Apartment Complex Condemned, Residents Evicted

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- More than forty people are homeless after their apartments were condemned Tuesday by the City of Jacksonville.

For months, JSO, Public Works and JEA have been receiving complaints about deteriorating conditions at the Villager Apartments North on Justina Court in Arlington.

Tuesday morning, members of JSO's Drug Abatement Response Team (D.A.R.T.) converged on two of the four apartment buildings at the Villager North. They put orange eviction stickers on the doors and windows of each unit, and informed residents it was time to go.

Demetrius Daniels was caught completely off-guard.

"The whole building is being condemned," said Daniels. "They're going to give us a day or two at a shelter, but after that, who knows?"

Most of the residents could only watch as JEA crews removed meter boxes and literally cut power lines off the buildings.
"It's ridiculous. It's been a nightmare for everybody," said Rachelle Waymire, as she fanned her 18-month-old son Corey in the midday sun.

"Because it's hot and now we are kicked out of our homes due to things that have nothing to do with us. Faulty wiring. Mildew in our apartments. We have holes in our walls, we have bugs galore," lamented Waymire.

One city official told First Coast News the city has been watching the Villager Apartments for months. Inspections showed neighbors running power cords to other units to keep refrigerators running.

There were serious plumbing issues, even structural problems. City officials also say drug abuse was rampant here, so all the agencies converged here Tuesday to shut it all down.

"When I moved in here I gave (the landlord) Mr. Poole $250. Three days later JEA came in here...snatched out all the meter boxes and even if I wanted to turn my lights on -- tried to pay to turn my lights on -- I couldn't do it," said Daniels.

The city has made arrangements in local shelters to house the forty displaced folks for the next few days. But then what?
"Who knows? We're still trying to figure that out," said Daniels.

Rashelle Waymire was equally perplexed.

"As of now, I couldn't even tell you! Don't even know! We're just living in the moment, and hoping and praying we'll get some help from somebody, somewhere."

©2009 First Coast News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.