JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A disabled U.S. Army veteran in Jacksonville says unannounced roof repairs at her apartment complex triggered severe PTSD episodes tied to past sexual trauma.
And she now alleges management retaliated against her after she asked for accommodations. Bryona Weaver, who lives at Mezza Premier Apartments in Oceanway, said the sound of hammering and construction on top of her building caused panic and fear.
“I woke up and I heard banging. Like to me, it sounded like explosions. To me, it sounded like danger,” Weaver said.
Weaver, a mother of three, said she asked management to provide advance notice before future roof work because of her PTSD.
“You have to let me know when there’s someone on top of my building that can trigger this kind of response. I’m a veteran with PTSD,” she said.
Weaver claims shortly after sending a letter requesting 48-hour notice for future work, leasing representatives came to her door regarding a late rent payment and warned of possible eviction proceedings.
“Once I sent them that letter requesting 48 hour notice… I get two leasing representatives coming to my door telling me the payment is late, and they will be filing for eviction,” Weaver said.
Weaver said the Department of Veterans Affairs helps pay a portion of her rent and believes a one-time payment delay combined with her complaints led to retaliation. She has now filed formal complaints with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Florida Commission on Human Relations, along with a civil lawsuit in Duval County alleging disability discrimination and retaliation.
“I cry myself to sleep, literally every day… the reality is it’s not right and I’m going to fight what’s not right,” Weaver said.
A spokesperson for Hawthorne Residential Partners, the management company for Mezza Premier Apartments, said residents received advance notice before the roof work began through email and written notices placed on doors. The company said in a statement, “Our standard practice is to provide advance notice for planned maintenance or construction activity that may impact residents.”
The spokesperson also told Action News Jax the company was not aware of any investigations or complaints filed at this time. Weaver said she has not been evicted but is now considering moving out.
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