JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Attorneys have filed a class action lawsuit against a Jacksonville-based property management company, alleging it charged tenants excessive and unlawful fees in violation of Florida’s consumer protection laws.
The lawsuit centers on the experience of Felicia Joyner, who lived at The Reef Apartments on Mayport Road. Joyner lost her job shortly after moving in and, unable to keep up with rent, was eventually evicted. She expected to owe back rent, but was shocked when she received a bill nearly seven times the amount she owed.
“I didn’t know what to do. I was so frustrated. I was upset. I was crying,” Joyner said in an interview with News4JAX consumer investigator Tiffany Salameh.
Joyner said she originally owed about $4,600 in unpaid rent for December and January. However, the collection notice she received demanded nearly $35,000.
“I feel like I was losing my mind,” Joyner said. “If I was having a hard time covering monthly rent, how was I going to come up with $35,000?”
Attorneys Max Story and James Tyer, who are leading the class action effort, said the property management company’s practices violate the Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act as well as the Florida Consumer Collections Practices Act.
“When she showed me the paperwork that she was now indebted to them for $35,000, I was astounded,” Story said. “They charged her the entire balance of the remaining lease term. That’s just clearly against the Florida tenant laws, so we knew there was a problem there. They start with a balance that isn’t appropriate or legal, and then they tack a 40% charge on top of that for their collection fee.”
Tyer said the goal of the lawsuit is not only to help Joyner but also to stop the company’s alleged practice of charging excessive “junk fees” to other tenants.
“We know that there are many people out there dealing with the same thing,” Tyer said. “We want compensation for all the trouble they’ve had to deal with and all the damages they’ve suffered. But we also want them to stop this practice. We want them to fix these problems and stop charging tenants all these unlawful fees.”
How a $4,600 debt turned into $35,000
Joyner’s attorneys provided a breakdown of the charges:
- Previous rent: $5,640 (about $1,000 more than what Joyner says she owed)
- Concession payback: $2,050 (for a first-month rent special)
- Remaining rent charges: $17,032 (for the remaining eight months on her lease)
Under Florida law, landlords typically cannot immediately demand payment for the entire remaining lease term after an eviction. Instead, they are required to try to re-rent the unit and can only charge tenants for rent during the vacancy period. In Joyner’s case, attorneys said the apartment was re-rented by May — yet she was billed in February for months she should not have been liable for.
On top of those charges, a 40% collection surcharge was added to the total balance, bringing it to $34,652.
The lawsuit claims these fees were buried in fine print at the back of the lease agreement, in sections that were not directly signed by Joyner.
“All of these junk fees were buried literally in fine print on the backside of the signature page,” Story said. “Just because it’s in the lease doesn’t mean it’s legal.”
Joyner said she did not realize when signing her lease that she could be responsible for such high fees.
“I read through it, but where my attorney pointed out where the fees were listed, that page doesn’t have my signature,” Joyner said. “I didn’t see it during the time of signing the lease.”
The lawsuit, filed in March, is still in its early stages. If a judge certifies the case as a class action, anyone who was charged similar fees by LVL Living or The Reef Apartments would automatically be included — unless they choose to opt out.
Those affected would receive notice by mail and could potentially receive compensation if the case is successful.
News4JAX has reached out to LVL Living multiple times, including visiting its offices in person, but has not yet received a response.
Joyner said she hopes her experience will warn others about the importance of carefully reviewing lease agreements.
“I just want other people to come forward and tell their story,” she said. “If you can, have an attorney review your lease before you sign it.”