HICKORY, N.C. — Power was cut off at several apartment complexes in Hickory on Thursday.
The lights went out at Camden Meadows, Keating Pointe and Waverly Ridge around 3 p.m. on Thursday.
The apartments are subsidized through the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Kelli Rucker showed Channel 9’s Dave Faherty around her apartment. Like 60 other families, her power had been cut off and her apartment was lit by candles.
“I have no food,” she said. “I have no power, no A.C., nothing. I can’t even take a hot shower. My daughter can’t take a hot shower.”
The management for the complexes, Bar Residential Development, is located in Myrtle Beach. They took over the management for the complexes two months ago.
Residents told Faherty that their power bill is covered by their rent. And the management is responsible for paying Duke Energy.
Families at Waverly Ridge gathered outside the offices Friday morning searching for answers.
“My food is gone,” resident Shawanna Reid said. “My food in the freezer has gone bad. In the freezer and the refrigerator.”
The landlord told Faherty that he was unaware of the missing payment until 2 p.m. Thursday, shortly before the power was turned off.
“They shouldn’t have cut the power off,” said resident Brady Perkins. “They should have informed us, ‘hey, we’re gonna cut the power off.’ But they didn’t even inform us on that.”
Faherty spoke with the management company, which said about 60 apartment units are without power.
They also told Faherty that they didn’t know of a P.O. box that the bills were being sent to.
Duke Energy said a bill is not considered past due until it is 25 days late. And they will send a notice of disconnection no more than three days before turning off someone’s power.
Bar Residential said it had no idea there was a problem until Thursday and said they were working quickly to get the power restored.
“We are going to give them gift cards to take care of the foods they have lost because of lost of power,” said building manager Cheryl Pate. “We’re gonna do everything we can to compensate the residents.”
Thirty families were placed in hotels on Thursday night, according to Bar Residential. They told Faherty more families would be put in motels on Friday night.
A few families at Waverly Ridge told Faherty that their power had been turned on.
The city mayor told Faherty this is not the first time something like this has happened. The company was behind on its water bill for a time. It has since been paid.
This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.
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