>>JENNIFER WAUGH: THIS MORNING WE ARE HELPING YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR RIGHTS AS A
TENANT THIS WEEK OUR
INVESTIGATION INTO A LOCAL
APARTMENT COMMUNITY PROMPTED
SENATOR MARCO RUBIO
TO CALL ON HUD SECRETARY TO DO
MORE TO HOLD THE OWNER OF
EASTSIDE TERRACE AND EASTSIDE
GARDEN APARTMENTS RESPONSIBLE
FOR DEPLORABLE
LIVING CONDITIONS AND DURING
THE LAST FEW MONTHS WE HAVE
BROUGHT YOU A SERIES OF STORIES
AFTER WE REVEALED A MICE
INFESTATION AND HUNDREDS OF
CODE VIOLATIONS AT THE HILLTOP
VILLAGE APARTMENTS IN
NORTHWEST, JACKSONVILLE.
THESE HAVE PROMPTED CHANGES BY
THE WAY ON A CITY LEVEL AND
ALSO A PUSH ON A STATE AND
NATIONAL LEVEL FOR THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO STOP SENDING
THESE LANDLORDS SO MUCH MONEY
WITHOUT HUNT INSPECTING THE
PROPERTIES FIRST SINCE THEN OUR
I TEAM CONTINUES TO RECEIVE
E-MAILS AND CALLS FROM OTHER
TENANTS ASKING FOR HELP WITH
THEIR LANDLORDS IT’S WHY WE
HAVE ASKED LOCAL LEGAL AID
ATTORNEY MARY DE VRIES TO JOIN
US THIS MORNING TO HELP EXPLAIN
YOUR RIGHTS AS A TENANT MARY
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. JENNIFER. SO
WE’VE BOY FOR MONTHS IF NOT
LONGER ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST
COMMON COMPLAINTS THAT WE
RECEIVE AND YOU AS WELL AND
MANY OF THEM INVOLVE A LANDLORD
WHO THE TENANT SAYS IT’S JUST
NOT PERFORMING ADEQUATE
MAINTENANCE. SO WHAT IF A
TENANT CAN NOT GET THEIR
LANDLORD TO FIX SOMETHING WHAT
CAN THEY DO LEGALLY.
>> LIKELY IF IT’S A A
CONDITION THAT IS AFFECTING THE
TENETS ABILITY TO LIVE IN THE
UNIT, THE CAN CALL
CITY MUNICIPAL CODE COMPLIANCE
DEPARTMENT TO REQUEST AN
INSPECTION BY COULD
COMPLIANCE IT. THEY COME OUT
AND FIND A CODE VIOLATION
THEY’RE GOING TO DEMAND THAT
THE LAND WOULD MAKE A REPAIR
AND IF THEY COME BACK TO THE
UNIT IN THE REPAIR HASN’T BEEN
MADE
THEY CAN. SITE THE LANDLORD
FIND THE BRING THEM INTO COURT.
THEY CAN POTENTIALLY CONDEMN
THE PROPERTY OF ITS NOT FIT TO
BE
LIVED IN TENDED TO LIVE IN HUD
SUBSIDIZED
COMPLEXES CAN REPORT THESE
VIOLATIONS TO
HIDE AND IF IT’S A SERIOUS BUT
A CAN COME AND
INVESTIGATE THE CONDITION AND
MAKE THE LANDLORD MAKE A REPAIR
AND THEN FINALLY IF NEITHER OF
THOSE OPTIONS WORKS AT THE
CONDITION, SERIOUS AND THE
TENET GETS PROPER NOTICE, THE
TENET CAN WITHHOLD RENT OR IN
SOME CASES TERMINATE THE LEASE
NOW DOES THAT ALSO INCLUDE
PROBLEMS WITH MOLD AND WHAT
ABOUT PESTS.
>>LAUREN VERNO: SO EACH TYPE
CONDITION AND THE HOME REALLY
REQUIRES A SEPARATE.
>> ANALYSIS BECAUSE SOME OF THE
CONDITIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE
IN YOUR HOME THAT AFFECT YOUR
ABILITY TO LIVE THERE MAY BE A
VIOLATION OF LOCAL CONES AND
SOMETIMES IT MAY JUST MERELY BE
A VIOLATION OF
THE LEASE AND SOMETIMES THERE’S
NO MENTION IN THE LEASE OR THE
COVID ABOUT THE DIFFERENT
CONDITIONS SO BUT IF MOLD MOLD
CAN BE A LITTLE TRICKY BECAUSE
IT’S NOT A CODE VIOLATION UNDER
FOR EXAMPLE OF DUVAL COUNTY.
CODES BUT THE CONDITION THAT’S
CAUSING THE MOLD VERY LIKELY
MIGHT BE A
CODE VIOLATION.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: SO IT’S WORTH
CALLING CODE ENFORCEMENT TO
FIND OUT IF THAT’S
THE CASE. SO ANOTHER CALMING A
COMPLAINT THAT WE RECEIVE MARY
IS ABOUT A SEA IT’S NOT WORKING
OR IT’S BEEN BROKEN
FOR MONTHS TENANTS MIGHT BE
SURPRISED TO HEAR STATE LAWS
ACTUALLY NOT ON THEIR SIDE WHEN
IT COMES TO AN AC PROBLEM.
>> YEAH THIS IS FLORIDA, IT’S
CAUGHT A LOT OF
THE TIME UNFORTUNATELY UNDER
NEITHER UNDER STATE LAW NOR
UNDER LOCAL CODES DO LANDLORDS
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO
PROVIDE A C
BUT THAT BEING SAID IF THE
LEASE REQUIRES A LANDLORD TO
MAINTAIN THE EQUIPMENT AND THE
FIXTURES IN
THE HOME. RELEASE MAY REQUIRE
THE LANDLORD TO
MAKE PREPARE AND IF THE LEASE
IS SILENT AND WHEN YOU MOVED IN
THERE WAS A SEE THE LANDLORD
MAY STILL HAVE SOME
RESPONSIBILITY
SO THOUGH LOCAL CODE MAY
NOT BE ABLE TO ASSIST IN THOSE
TYPE CASES TENANTS MAY HAVE
OTHER BRIGHT CAN ATTEND AND
JUST STOP PAYING THEIR RENT FOR
EXAMPLE BECAUSE THEY’RE FED UP
AND THEY THEY FEEL LIKE IF I
STOP PAYING.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: YOU IT WILL
GET REPAIRED AND THEN I’LL
START PAYING AGAIN ONCE IT’S
REPAIRED.
>> IT’S A COMMON QUESTION THAT
WE GET A JACKSONVILLE
AND THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS NO YOU
CAN’T JUST STOP PAYING
THE RENT IN ORDER FOR US SENATE
TO PROPERLY WITHHOLD FUTURE
RENT FIRST ATTENDANT HAS TO
GIVE A AND NOTICE THAT DEMANDS
A REPAIR. THE NOTICE HAS TO
MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER
STATE LAW. INCLUDING GIVING THE LANDLORD 7 DAYS TO MAKE THE REPAIR. IF THE NOTICE SAYS
ALL THE RIGHT THINGS AND THAT
HAD IT DOES IN THE LAND BUT
STILL DOESN’T MAKE
THE REPAIR THEN THE TENANT
MIGHT BE ABLE TO WITHHOLD RENT
BUT ONLY FUTURE RENT NOT RENT
THAT’S ALREADY AND THAT PROCESS
MAY BE CONFUSING FOR A TENANT
BUT LEGAL AID ACTUALLY OFFERS
AN OPPORTUNITY.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: WHERE YOU
WILL SIT DOWN THEN WITH THESE
TENANTS AND HELP WALK THEM
THROUGH THE PROCESS WOULD YOU
EXPLAIN HOW FREQUENTLY YOU
OFFER THAT.
>> SURE WE HOST A WEEKLY CLINIC
ON WEDNESDAY FOR.
>> TENANTS FACING SERIOUS
CONDITION ISSUES.
>> WE LOCAL
ATTORNEYS WHO. ASSIST WITH THE
CLINIC AS WELL AS OUR OWN
STAFF. WE SIT DOWN THAT TENET
TALK WITH THEM ABOUT
THE CONDITIONS THEY’RE FACING
AND THEN DETERMINE WHETHER A
NOTICE TO THE LANDLORD MAY
BE APPROPRIATE AND WE ASSIST
THEM IN DRAFTING THAT NOTICE
AND MAKING SURE THAT IT MEETS
ALL THE CRITERIA UNDER.
STATE LAW AND THE CLINIC IS THERE’S LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR APPOINTMENTS WE ONLY HAVE
SO MANY SLOTS SO WE DO ALSO
OFFER ADVICE TO FAMILIES FACING
THESE CONDITIONS SO THAT THEY
CAN PREPARE THEIR OWN NOTICE
BUT MAKE SURE THAT THEY’RE
DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY MARY DE
VRIES WITH JACKSONVILLE AREA
LEGAL AID AND I WANT TO POINT
OUT THIS IS ALL FREE. THESE
WEEKLY, YOU KNOW OPPORTUNITIES
ARE FREE LEGAL AID PROVIDES FREE SERVICES MARY THANKS FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: YOU CAN CALL
LEGAL AID BY THE WAY BY DIALING
356-8371. WE’RE GOING TO JAX