Smyrna mom, daughter stuck with waterlogged apartment after neighbor's pipes burst
Bursting pipes force woman to sleep in car
April Cole said she's been living in her car in freezing temperatures after the pipes burst in her upstairs neighbor's Smyrna apartment, making her unit uninhabitable. Despite relocating other affected residents, Cole said her apartment's management won't help her until Monday.
SMYRNA, Ga. - A Smyrna woman says she and her teenage daughter have had to wait out the weekend in a soggy apartment after pipes burst in the unit above theirs. Management has not moved them into a different unit.
April Cole lives at the Park Valley Apartments with her 16-year-old daughter.
Temperatures dipped into the 20s on Friday night, creating the perfect frozen recipe for disaster.
"I woke up to a big bang and came to find out upstairs in the attic and on the second floor, the water pipe had burst," Cole said.
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Huge chunks of the water-logged ceiling came down in the unit above, sending water down into Cole's apartment.
A woman says her unit at Park Valley Apartments in Smyrna is damaged after her upstairs neighbor's pipes burst.
At that point, Cole says apartment management offered her nothing.
"I don't have anywhere to go. I had to go to work. I have a minor child, and the apartments won't do anything. They told me that they won't give me another unit or they won't pay 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.
Now, Cole is unsure of the water quality coming from the faucets.
"The water is dirty. So we haven't been able to 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," Cole said.
But the real problem, she says, is they’ve had to stick it out here all weekend while they’ve watched their neighbors get relocated to other empty units in the complex.
For some reason, management has not offered her that option.
A woman says her unit at Park Valley Apartments in Smyrna is damaged after her upstairs neighbor's pipes burst.
"So downstairs, they relocated her yesterday. And then upstairs, which I understand because they had the most damage, they were relocated today. So, I'm the only one that has not been relocated, no answers," Cole said.
She says she was told by management that she would have to wait until Monday for any assistance.
But Cole says with all the water damage and 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 having me and my child stay here, and we can't stay here," she said.
FOX 5 stopped by the leasing office on Sunday, but it was closed.
We have also called and emailed the management company to ask why they haven’t been able to help her, and are waiting to hear back.
The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta's Eric Mock reported on April Cole's experience in Smyrna.