MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It was hard for Antwaun Williams to control his emotions Wednesday morning.
“They can just get off and do anything,” exclaimed Williams with tears rolling down his eyes.
Williams sat patiently in Environmental Court, listening to code enforcement officers tell the court Eden at Watersedge had come into compliance after numerous violations.
Investigators said workers had repaired all the air conditioning units that previously weren’t working.
Williams said, “That’s more than a slap in the face, that’s just telling me you don`t care!”
Williams’ unit had just been repaired.
Then hours later, early Wednesday morning his apartment caught fire.
“I had four hours to enjoy my life in my house and then I lose it.”
WREG has long profiled problems at the complex.
We recently talked with Williams, one of many residents who’d been living at the Fox Meadows complex without a working air conditioner.
After being cited for numerous violations, the complex began making repairs late last week.
The fire broke out in Williams’ unit shortly after midnight.
The Memphis Fire Department told WREG the fire was caused by a bad electrical outlet.
Williams questions whether it could have been shoddy repair work.
“Why when you hook up an air conditioning unit, my whole apartment burn down?”
The city raised a similar concern last week in Environmental Court, and even it came up again Wednesday.
A worker from Code Enforcement said that despite all the corrections, “some of the work is not being done in the correct manner.”
Attorney Bruce Feldbaum represents Eden and its parent company New Life Property Management.
He said, “This is an 800-unit apartment complex, apartment community, they’re doing the best they can.”
He says the company that brags about peaceful and affordable living on its website is doing its part.
“Yes they’re entitled to safe, sanitary and healthy housing. They’re doing the best they can and they believe they now have it under control.”
However, Williams said it’s not enough.
“How can they be in so compliance and they watching people, I could have died last night!”
The case goes back to Environmental Court August 2.
