Former tenant says Durham woman should fight landlord over repairs to moldy apartment

The Durham Housing Authority, which gives Hoyt vouchers each month to pay her rent, has repeatedly failed the home during annual inspections, and inspectors also failed it during a special inspection last month.

"You allowed the mildew to grow on utility closet wall, when the damage was seriously visible, then you decided to call Neighborhood Improvement Services, WRAL, Legal Aid and Durham Housing Authority," Dayal wrote in a message to Hoyt. "You purposely brought a mushroom from outside and placed it next to the kitchen cabinet just to take a picture in order to exploit. No one has witnessed live mushroom plant growth in the kitchen."

Dayal is notorious at the Durham County Courthouse, filing dozens of cases against tenants since 2012 to evict them or obtain more rent money from them.

One tenant decided to fight back, however, and won.

Tammie Gibson lived in a rooming house on Cecil Street that Dayal owns for about six months in 2019. She said Dayal raised her rent one day after she moved in and would never provide needed repairs.

"We would go for days where the water would back up into the kitchen sink with sludge – black sludge – and then we had rats on top of that," Gibson said.

Dayal sued Gibson for rent she allegedly owed, and Gibson filed a countersuit. Other problems she noted included a door that couldn't close properly, an unstable wheelchair ramp outside, an uneven stove responsible for at least one fire from pots falling off and a window where the glass panes had to be taped in place.

Dayal was forced to pay Gibson $1,200 to resolve the lawsuit.

'We'll probably be homeless:' Single mother stuck in moldy Durham rental home faces eviction, $17,000 in repairs

"She needs to be shut down," Gibson said, noting that she moved to Raleigh to avoid having to live in Dayal's properties. "She needs to be shut down and not own any of these boarding rooms or houses or anything."

Dayal was out of town on Friday and said she would call WRAL to respond, but she hadn't done so by Friday evening.

Gibson encouraged Hoyt to fight back as well.

"I feel so bad for this young lady. I hope she fights back because Ms. Sherry, she is the worst," Gibson said.

Hoyt is already working with Legal Aid of North Carolina, which said they have had cases against Dayal in the past.

"I want [Tia] to know that she can fight back and win. Don’t despair," Gibson said.