At a Glance
- Patricia Shields claims venomous spiders in her Florida apartment led to two toe amputations.
- She alleges Grand Oak Apartments refused to release her from her lease despite the infestation.
- The lawsuit seeks $50,000 for medical costs and damages.
- Why it matters: The case highlights tenant rights when landlords ignore dangerous living conditions.
A Florida woman says she was forced to undergo two toe amputations after repeated bites from venomous spiders in her subsidized apartment, and now she’s suing the landlord she claims refused to let her leave the lease.
The Infestation Begins
According to a lawsuit filed November 25, 2025 in Pinellas County Court, Patricia Shields moved into Grand Oak Apartments in Largo, Fla., in November 2024. Within two weeks she says she spotted spiders crawling from the bathroom vent.
Shields, who lives on a fixed income and receives Section 8 housing assistance, notified management. Their response, she alleges: they only handle cockroach complaints; she could pay for her own vent cleaning.
Escalating Bites and Medical Crisis
By early 2025 the spiders began biting. The first bite landed on her forehead; more followed on her legs. Each required doctor visits and ongoing treatment, the suit states.
Shields captured several arachnids in a plastic bag and brought them to the leasing office. Staff dismissed them as “not venomous,” according to the complaint. Online research led her to identify one as a brown recluse, a species whose neurotoxic venom can destroy skin tissue, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Timeline of Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Nov 2024 | Shields moves into Grand Oak Apartments |
| Dec 2024 | First spiders appear in bathroom vent |
| Early 2025 | Bites begin on forehead and legs |
| June 2025 | Bite on big toe leads to first amputation |
| Aug 2025 | Second toe amputated after another bite |
| Nov 25 2025 | Lawsuit filed seeking $50,000 |
Amputations and Eviction Threat
In June 2025 Shields says she was walking out of her bathroom when a large brown spider bit her big toe. The wound worsened until doctors removed the toe and warned her she was “risking her life” by staying in the unit, the suit claims.
Grand Oak Apartments still refused to release her from the lease, according to the filing. Two months later a second bite cost her the adjacent toe. Altogether she suffered nine confirmed spider bites, the lawsuit alleges.
Unable to break the lease, Shields moved out and has been homeless since, couch-surfing while medical bills mount.
Legal Claims
The $50,000 suit accuses the complex of negligence, breach of implied warranty of habitability, and retaliatory conduct. Because Shields participates in the Section 8 program, the complaint argues the landlord had an additional duty to provide safe, sanitary conditions.
Sophia A. Reynolds reported the story for News Of Losangeles. The outlet has reached out to Grand Oak Apartments for comment; none has been provided so far.
Tenant Rights Spotlight
Florida law requires landlords to maintain rental units in a condition fit for human habitation. When dangerous pests render a property unsafe, tenants may argue the unit has become “legally uninhabitable,” potentially justifying lease termination without penalty.
Shields’ case underscores how low-income renters can face outsized risks when repairs are ignored. Section 8 vouchers typically limit participants’ rent contributions to about 30 % of adjusted income, leaving little room for emergency relocation costs.
Key Takeaways
- Patricia Shields endured nine spider bites, two toe amputations, and homelessness, according to her lawsuit.
- She claims Grand Oak Apartments refused to treat the infestation or release her from her lease.
- The suit seeks $50,000 for medical expenses, pain, and suffering.
- Advocates say the case could influence how Florida landlords handle severe pest complaints from subsidized tenants.
Shields told West Palm Beach’s WBDJ the ordeal has been painful physically and emotionally. “They hurt. They burned. It’s a burning feeling,” she said, adding that explaining her missing toes is “embarrassing.” After a year of surgeries, homelessness, and legal filings, she says she simply wants closure: “It’s been a long year, I just want it to be over.”
