Martin and Doreen Waverley, a St. Augustine couple, say mold concerns forced them out of their Florida apartment, but management refused to waive the fees tied to ending their lease early.
Doreen Waverley said she developed heart palpitations, a burning throat, and difficulty breathing after living in the unit at the Antica Apartment complex.
Here's what to know
Action News Jax reported that the Waverleys said mold concerns led them to move out of their St. Augustine rental, but management refused to waive the lease-breaking charges even as it accepted their notice to leave.
Seeking answers to health issues, Doreen Waverley said she began arranging medical appointments.
"I started calling my doctors and setting up appointments and saying, 'Hey, something's wrong. I don't know what's going on,'" she said.
She said test results also showed elevated eosinophil levels, which she believes may be tied to mold exposure.
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"My body's fighting something, and it could possibly be fungal," Doreen Waverley said. "They really don't know."
Martin Waverley said that after staff inspected the apartment, they told the couple the AC had been running at full speed, drawing in too much air and moisture and creating mold in the ductwork.
More background
The couple said a service ticket described the complex's cleanup efforts after they gave a seven-day notice to terminate the lease. But when they returned to the apartment, Martin Waverley said the odor hadn't gone away.
"Immediately, pungent bleach over bleach over top of mold, and it still smells," he said, according to Action News Jax.
Doreen Waverley said even a brief time in the unit triggered a reaction.
"I was in there long enough to start to feel like my throat was on fire," she said.
"We take our residents' concerns seriously and are committed to working with them fairly and constructively," the management company told Action News Jax.
The Waverleys said an email from management stated that the lease-break fees would still stand because the company believed it had addressed the problem promptly.
What can be done?
The Waverleys said they sought medical appointments, gathered testing results, submitted a seven-day notice to terminate their lease, and reviewed the service ticket tied to the apartment's inspection and cleanup attempt.
The couple pointed to the inspection findings about the AC motor and humidity, while management pointed to its response time in declining to waive the fees.
For the Waverleys, however, the immediate priority appears to be getting out and protecting their family rather than belongings left in the unit.
"We got our health, and if I have to throw away everything we own in that department, I don't care," Martin Waverley said, according to Action News Jax. "We have the kids, and we have ourselves."
Where can I learn more?
Other renters have faced similar disputes over mold, air conditioning, and rental conditions that affected their health.
• A renter shared photos of a disgusting air conditioning unit that looked moldy.
• Texts showed a landlord's nonchalant reaction to a major problem, prompting calls for a health inspection.
• Across the southern U.S., families faced dangerous mold growth at home and worsening health symptoms.
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