FABRIZIO GOWDY
Gadsden County News Service
Photos courtesy Janece Parker
Conditions inside an apartment at Ochlocknee Pointe Apartments in Midway. Residents claim the units have been neglected by property management resulting in leaks, mold and other hazards.
Residents at the Ochlocknee Pointe Apartments on Blue Star Highway claim their units are rife with leaks, mold and other hazards that have been neglected by property management.
“There is an enormous and disturbing amount of black mold,” said Janece Parker, whose mother and sister live at Ochlocknee Pointe.
Parker alleges busted pipes and leaks have caused mold to build up in bathrooms, walls, AC units and storage areas. She claims the complex’s landlord is refusing to address the mold properly, sending maintenance staff to put wall patches over the mold and repaint.
“The mold is so bad, a lot of people could be in potential danger—there are a lot of kids inhaling all of this,” said Parker, who provided photos to corroborate her claims.
She also says the property is infested with roaches, is missing smoke detectors, and has experienced electrical issues due to the leaks.
Property manager Demetri Fields firmly rejected Parker’s claims as “false statements,” claiming there is no mold or neglect.
“Just because they see black spots, anybody loves to say it’s mold, mildew—it’s not that. If anything gets wet and it sits on the board, it’s black,” said Fields.
Fields also denied that mold is being patched and painted over, saying that it was being “treated” and that she would have to confirm with her maintenance staff exactly what solution was being used. She attributed the reported electrical issues to residents not knowing how to properly operate their circuit breakers.
Parker insists that tenants are too afraid to confront Fields, describing her as “rude and very unprofessional.”
Quincy Fire Marshal Darrius Dudley said he inspected the property April 5 and found wiring issues and several smoke detectors that were not functioning, contradicting statements made by Fields. According to Dudley, if the property owner fails to begin fixing the issue within four or five days, daily fines could be assessed.
“It becomes a life safety issue, and they will have to start paying fines,” said Dudley, who had not returned to the property yet as of Monday.
Midway Mayor Ella Dickey confirmed that she had also visited the property April 3 to take pictures. Midway City Manager Henry Grant referred all questions regarding the city’s response to building inspector Clyde Collins.
Reached for comment, Collins clarified he is not a mold remediation expert, but had been asked to inspect the property. He attempted to perform an inspection April 10, but was unable to make contact with property management when he arrived. He plans to make another attempt to tour the property soon.
Fields is now refusing to offer further comment and has referred all questions to her manager, who she confirmed had received the Gadsden County Times’ request for comment but had not responded after more than a week. She also directed questions to her attorney, but refused to identify the attorney’s name or provide contact information.
Ochlocknee Pointe is owned by Riviera Beach-based TPI Management, whose property portfolio includes 28 affordable apartments across Florida and Georgia.
