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Residents of condemned Westside apartment won’t be forced out of complex after speaking to I-TEAM about issues

Colonial Forest Apartments management initially told the Carpenter family they had to be out by Sunday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.UPDATE: Since this story aired, The Carpenters were allowed to stay in their apartment unit. A judge has ordered the owner of the complex to temporarily relocate residents in condemned units while the apartments are repaired. They will not be forced out.

After residents of a Westside apartment complex that condemned 10 units spoke about their living conditions with the News4JAX I-TEAM Wednesday, management said it would give them until Sunday to find a new place to live.

Officials from the fire department and the city’s neighborhood department inspected the Colonial Forest Apartments on Tuesday and said they condemned 10 units at the apartment complex. The Carpenter family was one of those residents who was living in a unit that was condemned

“This is not my fault. I told them. I told him and the other tenants told them,” resident Linda Carpenter said.

Those who still live there said they’re dealing with problems that range from unsafe patios and stairways to potential black mold issues and problems with leaking pipes.

RELATED | 10 units at Westside apartment complex condemned after residents complain of unsafe living conditions

After conducting the inspection, the city gave the affected residents two options: move into a different unit on the property or take $1,700 from the city to find a new place to live.

The Carpenter family said $1,700 was not enough money to move elsewhere, so they opted for the city’s first option. However, they said the new unit they were offered to move into has several issues.

“We cannot live in black mold. These two women right here had health issues. If we lived in there, how long would it be before they get sick?” resident Miles Carpenter said.

The family voiced their concerns to the News4JAX I-TEAM on Wednesday. On Thursday, they said they are being forced out of the apartment complex.

“She told me that because we had been interviewed and gave an interview on Channel 4, corporate decided they did not want us in the other apartment. So we were to be out,” Linda Carpenter said.

Management eventually changed its mind, as referenced in the update above.

News4JAX tried to reach the front office on Thursday, but we were again given a 1-800 number. The calls and messages to the owners, Freidman Real Estate Group in Michigan, have not been returned.

MORE | Westside residents facing 2 options after complex condemns 10 units: Move to new unit or take $1,700 to find a new place

The I-TEAM has found at least 13 citations for the property owner from this year, totaling more than $3,000 in fines. The citations were for a variety of problems including live rat infestations, unsanitary conditions, and failure to make repairs to damaged ceilings, damaged cabinets and broken sliding glass doors.

“The owner should be held accountable,” Linda Carpenter said. “He or she or they, whichever the case may be, are the ones responsible. They’ve been taught being told for the last couple three years that all this needs to be done. They chose not to do it.”

A GoFundMe account has been set up if you’d like to help them with their moving expenses. Click here to donate.


About the Author
Tiffany Salameh headshot

Tiffany comes home to Jacksonville, FL from WBND in South Bend, Indiana. She went to Mandarin High School and UNF. Tiffany is a former WJXT intern, and joined the team in 2023 as Consumer Investigative Reporter and member of the I-TEAM.

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