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“Ghost” Notice to Vacate and “Renovations” Pretext Email

Exhibit: Received from Meridian: May 29, 2025 attachment-only “ghost” Notice to Vacate email and June 4, 2025 Dana DeVoe‑Riddick email claiming owner renovations as the reason for non-renewal at 181 Gordon St, Charleston.

Documents Overview

Charleston County Court of Common Pleas Case number: 2025-CP-10-05095
Filing Date: October 24, 2025
Documents:

May 29, 2025 "Ghost" empty email with attached unsigned Notice to Vacate (NTV) from AppFolio automated email with no personal attribution,
June 4, 2025 "owner wants renovations" email from Meridian Assistant Manager, with same unsigned NTV;
Unsigned NTV.

Part of: Motion for Leave to File Second Amended Complaint - Exhibit A of Second Amended Complaint which is Exhibit A of the Motion.

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Executive Summary

This exhibit set contains two key emails surrounding Meridian Residential Group’s Notice to Vacate (NTV) at 181 Gordon St:

A May 29, 2025 “ghost” email showing no message body and no meaningful sender attribution beyond “Meridian Residential Group,” with only an attached, unsigned/attachment-only NTV; and
A June 4, 2025 email from Meridian Assistant Manager Dana DeVoe‑Riddick asserting the “owner has decided to do some renovations” as the reason for the demanded move-out by July 31, 2025 ...

... a rationale Plaintiffs contend was contradicted by subsequent conduct, including immediate showings to prospective replacement tenants.

Timeline Context

Just before:

April 2–3, 2025: Meridian (Stephanie Phillips) scheduled a “Rescheduled Unit Inspection” for the next day and then stated it “cannot be rescheduled” (set for 1:00pm), despite Plaintiffs’ request to coordinate due to work and managing their elderly dog.
May 8, 2025: Stephanie Phillips asserted Meridian was “unable to uphold the terms” of the lease because it did not appear signed/acknowledged by prior management; Plaintiffs responded with legal correction and documentation of lease continuity based on rent acceptance and course-of-performance.
May 23, 2025: Plaintiffs sent a good-faith, mostly safety-related renewal email and followed up when the portal lease options disappeared, assuming month-to-month continuation absent a revised lease to review/sign.

Just after:

June 29, 2025: Plaintiffs later learned (after the fact) that the property was listed for rent while still occupied, consistent with the “listing with tenant images and showings” timeline event.
July 15, 2025: A showing was scheduled while Plaintiffs were still in possession, despite the earlier “renovations” narrative.
July 15, 2025: Matterport shoot occurred inside the occupied home, after an AI-removal promise made the day before, raising the obvious sequencing question (why create a pre-renovation virtual tour if renovations were supposedly imminent).

Context: This “just before / just after” window matters because it brackets the escalation pattern.

Plaintiffs repeatedly challenged Meridian communications they viewed as legally inaccurate (inspection timing/entry expectations and lease enforceability), then made a documented good-faith safety/renewal outreach, and soon thereafter the property moved into an apparent marketing/showing workflow (including a Matterport capture) that Plaintiffs contend was inconsistent with the stated “renovations” rationale.

Media Inquiries

For questions about this exhibit, or the case in general, contact:
Chris McNeil, Pro Se Plaintiff
Email: Click here to email with web form
Case: 2025-CP-10-05095, Charleston County Court of Common Pleas

Document Access

“Ghost” Notice to Vacate + “Renovations” Pretext Email (May 29 & June 4, 2025)

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