Amy Vasquez and her seven kids moved into an apartment complex in Duncanville last year and all was well until a nasty mess came rushing through their home.
On July 13, a plumbing issue caused a wet mess and Vasquez was left to clean it up.
"It was coming up out of the washer drain and the kitchen sink," she said. "We opened up the back door and just started sweeping it all out. There was no stopping it. It just flowed and flowed and flowed until it covered the whole bottom floor."
Vasquez then discovered the mysterious stream flowing throughout her apartment unit wasn’t just water.
"We were walking around in sewage," she said. "You could actually see feces in my sink. It was pretty disgusting."
Vasquez said she called the emergency contact for their complex and received no response. She then contacted her apartment management.
"I pretty much went into a crying fit," she said. "I went to the office and asked them, 'Can we move into another unit?' And he says, 'No, not at all.'"
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Vasquez' feelings of disgust quickly turned into concerns for her family’s health.
"I have a daughter that takes a weekly chemo shot and her immune system is compromised," she said. "Something that we can fight off easily can put her in the hospital."
The next evening, someone was sent out to clean the apartment and fix the plumbing. But weeks later, Vasquez said the leftover damage from the water still lingered throughout her home.
"The drawer fell apart because it was just full of water and sewage," she said.
And the hole in the wall that was made to reach the clogged drain was still there.
"I would feel better if they could just move me to a different unit so they can properly do everything around here," Vasquez said.
Months after the incident, Vasquez said the damage remains with no word from management on repairs. So she called NBC 5 Responds for help.
One of the issues is that the apartment complex was recently sold to new owners. We contacted a manager who said they will fix some of the family's concerns in the kitchen, including the hole in the wall, the broken cabinet and the board underneath the sink. As far as moving the family, the manager said they don’t have another open unit.
Vasquez said the repairs just doesn’t cut it.
"This is all contaminated," she said.
If this ever happens to you, the Texas Apartment Association says to notify the complex and then send a certified letter. If there is no response, you can repair the issue yourself and deduct the cost from your rent or terminate the lease on your own. However, you may want to consult an attorney first.
Consumers may also consider going to a Justice of the Peace for an order to complete repairs.
One warning for consumers: Do not refuse to pay your rent. That’s a violation of your lease and can lead to eviction.
(ANCHOR)
A DUNCANVILLE MOTHER SPENT THE SUMMER TRYING TO KEEP HER KIDS SAFE FROM A HAZARD IN THEIR OWN HOME.
AND WHEN SHE COULDN’T SEEM TO GET HELP— NBC 5 RESPONDS STEPPED IN.
WE WANT TO WARN YOU THAT SOME OF THE VIDEO WE’RE ABOUT TO SHOW WAS SHOT FROM THE WOMAN HERSELF, AND IT SHOWS RAW SEWAGE. IT MAY BE DISTURBING FOR SOME VIEWERS. CONSUMER REPORTER SAMANTHA CHATMAN IS HERE TO EXPLAIN THE MESS.
(SAMANTHA)
THE MOTHER AND HER SEVEN KIDS MOVED INTO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IN DUNCANVILLE LAST YEAR.
ALL WAS WELL – UNTIL A NASTY MESS CAME RUSHING THROUGH THEIR HOME.
MONTHS LATER— SHE SAYS THE DAMAGE REMAINS WITH NO WORD FROM MANAGEMENT ON REPAIRS—SO SHE CALLED US FOR HELP.
**PKG**
22:59 it was coming up out of the washer drain and the kitchen sink
ON JUNE 13TH, A PLUMBING ISSUE CAUSED THIS WET MESS.
AND AMY VASQUEZ WAS LEFT TO CLEAN IT UP.
39:05 we opened up the back door and just started sweeping it all out. 39:09 there was no stopping it, it just flowed and flowed and flowed until it covered the whole bottom floor.
AND SHE’D SOON DISCOVER THE MYSTERIOUS STREAM FLOWING THROUGHOUT HER APARTMENT UNIT
NATS
WASN’T JUST WATER…
23:19 all that day, that night, we were walking around in sewage. You could actually see feces in my sink. It was pretty disgusting.
SO VASQUEZ CALLED THE EMERGENCY CONTACT FOR THEIR COMPLEX –
22:11 no response whatsoever.
THEN, SHE CONTACTED HER APARTMENT MANAGEMENT.
23:42 I pretty much went into a crying fit. I went to the office and asked them, "can we move into another unit?" and he says "no, not at all"
HER FEELINGS OF DISGUST QUICKLY TURNED INTO CONCERNS FOR HER FAMILY’S HEALTH.
24:04 i have a daughter that takes a weekly chemo shot, and her immune system is compromised.
35:16 something that we can fight off easily, can put her in the hospital.
THE NEXT EVENING SOMEONE WAS SENT OUT TO CLEAN UP THE WATER AND FIX THE PLUMBING.
BUT WEEKS LATER
NATS
SHE SAYS THE LEFTOVER DAMAGE FROM THE WATER STILL LINGERS THROUGHOUT HER HOME.
38:23 it's cracking.right away the drawer fell apart cause it was just full of water and sewage.
AND THE HOLE IN THE WALL THAT WAS MADE TO REACH THE CLOGGED DRAIN – ITS STILL THERE.
NATS
39:50 this is where they went in, all they did was cover it up with plastic which is falling down.
ONE OF THE ISSUES HERE IS THAT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX WAS RECENTLY SOLD TO NEW OWNERS. BUT A MONTH AND A HALF AFTER THE INCIDENT … VASQUEZ JUST WANTS SOMETHING DONE.
43:04 i would feel better if they could just move me to a different unit. so they can properly do everything around here.
WE CONTACTED A MANAGER WHO SAID THEY WILL FIX SOME OF THE FAMILIES CONCERNS IN THE KITCHEN INCLUDING THE HOLE IN THE WALL, THE BROKEN CABINET, AND THE BOARD UNDERNEATH THE SINK. AS FAR AS MOVING THE FAMILY, THEY SAY THEY DON’T HAVE ANOTHER OPEN UNIT AND NEITHER THE MANAGER NOR THE OWNER WOULD TALK ON CAMERA..
FOR VASQUEZ – THE HANDFUL OF REPAIRS JUST DOESN’T CUT IT.
39:27 this is all contaminated, 39:31 I don't feel comfortable even going close to it, because, I mean look at it, it's disgusting.
**TAG**
NOW, IF THIS EVER HAPPENS TO YOU--THE TEXAS APARTMENT ASSOCIATION SAYS TO FIRST NOTIFY THE COMPLEX--THEN SEND A CERTIFIED LETTER.
IF THERE IS NO RESPONSE--YOU CAN REPAIR THE ISSUE YOURSELF AND DEDUCT THE COST FROM YOUR RENT--OR TERMINATE THE LEASE ON YOUR OWN. HOWEVER, YOU MAY WANT TO CONSULT AN ATTORNEY FIRST.
ONE WARNING FOR CONSUMERS - DO NOT HOLD BACK YOUR RENT – THAT’S A VIOLATION OF YOUR LEASE AND CAN LEAD TO EVICTION.
