JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local, family-owned plumbing company says it is still waiting to be paid thousands of dollars months after restoring water service to a troubled Westside apartment complex just days before Christmas.
Totally Hooked Plumbing says it is owed about $5,000 for emergency repairs completed at Grassy Pond Apartments, where a large sinkhole caused a water main break that left residents without running water for four days during the holiday season.
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Owner Tyler Bodager said his crew worked late into the night on Dec. 23 to restore service.
“We wanted to get people water as quick as possible too, so the holidays aren’t messed up,” Bodager said. “We had guys there till midnight on the 23rd to try to get these people water.”
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Residents at the time described the conditions as unbearable, especially for vulnerable tenants. One pregnant resident said she just wanted to be able to shower, cook and wash dishes after days without water.
City officials ultimately intervened after News4JAX alerted them to the outage, issuing a citation to the property owner and a 48-hour deadline to restore water service.
Bodager said the company received an initial deposit but has been unable to collect the remaining balance despite repeated attempts to contact the property’s former ownership group, People’s Choice Apartments, now operating as Legacy Family Communities.
“Since then it’s been ghost mode,” Bodager said. “We haven’t heard anything.”
Call logs reviewed by News4JAX show numerous attempts by the company to reach representatives, including phone calls and voicemails requesting payment. In one recorded exchange, a representative told Bodager, “I literally just work for the company,” when asked for information about ownership.
Efforts by News4JAX to reach the company for comment were unsuccessful.
Complicating the situation, the apartment complex changed hands after a foreclosure was finalized in January. Under the previous owner, Jarek Tadla, tenants had long complained of unsafe and deteriorating conditions, including reports of squatters and repeated utility disruptions.
Bodager said his company has avoided placing a lien on the property to prevent impacting the new ownership.
“We don’t want to hurt the new owner,” he said. “We’re really just trying to pursue Jarek. It’s not the new owner’s responsibility or fault.”
The company is now considering legal action to recover the unpaid balance.
“Anytime we don’t get paid on a large job that we try to help everybody on, it really hurts us,” Bodager said. “We’re not a private equity company. It’s me, my sisters, my dad and our employees.”
The dispute comes as multiple properties formerly owned by Tadla and People’s Choice Apartments face foreclosure proceedings, following months of reporting on deteriorating living conditions and prolonged service outages at several complexes.
News4JAX has not received a response from the former ownership regarding the outstanding bill.