response:
“After conducting inspections with two third-party vendors on Sept. 18 and 20, we were made aware of mildew in two units, notified the residents and began clean up.
"We also found mildew in a third unit that was inspected on Sept. 27, have notified the resident and are beginning clean up as well. We are also inspecting all units on the same floor on Monday to check for additional moisture or mildew.
Regarding the Army veteran resident, we notified the resident of the mildew on Sept. 20 and agreed on the same day to let them out of their lease without penalty at the request of the resident.”
Action News Jax obtained this email sent to residents on Friday:
"Dear Resident,
We were advised last week of the presence of moisture accumulation in two apartments. Two third party moisture remediation companies were contacted immediately and the process of clean up/remediation began. This past Thursday, another resident reported that there was a possible moisture issue in her unit as well. The Views at Harbortown team immediately assessed the issue in the unit and repair processes have begun.
Please understand that the well-being of our residents is of utmost importance to us. We are gathering and reviewing the facts in order to determine any additional courses of action.
Monday, we will begin inspections proactively to ensure that there are no other issues of moisture that have not been reported to our office.
If you have any questions or concerns - or should you have any moisture issues in your apartment, please notify the office immediately."
Cox Media Group
