Charlotte tenant says she isn’t getting help after tree fell on apartment and created hole

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - There are some big problems at one Charlotte apartment complex.

One woman contacted WBTV after, she says, a tree fell on her home, creating a hole she can’t seem to get fixed.

“My son called me and told me um, mama, tree done fell in our apartment, I said what, " said Jowanda Sturdivant.

It’s not the call Sturdivant was hoping to get.

She says she’s been living at the Scarlet Pointe Apartments for three years.

Tuesday morning, she says, out of nowhere a tree fell and created a hole in her bedroom ceiling while her husband was sleeping.

“He just jumped up – he was scared.”

Sturdivant says, someone removed tree parts from the outside, but inside, there’s still the hole and tree parts all over her room.

“Ugh, that’s rough, that’s stressful, that’s stressful, we’ve been going through a lot of issues with this apartment.”

She says she called the complex several times Tuesday but didn’t get a response.

The same thing happened to WBTV’s Dee Dee Gatton as you can see in a confirmation email to which there was no reply as of Wednesday at 5:30 pm.

“I’m tired of calling, nobody ain’t gonna help,” Sturdivant said.

With five children living with her here, she says, it’s a safety issue.

“Can y’all please come and fix this hole in my ceiling so won’t crawl in? I got children and a husband here, my husband, he’s sick. We’re just going through too much stress with this apartment.”

WBTV reached out to the President of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Piedmont and Western North Carolina Tom Bartholomy.

Bartholomy says the lease should spell out specifically what a tenant should do in this situation.

He advises you to take pictures, which Sturdivant’s family did, and document everything.

If there still isn’t action, he says, a tenant can file a BBB complaint or go to small claims.

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