‘It’s a disaster’: Local business owner renting commercial space in Riverside accuses landlord of property neglect

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The News4JAX I-TEAM is investigating complaints of excessive mold and mildew taking over a commercial space in Riverside. The tenant said it was because of neglect on the landlord’s part, forcing her to take legal action.

The owner of Clean Tidy Places, Tanisha Crisp, said her landlord turned off the AC more than a week before she was scheduled to move in. When she started to move in and renovate the space, what she discovered halted her plans for the local business.

Crisp intended to store her cleaning company supplies at the Park Street building. She also planned to offer the space to her customers to come and kick back while their houses were cleaned.

For three months, Crisp said she has not been able to use the commercial space she’s renting because of festering mold and a lack of maintenance.

“So we have mold, we have plumbing issues, electrical issues. The ceiling is falling in, the floor is rotting, and the AC is not working properly,” Crisp said.

Crisp signed a 3-year lease in June and was excited to start renovating the space and making it her own. She renovated the bathroom and kitchen, painted, furnished the place, and repaired some drywall and other cosmetic issues.

“We did everything, except structural, so just cosmetic things. And immediately, as we got into the property, the AC was off, the power was turned off,” Crisp said. “Some of my staff actually alerted me that something was not right, because they started to smell a smell, and this is where we started to find the mold.”

Her vision for her business quickly went south as the contractors completing the renovations brought more issues to her attention including improper ductwork.

Inspection reports confirmed her worst fears. Mold and air quality issues were prevalent, and the inspector noted eight major issues on the property requiring immediate attention. The report highlights improper AC installation, elevated humidity levels and problems with windows that are damaged or won’t close.

“I paid about $7,000 to get into the space, and then I paid about 30,000 plus to renovate the space, and I just stopped counting after 30,000 because you kind of just get sick to your stomach,” Crisp said. “It’s a disaster. I mean, I’ve had people in here, and easily the damage is anywhere from 60 to $100,000 in damage because a landlord let mold get out of control.”

Tanisha says complaints to her landlord have fallen on deaf ears. So, she lawyered up hoping to get back the tens of thousands of dollars she invested and the rent she’s paid.

“The ideal solution would be for the landlord to give me back all my money because more than likely, if they do end up fixing it, they’re going to fix it and put it back on the market for more money to rent to someone else, or they’re going to end up selling it and they’re going to benefit from all the renovations that I did.”

The ITEAM contacted her landlord, Palm Leaf Property Management, who declined to comment on the situation because of pending litigation.

Crisp hopes her story serves as a warning to other local business owners.