HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A Henrico County woman took her landlord to court over something she believes should have been simple to handle: getting her security deposit back. CBS 6's review of public complaints and court records revealed her experience may not be unique.
Sharon Holmes said she's put in hours of work trying to get money she believed she was owed.
“It’s insane. It really is insane," Holmes said as she showed CBS 6 the pages of court filings and documented communications involving a dispute with her previous landlord. “It’s a long process. It's a frustrating process.”
She's a former tenant of Marwaha Real Estate's Highland Pointe apartment complex in Henrico County.
After her lease expired in March 2025, she expected to receive her security deposit refund or disposition notice within 45 days, as is required under the Virginia Landlord and Tenant Act.
"Never got it, so I kept calling, and finally one of their employees was kind enough to send me the disposition letter in an email," Holmes said.
That letter, dated 71 days after she moved out, stated she would receive a partial refund of $820. Marwaha deducted $475 in charges including a carpet cleaning fee.
But Holmes said she didn't receive that money, which she added caused a financial strain.
“Because it's stressful, because you're counting on that money, you're trying to move, you're trying to get from point A to point B, and part of that is using that money to move along," Holmes said.
Then, Holmes filed what's known as a warrant in debt in small claims court and went before a judge in October 2025 to argue her case.
According to a court document, Marwaha did not show up for the hearing. A judge ruled in Holmes' favor, entering a judgment against the company for her full security deposit amount of $1,295 plus court costs and interest.
But still, Holmes said several more months went by, and a refund never arrived.
“As a tenant, I feel like I've been disrespected. Like I told the judge, it's not even about the money anymore. It's about the disrespect," Holmes said.
CBS 6 reached out to Marwaha about Holmes' case multiple times, and on April 7, director of operations Charles Webster responded that her judgment "has been satisfied." Later that same day, Holmes said she received a check for $1,405 in the mail.
According to the Better Business Bureau, at least four BBB consumer complaints alleging difficulties receiving a timely security deposit refund have been submitted against Marwaha since 2023. The website showed the company disputed two and did not answer the other two. When CBS 6 asked about the complaints, Webster said he was unaware of the ones that were outstanding until we shared them with him. He said Marwaha is researching and will respond accordingly.
Court documents showed at least two more warrant in debt claims have been filed against the company so far this year, both seeking a security deposit refund. One case remains pending, and the other resulted in a judgment for the security deposit amount. While the case disposition for the latter did not clearly state who the judgment is against, the tenant Jaquan Charles told CBS 6 the judge ruled in his favor and that Marwaha did not show up for the hearing. When CBS 6 asked about these cases, Webster declined to comment on the pending matter but said Charles' judgment "will be satisfied this week."
In a statement, Webster said, "We strive to comply with the terms of our leases and the law. We have over 600 residential units under management and most turnover without issue or complaint. Unfortunately, disputes are inevitable from time to time. If these disputes end in litigation, we comply with decisions of the court."
When asked why Holmes reached out to CBS 6 to share her story, she said, "Because it was my voice, and I wanted my voice to be heard."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
Watch Tyler Layne's reporting on CBS 6 and WTVR.com. Have something for Tyler to investigate? Email him.
