An embattled landlord in The Villages has won additional time to work on a problematic property.
The rental property at 1005 Aloha Way on the Historic Side of The Villages was the subject of a code enforcement hearing Tuesday morning at Lady Lake Town Hall.
Landlord Daniel O’Neil has previously been called before the town’s special magistrate in connection with another of his rental properties on Aloha Way. That tenant has described horrid conditions including mold, flooding and windows nailed shut.
O’Neil is already facing more than $4,000 in potential fines due to the problems at his rental properties.
The tenants at 1005 Aloha Way also have complained about problems at their rental property. Jennifer Schmied, 43, told Special Magistrate Joshua Bills that she suffers from lupus and the mold in the heating and air conditioning unit at the rental property is bad for her health. There are also said to be problems with electrical wiring and water damage. She and Nathan Zyontz have lived there since 2020 and currently have a one-year lease. They said they don’t have the funds to move out.
“We have given him two years to fix these things. Never once did we withhold our rent. He wants to make us homeless because we asked for things to be fixed,” Schmied said.
She described receiving a suspicious-looking eviction notice from O’Neil and said he has threatened to shut off their water on April 4.
Since a hearing in February, O’Neil has retained attorney Robert Bone, a former Leesburg mayor. Bone was recently in local headlines after allegedly biting an EMT who was attempting to provide medical care to Bone, who has a long history of community involvement in Leesburg.
Bone conceded that his client handled the eviction notice improperly and promised that the water won’t be shut off on April 4. However, Bone said the couple has not been willing to provide access to workers to make the necessary repairs to the manufactured home.
Bone said O’Neil needs time to get the process moving in the right direction.
Things were tense at the hearing. Two police officers were present and O’Neil got up and left the room after accusing his tenants of “perjury.”
The special magistrate acknowledged that the situation is volatile.
“This is a pretty difficult case with strong emotions on both sides,” Bills said.
The next hearing is set for April 25 and the special magistrate said he hopes to see progress prior to that date. He warned O’Neil’s attorney, of the importance of coming into compliance with the town’s code.
“I want your client to take this seriously. I hope the two parties will work together and with the town,” Bills said.
