JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Majestic Plaza Apartments has four trash dumpsters for the 96-unit complex and they are all overflowing.
"We have rats and roaches," said one resident.
Earlier this year a private investor purchased Majestic Plaza for $6 million after the seller who bought it in 2017 for $2.5 million gave it a facelift. The tenants were excited at first but are now ready to move.
"If I could afford to move I would," said another resident.
They say whatever the investors did to attract them has been abandoned.
"Nothing is getting done," said Shuntel Tunstall. "When you bring your trash out where are you going to put it?"
Tunstall walks past the trash daily, which is also near a playground. She is angry and wanted to talk to On Your Side.
"I will be really mad if I am at home and smelling trash through my window," she said.
In April, On Your Side went to the same apartment complex for the same problem. It was a different waste company then.
"We have rats and roaches," Tunstall said. "You can't get rid of them."
Waste Management told On Your Side the trash service was suspended because the bill is past due.
Earlier this month St. Johns Properties took over the management of Majestic Plaza.
On Thursday, St. Johns Properties terminated its contract with the Virginia-based owner.
Jacksonville's Municipal Code Enforcement has 22 active cases at this property:
• 1 Nuisance: A 24-hour warning citation was issued today to the owner for overflowing dumpsters.
• 1 Unsafe Structure (fire in unit 12)
• 1 Commercial
• 19 Residential (minimum housing violations)
"No one should ever have to live like this," said Tunstall.
Out of concern for the residents, Waste Management service has agreed to collect the containers while city staff address the remaining debris.
But it is the owner of the complex responsibility pay the bills and a lien may end up on the property for these issues.