PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Residents at Sanctuary at Winterlakes Apartments in Port St. Lucie said they have been living with unresolved maintenance issues and that their requests for help are being ignored.
WATCH BELOW: 'I pay my rent on time. I would just like to be in my house and not have mold in it,' Cheryl Jones tells WPTV's Tyler Hatfield
Alison Malio walked me through her apartment, pointing out what she believes is structural damage in her bedroom.
"I thought it might be structural," Malio said.
She also showed damage she described as rot near the foundation.
"It looks like it's welting. It's welting like rot, rot on it in the foundation, rot," Malio said.
Malio also said her freezer seal was damaged and has cost her thousands of dollars in lost food.
"I've had to throw away over like $1,500 in the last year and a half, two years, $1,500 worth of meat or frozen food," Malio said.
Malio also showed a cockroach problem inside her apartment and building. She said pest control only comes once every 13 weeks.
"I replace the adhesive ones about three times a week, because they get so full," Malio said.
Malio said she and her neighbors submit maintenance requests through an online portal, but she claims those requests go unanswered or get deleted — and are sometimes marked complete even when no work has been done.
"It's been like six, seven years of nothing but them just doing nothing to help us, nothing to help, I'll call them. I'll leave voicemails. They don't get back to me. I'll send them emails. They don't get back to me," Malio said.
"I have cameras and a ring doorbell, so I know if they come in to look at it and I can tell when it's not done, because it's not done," Malio said.
Across the parking lot, neighbor Cheryl Jones said her air conditioning was out for nine weeks.
"It was too hot in here to cook. You know, I could make breakfast with my coffee maker and the toaster, but I mean, I couldn't cook a meal," Jones said.
Jones said maintenance eventually fixed the air conditioning, but mold had grown inside her apartment.
Jones sent a report from a company that tested her unit and found evidence of mold, recommending that drywall, insulation and other materials be removed.
Jones said she sent that report to property management.
"I haven't heard nothing from them, nothing. Not a phone call, not an email back, nothing," Jones said. "I pay my rent on time. I would just like to be in my house and not have mold in it."
I reached out to property management with the neighbors' concerns. Management sent a statement saying they are looking into the issues and that they "prioritize the safety and well-being of our tenants."
The full statement reads:
"Our team is looking into details of the claims outlined below. We prioritize the safety and well-being of our tenants. Each resident has a tenant portal where maintenance requests are recorded and tracked unique to each unit. Management has been notified of pending litigation. Rent increases are determined in accordance with federal HUD and Florida Housing Finance Corporation regulations."
When asked why she doesn't move, Malio said she can't afford to. Jones said the same.
"I have nowhere to go. I can't afford to go anywhere else," Jones said.
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