JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Some residents at an apartment complex on Beach Boulevard are being forced to either move out or terminate their leases because of issues with the flooring.
Presidium Regal is at the site of the old Regal Cinemas near San Pablo Road. The grand opening was just last year but weeks after moving in, some people started reporting problems with their floors not supporting the weight of their furniture.
“I would have never moved in if I knew this was the case,” Reggie Wilson said, who has been living at Presidium Regal apartments since last December.
He said he won’t be signing another lease.
“I honestly enjoy staying here. The issue is that when I moved here, I moved in under the impression that I was moving into a completed building. There was going to be no construction,” Wilson added.
There’s nothing wrong with Wilson’s apartment on the first floor but it’s a different story for his neighbors on the second, third, and fourth floors. They came home to find a notice posted on their front doors on Oct. 3.
The notice reads that everyone besides those on the first floor would have to move out but the exact reason why was not made clear in the notice from apartment management. After talking with some of his neighbors, Wilson figured out that the issues stemmed from faulty construction.
“They did not tell anyone on the first floor anything that’s going on,” Wilson said. “You were not getting any kind of formal notification. The only way you would’ve found out is if you looked up one day and everyone in your building from [floors] two through four was moving out. That’s the notice I was going to get.”
Wilson voiced his concerns to management about living in a construction zone and said he was offered a one-time payment of $100. He described the offer as a slap in the face.
The notice gives residents on the upper floors three options. They can permanently transfer to another unit on the property, temporarily transfer to a different unit for 60 days while construction is completed, or terminate their leases and move out by Oct. 31.
Security deposits would be refunded after a home inspection and moving costs would be paid for with an internal transfer.
Brooks Werkheiser lives on the third floor and decided to terminate his lease after just six months. He’s in the process of packing up all of his belongings.
“This has been a significant hassle, significant disruption in our household,” Werkheiser said.
No moving expenses are covered by Presidium if residents choose to terminate their lease and move off the property. Werkheiser feels he did not get enough time to pick up his life and move elsewhere.
“It’s not fair. In that, we moved here and incurred a $3,000 moving bill that they ought to reimburse me for that, and the one I’m getting ready to pay again,” Werkheiser said.
Wilson and Werkheiser both believe that the property owners and management company had been told about the problems as early as late last year. They want to warn others about what they say are dishonest practices.
Wilson shared emails and pictures with the News4JAX I-TEAM from another resident complaining about issues with his floor in late 2023.
“They knew about this approximately in September of 2023. I moved in December,” Wilson said.
Werkheiser agrees that communication has been a problem. He’s now considering taking legal action.
“I felt they should have told us before we moved in that we have this problem here, just to disclose something they knew,” Werkheiser said. “They should have notified us. They knew they had this problem.”
Residents told News4JAX that the flooring issues impact only buildings one and two.
The I-TEAM contacted Presidium Regal for more information about the nature of the flooring problems and when management first became aware of them.
We received this statement in response:
“After discovering a construction issue in the flooring, we had no option but to relocate residents. And while it is not a safety concern, the scope of work that needs to be completed requires residents to vacate the units. We have offered the affected residents relocation to a comparable unit within the community, covering packing and moving expenses and have provided a concession. Residents can choose to return to their original unit after repairs or move out without penalty, with their security deposit refunded. We also provided the option to terminate their lease. We understand this situation is difficult, and we are committed to supporting our residents every step of the way.”
-Presidium Regal Apartments