‘It ruined my life’: tenants at Courtney Manor apartments complain of recurring mold

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Several families at the Courtney Manor apartments just north of Orange Park say they’ve been fighting uncontrollable mold in their homes for months.

“It ruined my life. To my one-year-old having health issues. She has a nebulizer now,” Shakira Hall said.

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Hall and her family have lived at the complex for almost a year. She says the mold is making her sick.

In October, Hall noticed mold growing inside her home. She’s not alone.

Pictures from several other tenants show what appears to be mold growing on the walls, the ceiling, near the carpet and even on kitchen items like oven mitts and in the pantry.

Tenants also shared pictures of whole windows boarded up outside. Another tenant told Action News Jax a company came out Wednesday and wiped down everyone’s windows with bleach.

Hall says apartment management sent a mold company to her unit back in October, where crews knocked out her son’s bedroom wall.

“The wall was completely filled with mold, the closet was completely filled with mold. It destroyed my kids’ clothes, their beds, my dresser and my bed,” she explained.

According to Hall, management offered to move her to another unit. But this is why she declined:

“They gave me a contract that said I would never be able to speak about mold issues. If I went to social media, they would be able to sue me,” she said.

Hall will be moving out of the complex altogether next month.

“They don’t care,” Javonda Sharon said.

Sharon had COVID-19 last year. She worried for her health.

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“You try to talk to them, ‘Oh, I’m gonna write it down.’ They don’t come fix nothing like they’re supposed to be,” she explained.

Action News Jax called Courtney Manor for an explanation. The manager said the apartment’s corporate office would reach out to us. We’re still waiting to hear back.

Both Sharon and Hall feel for their neighbors.

“No one should live like this,” Hall said.

Action News Jax also asked the city of Jacksonville about any code violations at the complex. We’ll update this story with answers.

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