Local Woman Sues Apartment Complex After Fire Leaves Her Homeless, Alleging Years of Neglect
A devastating apartment fire in Farmington Hills has left a woman and her two daughters homeless, but she's now taking the complex to court. Theresa Stott claims that years-long pattern of neglect by the property management company led up to the blaze.
According to Stott, the fire began at around 10 pm on April 19th inside the Botsford Place Terrace Apartments complex, where she and her family had lived for over five years. When firefighters arrived, they spent several hours battling the flames, which damaged eight units and caused a partial floor collapse. Miraculously, all residents escaped safely, but Stott disputes this account.
"I had just put away groceries and shut off the bathroom light when I started hearing what sounded like running water," she said in an interview with Metro Times. "When I went back into the bathroom, smoke was pouring out of the ceiling vent. What I was hearing wasn't water. It was wiring crackling."
Stott claims that smoke alarms did not go off during the fire and provided video evidence to support her claim.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but it appears to have started in a "concealed space between the first and second floor in the wall and ceiling." Farmington Hills Fire Marshal Jason Baloga insists that smoke alarms were working at the time of the blaze. However, Stott disputes this account and claims that management failed to enforce safety protocols.
The lawsuit alleges years-long pattern of neglect, including ignored maintenance requests, unsafe electrical conditions, heat outages, and failure to protect tenants from a neighbor who had threatened them. Stott also claims retaliation against her after repeated complaints.
The fire destroyed most of Stott's possessions, but Baloga says firefighters tried to salvage what they could.
"The fire is a great opportunity to remind people to test their smoke alarms monthly and make sure there are batteries in those and that they are working properly," he said. "That's the best way to prevent injuries."
The city will help install smoke alarms if residents call 248-871-2800 or email [email protected].
Stott is pursuing her case without an attorney, feeling bullied in court but determined to see justice served.
"I lost my whole life in that fire. I worked really hard, and now I have nothing," she said.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help Stott and her daughters rebuild their lives.
A devastating apartment fire in Farmington Hills has left a woman and her two daughters homeless, but she's now taking the complex to court. Theresa Stott claims that years-long pattern of neglect by the property management company led up to the blaze.
According to Stott, the fire began at around 10 pm on April 19th inside the Botsford Place Terrace Apartments complex, where she and her family had lived for over five years. When firefighters arrived, they spent several hours battling the flames, which damaged eight units and caused a partial floor collapse. Miraculously, all residents escaped safely, but Stott disputes this account.
"I had just put away groceries and shut off the bathroom light when I started hearing what sounded like running water," she said in an interview with Metro Times. "When I went back into the bathroom, smoke was pouring out of the ceiling vent. What I was hearing wasn't water. It was wiring crackling."
Stott claims that smoke alarms did not go off during the fire and provided video evidence to support her claim.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but it appears to have started in a "concealed space between the first and second floor in the wall and ceiling." Farmington Hills Fire Marshal Jason Baloga insists that smoke alarms were working at the time of the blaze. However, Stott disputes this account and claims that management failed to enforce safety protocols.
The lawsuit alleges years-long pattern of neglect, including ignored maintenance requests, unsafe electrical conditions, heat outages, and failure to protect tenants from a neighbor who had threatened them. Stott also claims retaliation against her after repeated complaints.
The fire destroyed most of Stott's possessions, but Baloga says firefighters tried to salvage what they could.
"The fire is a great opportunity to remind people to test their smoke alarms monthly and make sure there are batteries in those and that they are working properly," he said. "That's the best way to prevent injuries."
The city will help install smoke alarms if residents call 248-871-2800 or email [email protected].
Stott is pursuing her case without an attorney, feeling bullied in court but determined to see justice served.
"I lost my whole life in that fire. I worked really hard, and now I have nothing," she said.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help Stott and her daughters rebuild their lives.
can u even imagine not having a home after yrs of paying rent ?? 
theresa stotts story sounds like a nightmare she deserves justice & help for herself & her kiddos 
This whole situation is so heartbreaking... I just can't even imagine what it would be like to go through a fire like that and then find out the place you called home for years was supposed to be safe 
. And the worst part is, it sounds like there's been a pattern of neglect at this apartment complex for years - it's just not right 
.
. I mean, if she had just heard that water sound... who knows what could've happened? It's a huge wake-up call for all of us to make sure our homes are safe and secure 
. Fingers crossed that justice is served and they get the help they need to rebuild their lives 
.
The fact that smoke alarms didn't go off during the blaze just blows my mind... what if someone had been hurt or worse? 
And what's with the whole "you lost your whole life in that fire" thing? Like, yeah, I know, it's devastating, but don't make it sound like you're some kind of total victim or anything... still, though, I'm rooting for her and her daughters - they deserve all the help they can get 
and enforced safety protocols. i'm so sorry for theresa stott and her daughters, losing everything in an instant is just devastating 
. hopefully justice is served soon 
and those responsible get held accountable
. I can only imagine how scary it must have been for them when the fire started, especially since she claims the smoke alarms didn't go off 
.
. Maybe this can be an opportunity for change in their community, so no one else has to go through what they're going through 
.
. It's infuriating that management failed to enforce safety protocols and retaliated against Stott when she tried to complain 
. The city should be ashamed of this 
.
like what if it was ur home? they got the cash, fix da problems or get outta da way 