CINCINNATI — Several residents at a Hartwell apartment complex have had to leave their homes after their units flooded.
It comes just a month after residents at the same complex lost water for four days following a water main break. At the time, residents told WCPO they received no response from their landlord when asked when water would be restored.
WCPO crews toured two flooded units at the Williamsburg of Cincinnati apartment complex Wednesday.
“It's just been really wet,” said resident Camryn Brown. “It’s just rushing water. It’s disgusting.”
Water dripped from multiple spots in the ceiling in Brown’s unit, and pieces of the wall were peeling off. In the bedroom, brown liquid spots had collected on the ceiling.
Brown said she lost heat on Christmas Eve. The flooding began on Christmas Day.
“Basically homeless,” she said. “It’s been really tough and emotional. Everything we had is getting ruined.”
Brown is staying with family. Her daughter turned one on Tuesday.
“It's crazy,” she added. “I never imagined this was how like her first Christmas and birthday would go.”
She said many of her birthday and Christmas presents were ruined.
“All the stuff we got her for Christmas, like a lot of electronic stuff, it’s just soaking wet and done,” she said. “So we really don't have anything for her left.”
WCPO crews toured a second flooded unit in the complex. That tenant said she had booked an AirBnb.
Both Brown and the other tenant said they’d received limited answers from the complex's management.
“We've been trying to talk to them and call every day it's just they won't help us,” Brown said.
A representative with the City of Cincinnati confirmed there are at least ten code violations at the complex from over the weekend. Documents provided by the city reveal dozens of other code violations from earlier this year.
“The City needs assurances that there will be a concerted effort to improve the property and remediate the code violations or it will become necessary to initiate legal action to ensure there is compliance,” wrote Mark Manning, chief counsel of the quality of life division with the City of Cincinnati, in a letter to complex officials on December 9.
In response to the city, a complex representative shared plans to resolve violations.
“We look forward to working together to resolve any outstanding issues,” the representative said.
WCPO reached out to the representative with Herron Property Management and received this response:
“Herron management is pro-actively working around the clock to restore services to our residents from the bomb cyclone that has so severely affected our city,” wrote a representative for the complex in an email. “The flash freeze caused many landlords to deal with broken pipes. As a result, many of our tenants have been offered alternative accommodations during repairs and they’ve been swiftly relocated. We are grateful for the rapid response of Herron management in closely working with city officials and for their work in keeping everyone as safe as possible.”
Residents said they don’t know what comes next.
“We don't have anywhere to go,” Brown said. “We can stay with family, but it's not our place. It's not our space.”
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