Repeat apartment flooding leaves Cary woman homeless

Sarah Anderson-Bereznicki, a scientist with the Environmental Protection Agency, said Wednesday that she has had nothing but problems since she moved into the upscale Century Preston Reserve complex last year.

On Saturday, a leaky pipe from an upstairs unit flooded her apartment. She moved her belongings into the garage, but on Monday, a water heater from a different unit leaked, flooding the garage.

"This is a dire straits emotional situation that nobody should be in," she said.

Anderson-Bereznicki said the complex has given her little assistance and she suspects it's because the former owner, the Centennial Holding Company of Atlanta, sold the property Tuesday to new owners from Greensboro.

"I've been pretty much left to fend for myself through all of this and run away from water, and it's exhausting," she said.

She has moved into the complex's model unit but has been unable to speak with the new owners about what her options are.

"Legally, right now, I am homeless. I'm squatting in a model unit here, praying to God they don't come in while I'm at work and try and touch my stuff," she said.

After speaking with neighbors, Anderson-Bereznicki said she believes her misfortune is not isolated.

"I have all the neighbors adjacent to me telling me that that whole end of the building, they're having problems, too," she said.

Anderson-Bereznicki said she and other tenants want answers and repairs.

"They're trying to squash me into the ground and make me just tuck my tail between my legs and go away – all for the sake of a business transaction," she said.

Anderson-Bereznicki has renter's insurance, but said that because she moved her things into the garage, she can't file a claim.

Centennial Holding Company could not be reached this week, but a representative from the company that managed the property declined to comment. The new owners also had no comment.