Resident evicted from apartment after complaining about deplorable conditions

Mushrooms seen growing out of ceiling, mold found throughout apartment building

MIAMI ā€“ "It is terrible. I am going through holy hell," said Shannon Daniels who lives in a Liberty City apartment complex that is overgrown with mushrooms on the ceiling, fecal matter and mold.

Daniels told Local 10 News she is about to be evicted for refusing to pay rent since her landlord has not kept the building up to code.

"I actually had to complain," said Daniels. "The toilet is not even mounted to the floor. I have to put down towels, and the towels are completely moldy."

When Daniels complained and nothing was done she withheld the rent and was summarily evicted. She has until Monday to get out.

"I want to leave so bad," said Daniels. "I have been trying to, but I can never save up enough money to go."

Local 10 News learned the building owner hasn't just neglected this property in Miami, but others as well. He also didn't pay a $900,000 water bill at a complex in Houston, Texas, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy over a 518-unit building in Indianapolis.

Meanwhile, the owners reportedly live in a multimillion-dollar mansion in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

"What am I supposed to do?" asked Daniels. "I am stuck between a rock and hard place."

Daniels said others don't complain for fear of being kicked out.

"This is a problem that we have in the inner city of Miami," said City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado. "Absentee landlords that just don't care. They even ignore the liens from code enforcement."