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Residents tell commission Hunters Creek management withheld deposits, delayed repairs and pursued evictions; staff advises legal-aid referral
Summary
Several residents used the petitions-and-requests portion of the meeting to report unresolved housing problems at Hunters Creek Apartments and to seek city assistance.
Several residents used the petitions-and-requests portion of the meeting to report unresolved housing problems at Hunters Creek Apartments and to seek city assistance.
Giovina Navella told the commission she moved out of Hunters Creek a year ago and has not received a security deposit she said is due: "They owe me $998," she said. Navella said she provided documentation indicating her unit was left clean and that Hallmark Management had told her the deposit was forthcoming but the payment has not materialized. City staff responded that the municipal government cannot collect a private landlord’s deposit but provided contact referrals, including Central Florida Legal Services (legal aid), for residents seeking counsel on landlord–tenant disputes.
A second speaker, appearing as an advocate for resident Teresa King, described repeated failed inspections at Hunters Creek, multiple management turnovers and prolonged service outages. The speaker said King "went months without AC and heat. She also went almost 2 months...without hot water," and that managers provided three-day notices and prepared eviction filings while work was ongoing. The speaker also reported instances where court paperwork contained incorrect addresses, leaving tenants unaware of pending eviction actions.
Commission staff recommended residents seek assistance from Central Florida Legal Services and the local housing authority for intake and potential legal representation. The city attorney and staff noted that code enforcement and municipal leverage applies to building and safety code violations, but not directly to landlord–tenant deposit disputes or eviction legal process; the city offered to provide contact information for legal-aid intake services and the housing authority.
No formal city enforcement action was taken at the meeting; staff offered referrals and said they would follow up with available local resources.
