MEMPHIS, Tenn. — More complaints are being made about the living conditions at a troubled Whitehaven apartment complex.
Alicia Owens says flooding, mold, mildew, and rodents have made her home at the Pepper Tree Apartments an unfit place to live with her 11-year-old daughter.
“We already have to deal with the gunshots and people getting killed over there. It’s not safe for any family, to begin with, because of what is going on in there but then when I have to deal with my apartment being flooded,” said Owens.
In the past, residents have complained to WREG about crime and rundown apartments at the Section 8 complex on Graceland Drive. Owens said it took nearly one month for managers to address a clogged pipe that flooded her apartment, and they still haven’t finished the job.
“The carpet still has water in them. They came out and took out the padding underneath the carpet, but the carpet is still there,” said Owens. “It is what has mold and mildew in it.”
Owens showed us video of a broken pipe in her wall and video of her carpeting partially pulled up and wet.
She said her apartment complex has no plans to put in new carpeting, and she said when crews dug up her bedroom floor to fix the clogged pipe, they also knocked out her power.
“It sounded like they hit something, and my lights went out,” said Owens.
A WREG investigation nearly two years ago showed thousands of calls to Memphis code enforcement for things like broken AC’s, rats, bugs, mold, leaky ceilings, and fire damage.
Tenants complain of crime, trash and more at troubled Whitehaven apartment complex
Owens said she and her daughter had to spend the night in a hotel, and Tuesday, they started moving out.
“There is no way on earth I would let my daughter stay in that apartment tonight. There’s not. I mean, it hurts my feeling to think those people are that heartless they would leave my apartment like that for all those days,” Owens said.
We tried to contact Pepper Tree Apartments to find out what they are doing to address the problem but have not heard back from them.
Owens said this was the fifth time in two years that here apartment has been flooded.
