Smyrna mom and daughter stuck in waterlogged apartment after neighbor’s pipes burst

Burst pipes force woman to sleep in car

April Cole said she was living in her car in freezing temperatures after pipes burst in her upstairs neighbor’s apartment in Smyrna, making her home uninhabitable. Despite other affected residents moving out, Cole said her apartment management won’t help her until Monday.

SMYRNA, Georgia. – A Smyrna woman says she and her teenage daughter had to wait out the weekend in a waterlogged apartment after pipes burst in the unit above theirs. Management did not transfer them to another unit.

April Cole lives at Park Valley Apartments with her 16-year-old daughter.

Temperatures plunged into the 20s Friday night, creating the perfect icy recipe for disaster.

“I woke up to a big bang and found that upstairs, in the attic and on the second floor, the water pipe had burst,” Cole said.

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Huge chunks of the waterlogged ceiling fell into the unit above, sending water into Cole’s apartment.

A woman says her home at Park Valley Apartments in Smyrna was damaged after her upstairs neighbor’s pipes burst.

At this point, Cole says apartment management hasn’t offered him anything.

“I have nowhere to go. I had to go to work. I have a minor child and the apartments won’t do anything. They told me they won’t give me other accommodation or pay not for a hotel,” Cole said.

When FOX 5 visited Cole on Sunday, not much had changed.

Water damage was visible on the floor, ceiling and light fixtures.

A woman says her home at Park Valley Apartments in Smyrna was damaged after her upstairs neighbor’s pipes burst.

Today, Cole is unsure of the quality of the water coming from the taps.

“The water is dirty. So we couldn’t take a shower here. We can’t do anything. I had to go to a friend’s house to take a shower. We can’t use the water,” said Cole. .

But the real problem, she said, was that they had to stand here all weekend while they watched their neighbors be moved to other empty units in the complex.

For some reason, management did not offer him this option.

A woman says her home at Park Valley Apartments in Smyrna was damaged after her upstairs neighbor’s pipes burst.

“So downstairs, they relocated it yesterday. And then upstairs, which I understand because they took the most damage, they relocated today. So, I’m the only one who didn’t ‘Haven’t been relocated, no answers,’ Cole said.

She says management told her she would have to wait until Monday to get help.

But Cole says with all the water damage and the strong smell of mold, she and her daughter can’t stay there much longer.

“I want to know why. I want answers. I’m just confused. You’re making me and my child stay here, and we can’t stay here,” she said.

FOX 5 stopped by the rental office Sunday, but it was closed.

We also called and emailed the management company to ask why they couldn’t help and are waiting for a response.

The source : FOX 5 Atlanta’s Eric Mock reported on April Cole’s experience in Smyrna.