CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – On March 9, 2023, we spoke with UNC Charlotte student, Taitum James, about the conditions at East Village Apartments, a complex in the university area.

“It’s still very horrible,” James said back then when talking about everything she and some other residents were going through.

The complex is billed as off-campus student housing but is not affiliated with UNC Charlotte. The management company, Asset Living, has had issues. First, the delay in construction caused residents to live in hotels, then problems brought up by James showing flooding apartments, and trash piling up.

“There were a lot of people reaching out to me, my roommates saying thank you so much for putting our issues out there and making a change,” added James.

James wasn’t the only one receiving messages, Queen City News got messages from students with one saying, “Maybe something will be done, and I can feel comfortable and safe in my apartment.”

After the story aired, East Village management agreed to meet with Taitum James.

“It kept getting pushed back and the next communication I had from East Village was the defamation papers,” she said.

An attorney for the complex sent a letter to James giving her 14 days to take down her social media posts, and comments about management, or risk a defamation of character lawsuit.

“I couldn’t believe it,” says James after reading the letter again. “I was really shocked. My first thought was what did I lie about, what did I do wrong?”

We reached out to the law firm and management company Asset Living. A spokesperson for Asset Living referred Queen City News back to the attorney’s office, but there has been no response. Taitum James also called the attorney and has not heard back yet, but she has spoken with her parents.

“Looking at my options at this point,” added James. “But I’m excited to see what the future will hold with this, and I hope for a positive outcome.”