Residents in several units of an apartment complex in Lewisville are left cleaning up after a pipe burst not once, but twice this week. Some tell us it’s costing them a lot out of pocket.
Residents in several units of an apartment complex in Lewisville are left cleaning up after a pipe burst not once, but twice this week. Some tell us, it's costing them a lot out of pocket.
Julie Mathews and her husband raced the clock to move out on Friday, hoping to recoup some of their rent money. The couple lives on the ground floor of building 13 in Oak Forest Apartments. The leak started two floors above them, sending water gushing down to their unit.
Mathews says most of what she owns is now water logged. The first incident happened on Tuesday.
"It stunk in here and even our air conditioner went out. We were left with no air conditioning that night," she said.
The second leak, early Friday morning. With water still dripping from large gaping holes in the ceiling and the fear of mold, she said she doesn't feel safe staying.
"They're using my pots and pans to catch water. That's not a professional attempt," she said of the apartment's response.
The couple said they were initially told there was no reason to leave.
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"That it will all be fixed and there's no reason why this is uninhabitable," Mathews said.
Mathews said she spent 45 minutes trying to clean up several inches of pooling before someone showed up following the first leak. That was after their call to the apartment's emergency line went unanswered.
"Just a complete lack of care. My husband's a retired marine. He served this nation, went to war. They marketed to us as a military family to give us a discount and we don't even get somebody calling to check on us, you know, are you guys ok?" she said.
The complex hired carpet cleaners, but residents in several units have so far been left to foot the bill for everything else. For the Mathews' that means movers, a storage unit and the restoration of several pieces of art they can't replace. One picture that suffered water damage was purchased by her husband in The Congo, while he was serving with the military.
She said insurance can't make up for soggy family heirlooms, like her grandpa's dresser and the priceless keepsakes inside.
"This was my first Christmas decoration as a baby, 1966," Mathews said, fighting back tears as she unwrapped an angel.
She's hoping the apartment complex can help make things right.
So far, the leasing office has told NBC 5 "no comment." While the residents have been informed they can break their lease once they're fully moved out, they have not yet been offered any financial assistance to do that or a backup place to stay.
