CANTON, MI — Some residents at Lincolnshire Village Apartments in Canton say they are living with conditions they believe are unsafe and unhealthy, including mold, water damage and electrical problems. Their complaints have now drawn in local, state and federal attention as township officials inspect the property and tenants seek help from elected leaders and legal services.
One resident said dark spots appeared on bathroom walls and the ceiling last year and kept coming back after management cleaned and painted over the area. She said she later paid for her own mold and air-quality testing after feeling she was not getting answers. Her concerns have since become part of a broader dispute over maintenance, communication and an eviction case tied to lease violations.
Tenant says mold returned after repeated complaints to management
The tenant, who asked not to be identified because of a personal safety concern, said the problem started as dark spotting in her bathroom. She said management first described it as mildew, then cleaned the area and painted over it. But she said the discoloration came back after the repairs.
When she reported the issue again this summer, she said she was told it would be tested, but that did not happen. Wanting answers, she hired Michigan Property Inspections to perform a mold test and quality air assessment. She shared findings with Local 4 that said surface sampling confirmed mold growth at all three locations tested, including her bathroom.
She said the testing confirmed what she already believed she was seeing and smelling in the unit. The tenant said the problem was not limited to one surface and that the visible damage suggested water was still getting in somewhere behind the walls or ceiling.
Resident faces eviction notice tied to lease violations
The same resident said her complaints have led to lease violations, and she is scheduled to go to court this week in an eviction matter. She shared the eviction notice with Local 4, and the notice listed several alleged violations.
One of the violations says she repeatedly refused to let management into the unit to inspect the ceiling. The tenant disputes that account and said the timeline in the notice is inaccurate. She said the property had not made the access attempts described in the paperwork.
Her case has become part of a larger feeling among residents that problems are not being handled in a straightforward way. For tenants worried about housing conditions, an eviction notice can add stress to an already difficult situation, especially when they believe the complaint itself triggered retaliation rather than a repair response.
Tenant association says residents struggle to get clear answers
Littiece Jones, founder and president of the Lincolnshire Village Tenant Association, said many residents have trouble getting clear information from management when maintenance issues come up. She said the lack of communication leaves people uncertain about whether problems are being addressed or ignored.
Jones said she wants federal housing officials and other governing agencies to investigate and make sure residents are heard. She said tenants need more than promises and paperwork; they need action that leads to repairs and accountability. Her question was direct: who will make sure the residents are heard and that something gets done?
The tenant association has become a way for residents to organize concerns that might otherwise be handled one by one. In this case, the complaints range from mold and water damage to broader worries about how management responds when tenants raise issues.
Officials say township inspections are about halfway done
A Canton Township official said inspectors are in the process of examining the buildings at Lincolnshire Village. He said the inspections are about halfway complete and the township hopes to finish the remaining work by October.
The township is also directing residents with concerns about property management to legal services. That response suggests officials are trying to separate building-condition questions from the tenant-landlord disputes that may require legal help. The inspections could help determine whether the reported problems involve isolated units or wider issues in the complex.
For residents, the pace of the review matters. If mold, water damage or other hazards are present, they want answers quickly. If the inspections turn up broader problems, the next steps could shape how much repair work the property must complete and how soon tenants see changes.
Debbie Dingell says she is working with HUD and township officials
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell said in a phone interview Monday that she is aware of the concerns at Lincolnshire Village. She said she is working with Canton Township and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Her involvement shows the complaints have reached beyond the apartment complex and into federal housing channels. For tenants, that can matter when local frustration has grown into a question about whether the property is being adequately monitored and whether residents have a path to enforcement.
The combination of township inspections, legal referrals and federal awareness leaves the situation in an active stage. Residents are still waiting for confirmation on the condition of the buildings and on how management will respond to the complaints already on record.
Property management did not respond to repeated requests for comment
Local 4 tried several times to reach the property management company that oversees Lincolnshire Village. The station called the office on the property and did not get an answer. It also called the office in Mount Pleasant, was forwarded to the regional vice president and left a voicemail.
Reporters also sent an email and went to the front office twice, including once before the 1:30 p.m. lunch break listed on the door and once shortly after the office was supposed to reopen at 2:30. No one answered, and there was still no response by Monday evening.
That lack of comment leaves the tenants’ claims and the eviction dispute unanswered from management’s side, at least for now. For residents describing mold, water damage and communication problems, the absence of a public response is likely to deepen concerns as inspections and legal review continue.
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