DarMikka Poage says she was sitting just a few feet from the front door when the shooting started.
“The bullets came through here and kind of went that way because they hit the mirror,” she told Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke.
She says she lived at the Landon Apartments in south Charlotte for years, and there were no problems until that day in April. She says someone shot into her apartment several times in the middle of the night.
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“There’s no way I’m staying here. I don’t feel safe,” she said.
It’s a similar story for Evelyn Roberts. She says she was living at Nu Hudson Apartments in Gastonia. She says there was a shooting in June and that her car was caught in the crossfire.
“[I] look and it had two bullet holes in the front,” she said.
And then earlier this month, there was a deadly shooting in the complex. “I just want peace and quiet, go do my job, come home. I stay to myself,” she said.
They both say they asked out of their leases, packed up and moved, and found out they may owe money for breaking the lease. So they pushed back.
“It’s been a nightmare because I’m on disability so my only income is my Social Security,” Roberts said.
Poage says her landlord sent her a notice threatening legal action.
“I am upset and it’s been so stressful. And I don’t think I’ve even really processed the shooting because I’ve been handling everything else on top of it so it’s just been stressful,” she said. She says they eventually reversed course and said they’d try to void the rest of her lease.
Action 9 emailed her complex, messaged them through their website, and left a voicemail, but the business didn’t respond in time for this report.
The complex where Evelyn Roberts lived emailed Action 9: “Resident safety and well-being remain our highest priority. We take any incident that impacts our residents or guests seriously, and we have consistently worked to be transparent, responsive, and cooperative with local authorities whenever situations arise.
Following this incident, we worked directly with the resident to understand her concerns and provide support during a challenging time. We collaborated with her to find a resolution that allowed her to move forward with her relocation plans and transition from the community ahead of the original lease timeline.
Our communities are built on creating positive living environments, and we have established screening and leasing processes that are applied consistently to all applicants in accordance with Fair Housing guidelines. When residents or guests violate community standards or the terms of their lease agreements, we take appropriate action in accordance with the law.
As a company, our mission extends beyond improving properties; we are committed to enhancing neighborhoods and creating communities where residents can feel proud to live. We are continuously evaluating additional ways to support our residents, including exploring enhanced security measures, while continuing to identify opportunities to strengthen the overall resident experience.
While every resident situation is unique and evaluated based on its individual circumstances, we remain committed to working thoughtfully with our residents and addressing concerns in a responsible manner.
Stoogenke asked whether Roberts had to pay a penalty to leave early.
Due to resident privacy considerations, we are unable to comment on specific details regarding an individual resident’s lease, account, or financial arrangements. However, we can share that we worked directly with the resident to help facilitate a resolution and support her transition from the community.
The resident’s account was handled in accordance with the signed lease agreement, applicable state guidelines, and established industry standards. We worked collaboratively with the resident to allow her to move forward with her relocation plans ahead of the original lease timeline.
We take resident concerns seriously and strive to address each situation thoughtfully while following the terms of our agreements and applicable requirements. Our communities are committed to providing safe, positive living environments, and we continuously evaluate opportunities to strengthen the resident experience and address concerns responsibly."
At last check, Roberts said she was losing money.
Stoogenke says:
- A landlord owes you some duty to keep the property secure (things like working locks on doors, etc.)
- It doesn’t necessarily mean extra security.
- That said, it’s perfectly fair to ask your landlord to make security improvements.
- You can always ask out of your lease, but the landlord doesn’t have to say yes.
- If you decide to break your lease, you have to weigh the cost.