Midlands residents in apartment complexes like Rosewood Hills and Harbor Landing faced heating and water issues after cold weather this weekend.
COLUMBIA, SC – Residents of the Midlands are still struggling with broken pipes or low water pressure due to recent cold weather.
“It happened so fast, I didn’t get a chance to do anything because it was flooded,” Rosewood Hills Belinda Baker, resident, remembers.
Baker says she was watching TV in her living room on Christmas Eve when she saw water rushing from her patio. Immediately she called Housing Authority of Colombia.
“The calls have been great to say the least,” Columbia Housing CEO Yvonda Bean told me.
Bean says the group has been out since Christmas Eve responding to calls about broken pipes.
“Hopefully they’ll be there soon to sort it all out,” said Carolyn Hill, another Rosewood Hills resident.
Hill lives in the unit below Belinda. Although her pipes did not break, her apartment was damaged due to problems in Belinda’s unit.
For now, the apartment has installed a unit to remove the extra humidity.
For people like Shecrystal Richardson, the flooding still hasn’t been fixed.
“My daughter and I heard gurgling noises through the wall,” Richardson explained.
Shecrystal lives in Port landing stage. When a pipe burst in a vacant unit next to her, she had to call the fire department to shut off the water. A few days later, it’s still not fixed.
“With my children, we can’t even stay here because we don’t have running water, there are dishes piled up in the sink, we can’t use the bathroom, we can’t we can’t shower, we can’t eat, and we can’t even warm up because we don’t have a heater, so we can’t live in this situation,” Shecrystal explained. “It’s unlivable.”
We contacted the Harbor Landing apartment management company. By the deadline for this report, they did not respond.
For her part, Richardson reached out to T’nae Parker, owner of the nonprofit Broken Crayons, which provides emergency aid to people in need. Parker raised money to help Shecrystal and her four children stay at an Airbnb for a few days.
“She immediately sprang into action while on vacation with her own family,” Shecrystal said of Parker, who is visiting family in Dallas.
“It’s just what you’re supposed to do,” Parker said. “I think that’s what community means. I think that’s what happens when we take care of each other.”
While Shecrystal is still waiting for maintenance on her apartment to fix the problem, she hopes it will be fixed soon. Belinda hopes the same. In the meantime, she shared a lesson
“Make sure you have renter’s insurance,” Belinda said.
Belinda tells me she filed a claim with her insurance company for property damage.
News 19 contacted the South Carolina Department of Insurance to see what residents with tenant insurance can do.
According to Acting Manager Michael Wise, “If your rental is rendered uninhabitable as a result of a covered loss, the temporary accommodation may be covered under the Loss of Use or Additional Living Expenses section of the policy.”
Wise says it’s important to track your expenses and keep your receipts.
If you’re trying to file claims for damage from burst pipes, Wise says residents should contact their landlords immediately to report the damage after turning off the water supply and cleaning up standing water.
“Your landlord is usually responsible for maintaining the building, so their insurance will likely cover the pipes themselves and any structural damage,” Wise said in a statement. “However, you should check your tenancy agreement to see what liability you might have as a tenant in the event of a freeze. Then call your insurance company and let them know you need to file a claim on the insurance policy. your tenant’s insurance for damage or lost items.”
If residents have questions or are concerned about what is covered under your renter’s insurance policy, consult your insurance agent as policies vary from company to company.
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