JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The City of Jacksonville is investigating one of its employees after a resident claimed a city worker told her family to stop filing complaints about problem properties in her neighborhood.
The woman, who lives on Kingsbury Street and asked to remain anonymous, told News4JAX she was startled when a code compliance worker came to her door Monday.
“Honestly, I was a bit scared to answer the door because I didn’t know what he was going to say to me,” she said.
The woman shared a photo that shows her speaking with the city employee, which she said was captured by her Ring camera.
An incident she said crossed the line.
“The very first thing he said was, ‘I know you’re the person who’s making all of these reports. You need to stop,’” she said.
According to the woman, the employee explained that every time a case opens, he has to respond.
The reports that the worker is referencing deals with two problem homes on her block.
Monday, News4JAX told you neighbors on that street feel like squatters are engaging in illegal activities at those properties.
There are seven active code compliance cases between both homes, ranging from nuisance to junk vehicles.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to one home on Kingsbury Street 15 times from the beginning of the year to Oct. 19.
And they’ve responded to other on Kingsbury Street 58 times during the same time period.
Calls at both homes range from squatting to drug investigations.
News4JAX asked the city whether code compliance workers are allowed to tell residents to stop submitting complaints. A city spokesperson responded:
“Our team is trained to not influence citizens to increase or decrease complaints for any reason.”
The spokesperson also confirmed that Municipal Code Compliance is investigating the incident involving the employee.
The resident said she is worried about possible retaliation.
“The last thing we need is retaliation from the city as well, in the form of anger or dismissal,” she said.
She added that she fears other residents might also have been discouraged from filing reports.
News4JAX spoke with one of the property owners, who said squatters have caused problems and that they plan to tear down the home. The other homeowner did not respond to requests for comment.
We also spoke with the relative of the owner of the other house who said the problem she’s having is that the home belonged to her mom and aunt, who have both died, and neither had a will leaving it to her. So, the home has to go through probate in Virginia first and then Florida, before she can deal with the squatter problem.
News4JAX also asked the city how long the investigation into the code compliance worker will take and we’re still waiting to hear back.