Property cleaned, city takes action against Preserve at St. Nicholas

Dumpsters overfilled for weeks finally cleaned

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dumpsters that were overflowing with waste have been cleaned after News4Jax first reported on the neglected conditions inside the Preserve at St. Nicholas.

On Monday, News4Jax was first notified of overgrown grass and overfilled trash bins at the condominium complex. Since then, News4Jax learned the City of Jacksonville took action against the owners of the property.

According to city officials, the failure in upkeep was due to the owners not paying the solid waste bill, resulting in trash not being collected for weeks.

"Since you guys last reported about the trash conditions, within a day or two, the trash was completely removed," said Dylan Murphy, a resident at the complex.

Most of the overgrown grass still remained Thursday, which is why the city is citing and fining the property owners for code violations. Some residents took the initiative to cut some of the grass themselves.

However, News4Jax learned some residents have issues inside their units that haven't been addressed. Michael Herbert said he's been dealing with a leaky water pipe and believes mold is growing in his apartment.

“The water damage comes out past my carper, past my couch, warping my couch. The trim is all messed up," Herbert said. "They just keep telling me that they told the maintenance guy, and the maintenance guys tell me they’re hiring a plumber then no one shows up.”

No one was inside the management office to answer questions Thursday.

Still, city officials said they are cracking down hard on each individual owner that rents out their condo because it appears the HOA fees did not pay to keep the complex up to code.


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