WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Some neighbors of a Winston-Salem apartment complex said they support the city's lawsuit against the property owners.
The city filed a lawsuit late last month against Rolling Hills which is owned by Monroe Group. Rolling Hills Apartments is located on Ferrell Court off New Walkertown Road.
The city said the management of Rolling Hills let criminal activity go unchecked on the property.
It is seeking a court order to confiscate the property. They said because of drug and illegal weapons activity Rolling Hills was indecent, dangerous, disgraceful and intolerable for the residents.
Neighbors said they've had to dodge and duck from bullets while in their homes and have complained to the owners but it has fallen on deaf ears.
They also said the property owners aren't doing enough to keep crime out of the complex so the city should take over.
"This property needs to be shut down, it's been a nuisance for years and this isn't something that just happened today, it comes down for a little while and then it starts right back up," tenant, Taisha Paul said.
Paul said her car and property inside her home were damaged several times by sporadic gunfire.
"My apartment has been shot at several times by stray bullets. It's very disheartening to be in your home minding your business and then all of a sudden you have bullets flying through your home and your children are walking around," Paul said.
The neighbors said the problem has festered for too long and agreed the city made the right move to sue the property owners.
"I feel like the court should rule and they should just take it," Cassandra Crocket, another tenant said.
Monroe Group said it has added more security patrols and monitored security cameras with speakers. They also requested to privatize Ferrell Court so they can install a gate.
Neighbors said that's not enough to fix the problem.
"They're going to keep telling you they'll do this or they'll do that. They put cameras up but this isn't the first time that they put cameras up," Crocket said.
The neighbors said they're concerned about the children who live there too.
"Forget about us -- do it for the kids -- rule it because at the end of the day it's going to keep happening," she added.
"I want everyone out here to be safe and if they feel like they can do that then they need to hand the property over to someone that can," Paul said.
Monroe group said they're voluntarily complying with the city's requests and are negotiating.
The city said its action is to require the property owner to develop comprehensive and aggressive long term measures to effectively address the nuisance activity.
