Detroit senior dealing with black mold, flood damage, exposed walls in rental unit
Detroit senior struggling with rental unit that owner won't fix
A Detroit woman is finding the conditions of her home growing worse every month with evidence of black mold and flooding issues now a constant reminder.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - For Linda Payne, life in her rental unit in Detroit is Hell.
The pipe that burst in her closet was only the beginning of issues for her. In the months since the rupture, her property as only gotten worse.
Big picture view:
Walk into Linda Payne's Heritage Place townhouse in Detroit, and evidence of water damage, mold, and more can be seen everywhere.
A pipe ruptured in her closet in February when cold weather had frozen the region. It sent water gushing everywhere, creating a nightmare for her.
"It's miserable," said Payne.
She tried calling the property manager, but it took a month for him to just stop the water, she said. The condition of the townhouse didn't get any better, however.
"They sent some drywallers and they gutted everything and then they just stopped," she said.
Since then, black mold has been discovered in the home - a likely result of failing to maintain the home after water flooded the property.
Michigan senior's homes, livelihoods imperiled by intensifying floods
One Oak Park woman is convinced that mold from previous floods eventually killed the family's oldest member. And now, the same thing is unfolding with her mom.
Dig deeper:
Payne has continued contacting the management company, but has made little progress.
"He always says he’ll take care of it and nothing ever happens," she said.
The city has been involved with the property owner over other disputes. According to Detroit's buildings department, they have been working to bring the home into compliance for two months.
The city inspector was out in April, giving the owner 30 days to fix the problem. Instead, the same problems persist.
"It’s beyond the compliance date now so they will receive tickets," said Arthur Rushin, BSEED's chief enforcement officer.
That means thousands of dollars in fines, he told FOX 2. In the meanwhile, the city is working to get new housing for Payne while the work is finished.
The Source: Interviews with a renter and the city was used for this story.