History OF THE DUUUVAL HOUSE

Duuuval House

Evictions and Ejectments

Florida Justus Holdings, Inc., became deed holder on Thursday September 20, 2018. Senior Partner, John M. Phillips, was in trial in Ft. Lauderdale, so he sent a team by consisting of his office manager (Teresa), one of his law partners (Kirby), a locksmith, an insurance agent and others to the 1611 East Duval to scope it out. After 6 months of waiting, it was finally ours. We wanted possession immediately. Besides, the next Jaguar game was September 23, 2018.

Despite appearing unoccupied for six months (except for event weekends), we weren’t sure if ejectment or evictions proceedings would slow us down. We were hoping no one answered the door. We were wrong.

It appears the owners found someone to squat on the property in the ultimate game of real estate chess. However, the individual was nice enough to let our team inside. What we saw was filth, occupancy by an apparent vagrant, open drug use and chicken bones and other refuse all over the floor. They described worse smells than sights. The back door appeared to be ajar as the new occupant had no lease and no keys.

He explained him his legal rights, but how the visible drug use (which was now allowed to be photographed) would put everyone in a difficult position. He agreed to vacate within 24 hours. We then phoned the person who proclaimed himself as the owner (he wasn’t). He argued that his tenant had squatter’s rights (he didn’t). We explained his squatter was gone. If he wanted anything out of the house, he, too, had 24 hours.

On September 21, 2018, the work in our home away from home started. We dubbed it the Duuuval House, as a play on the Duval House in the Keys, as a tribute to the chant heard around town of our county name and as a nod to a case we handled securing that the trademark rights of DUUUVAL were preserved for the people of Jacksonville despite the Jaguars attempting to hold same out as its intellectual property.