Charlotte Conner spent Christmas Eve scrambling to find a place to stay after a pipe burst above the room where her children were sleeping.
“It was just a nightmare and my kids are scared to sleep because they think every ceiling is going to fall.”
Water filled her third-story apartment, collapsing the ceiling and damaging her unit and others at the Spring Parc apartments in Dallas.
“My main concern is what’s next? Where am I going to put my kids?” said Conner. “It’s just horrible.”
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Conner said she received no clear answers from apartment management about when repairs would be made or if accommodations could be made to stay in a vacant unit.
NBC 5 left messages with management and is waiting to hear back.
Other landlords in North Texas told NBC5 finding plumbers and contractors to make repairs over the holiday weekend has been difficult.
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WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS WHEN PIPES BURST?
NBC 5 is hearing from other renters in similar situations who want to know their rights and what action they can take if they don’t see repairs soon.
Following the 2021 deep freeze which caused similar problems, attorneys for Legal Aid of Northwest Texas told NBC5 a landlord is required to make repairs in a ‘reasonable’ amount of time – usually 7 days.
If you’re having issues with delayed repairs, put the problem in writing to management following the rules outlined in your lease. Take photos. Be specific about the issue and your request – do you want repairs, a remedy or do you want to terminate your lease?
And, if you’re not getting anywhere you can try contacting your city’s code enforcement department to visit and make sure a landlord is following the law.
For now, Conner is staying at a hotel, but with money tight that’s not a long-term solution for her family.
“I was upset that I wouldn’t be able to have a Christmas [for my children] but we wound up not having a home for Christmas,” said Conner.
If you’re not sure you’re being treated fairly you can seek legal advice.
Legal Aid of Northwest Texas has a disaster hotline at 817-339-5391.
