JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Management has done little to prevent smelly plumbing issues at an Arlington apartment complex, residents said.
Several tenants of Bella Terraza Apartments on Monument Road have complained, but only one woman was willing to talk on camera Wednesday with News4Jax.
"They shut the water off every two to three days, and claim they're fixing the water," said the tenant, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Nothing gets fixed on top of these gaping holes."
Management declined to go on camera, but said everything that the tenants have complained about has been looked at and deemed safe by a city inspector. Management added that an inspector had been at the apartment complex earlier on Wednesday.
Tenants, who asked not to be identified, also took News4Jax inside their apartments to show the gaping holes in their walls and ceiling, exposing the plumbing. Tenants also provided cellphone videos of overflowing sinks.
"We've had sewage back up, urine, fecal matter, feces coming out of our units," the female tenant said. "Some days, we've gone two days straight without any running water."
But management told News4Jax that’s impossible because it said toilet and bathtub lines run into a sewer stack that is separated from laundry and kitchen sink lines. Management blamed the smelly backup on clogged kitchen garbage disposals.
Tenants said management has come up with all kinds of excuses.
“They have blamed this situation on JEA. They have blamed this situation on the city. They have blamed this situation on upper management, refusing to move to help us," the unnamed tenant said. "This is nobody’s situation but their own.”
The manager told News4Jax that they take maintenance issues very seriously and work to correct any problems.
But the resident who spoke on camera begged to differ, saying the videos speak for themselves.
“We’ve called numerous times complaining to the so-called emergency maintenance and nothing happens," she said. "No one comes out.”
When asked about why holes exposing pipes in the walls and ceiling were not covered, News4Jax was referred to a corporate spokesperson, who could not be reached for comment.
Tenants said they're worried that the holes could pose a health risk.
“You have people here with children and adults who are very asthmatic," the tenant said. "We don’t know what’s coming out of these gaping holes.There could be animals.There could be rats or mice.”
Though News4Jax did not see any rodents coming out of the holes while at the complex on Wednesday, other tenants also said that they're concerned the holes could be breeding grounds for mold.