  We construct a class of linear partial differential equations describing
general perturbations of non-rotating black holes in 3D Cartesian coordinates.
In contrast to the usual approach, a single equation treats all radiative $\ell
-m$ modes simultaneously, allowing the study of wave perturbations of black
holes with arbitrary 3D structure, as would be present when studying the full
set of nonlinear Einstein equations describing a perturbed black hole. This
class of equations forms an excellent testbed to explore the computational
issues of simulating black spacetimes using a three dimensional adaptive mesh
refinement code. Using this code, we present results from the first fully
resolved 3D solution of the equations describing perturbed black holes. We
discuss both fixed and adaptive mesh refinement, refinement criteria, and the
computational savings provided by adaptive techniques in 3D for such model
problems of distorted black holes.
