JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Just weeks after the News4JAX I-TEAM exposed dangerous living conditions at a Westside apartment complex — including a massive sinkhole and residents going days without running water — the property has changed hands through a foreclosure.
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The Grassy Pond Apartments are now under new ownership, but the foreclosure is just one piece of a much larger problem. Court records show 14 apartment complexes across Jacksonville, all tied to the same owner, are facing foreclosure lawsuits, leaving hundreds of tenants uncertain about what comes next.
When News4JAX first visited Grassy Pond Apartments in December, the complex was owned by self-proclaimed billionaire Jarek Tadla, whose companies have operated under names including People’s Choice Apartments and Legacy Family Communities. Residents complained of neglected conditions and a lack of basic services.
“I think as long as they get their rent, they don’t care,” one resident said at the time.
Earlier this month, the property was turned over to Madison Real Estate Group following a foreclosure lawsuit. Some tenants say they are cautiously hopeful.
“It’s got to get better,” one resident said. “It can’t get no worse. It’s the worst as it can get.”
The News4JAX I-TEAM has spent months reporting on ongoing problems at housing owned by or linked to Tadla, who owns 14 apartment complexes in Jacksonville, most of them concentrated on the Westside. Public records show all 14 properties are the subject of foreclosure lawsuits, with seven still pending a final judgment, including Westcreek II.
At that complex, tenant Lou says conditions have deteriorated.
“There’s so many people living here that have no business living here,” Lou said. “Squatters. Squatters all over the place.”
Asked what he hopes will happen next, Lou said he wants accountability.
“I wish I had the money so I could move out,” he said. “I wish I had an opportunity to talk to a lawyer because I think that they owe everybody that lives here some money.”
Court filings show more than $55 million in mortgage payments are owed to banks across the properties. As those cases move through the courts, tenants remain in limbo.
Consumer rights attorney Glenn Banner says renters still have responsibilities and protections during the foreclosure process.
“Even though there’s a pending foreclosure or a foreclosure has happened and the former landlord is no longer the owner, tenants are still responsible for rent,” Banner said. “When a new owner takes over after a foreclosure purchase, subject to some exceptions, they generally have to honor the existing lease.”
Banner said Florida law gives renters an implied right to a safe and habitable home. When serious health or safety issues arise, like squatters, he recommends tenants first provide their landlord with a written seven-day notice to fix the problem.
That notice formally alerts the landlord to the issue and gives them seven days to address it. If the landlord fails to take reasonable steps to correct the problem, Banner said tenants may have legal options, including ending the lease or withholding rent.
At Grassy Pond Apartments, a survey conducted after the foreclosure found 42 of the 82 units were vacant, and nearly half of those vacant units were occupied by squatters. Court records cite drugs and violent crime as major safety concerns at the property.
Madison Real Estate Group says work is now underway to improve conditions at the complex.
For tenants across the city living in properties tied to the other foreclosure lawsuits, advocates say documentation and knowing their rights will be critical as the cases continue to unfold.