JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville business owner says she was unfairly evicted from a property on the Southside.
Charnae Wynn is the owner of Infinity Salon Suites. She admits she was late paying her rent for September after giving birth to her first child, but Wynn says she tried multiple times to make good on her payments and was met with no response.
"If we're going to have to vacate, let us vacate with dignity. It doesn't have to be some hostile takeover like what happened on Oct. 20th," Charnae Wynn said.
Almost two weeks ago, police walked into Infinity Salon Suites off of Southside Boulevard around noon and told everyone to get out. In surveillance video, you can see what appears to be men changing the locks and salon equipment sitting on the sidewalk.
"I saw girls with their hands over their head. You see people crying. It was just really a traumatic experience to be honest. I know it was a lot for those tenants to go through. It was a lot for me to see and experience in that moment because I care about these people," Wynn explained.
Wynn contacted the Ask Anthony team for help. She believes this never should have happened.
"I do feel like it was depicted that we were taking money from them and not paying the rent and that wasn't the case. It just wasn't the case," Wynn added.
In December of 2020, Wynn entered into a lease agreement with Ash Properties to take over a space in the Wild Plum Plaza. She says she spent more than $250,000 to renovate the space to turn it into salon suites. Wynn says she was told she wouldn't have to pay rent while the space was being renovated.
According to the lease, the first rent payment was due 120 days after the lease was signed.
"The general contractor said that he should be able to get the project done within that timeframe. Unfortunately, at the time, Duval County was really backed up with building permits. We didn't get the building permit to even start the buildout until April 2021," Wynn responded.
In March of 2022, Wynn says she met with Mike Ashourian, the owner of Ash Properties, while the location was still under construction and only 50 percent complete. She says he offered to help the business and not charge rent until the doors opened.
In June 2022, Wynn sent emails asking for the lease to be amended to reflect the verbal agreement, after receiving a call from an Ash Properties representative asking her to turn over the keys to the property.
In September of that same year, Ash Properties filed for eviction.
"Next thing I know, there's a sign on the door in September saying we're being evicted," Wynn added.
According to court documents, Wynn owed almost $63,000 in past due rent and an additional $145,000 in accelerated rent. Wynn says her options were either to leave or settle out of court. She did the latter and paid $35,000. But according to the new lease, she was still in default and could be evicted at any time.
In September of 2023, Wynn was late making a payment. Wynn says she had just given birth to her first child and the only option was to mail the check or physically come to the office. In October, she went to Ash Properties with a check to make good on the payments. She says they wouldn't accept it.
According to Wynn, a staff member called the police.
"He described me as being irate, aggressive, and a disruptive tenant who wouldn't leave the premises when I was only there to pay the rent. I never thought a woman with a baby and a $12,000 check would be considered a threat to anyone," Wynn explained.
We called Ash Properties Owner Mike Ashourian to ask him a few questions. He told First Coast News Anchor Anthony Austin he would have someone call him back about the matter.
Ash Properties Chief Operating Officer Randall Whitfield returned our call. He says the commercial real estate company went through all the appropriate legal steps for the eviction and they gave Wynn adequate time to get her business affairs in order. Whitfield says this is simply a matter of a tenant not paying rent and they had no choice but to file for eviction.