SHALER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — More than 100 apartments in a Shaler Township complex still have serious water damage, six weeks after one of the biggest winter storms in Pittsburgh’s history blanketed the area.
The complex is very large, and fixing it all is a massive undertaking. Frustrated residents invited Channel 11 inside to see the extensive damage.
Inside one unit, most of the bedroom furniture was removed after the ceiling collapsed in January. There’s also water damage on the living room wall.
This all started days after a snowstorm dropped a foot of snow on the region.
Lauren Balthrop and her husband woke up to water dripping on their faces at 3:30 a.m.
“There was a single-file line of 12 to 15 holes that were all streaming with water on top of our bed, our mattress,” Balthrop said.
They called for emergency maintenance.
“We went to grab buckets, pots and pans - literally anything you could think of to collect the water. It was so much water.”
Moments later, the ceiling collapsed.
“It collapsed directly on top of my husband. Fortunately, he’s okay. It was a bunch of insulation, drywall,” Balthrop said.
Her next-door neighbor has water leaking into her bathroom.
Property management company Crown Real Estate says 102 apartments were damaged.
They say crews have been removing damaged drywall and wet insulation, drying out attics and spraying for mold
Management says the apartments were built in the 1970s. The roofs were replaced between 2015 and 2017, but they say there was a defect in some shingles and there are still unresolved legal issues related to that.
The company said in part…
“This incident was an act of God. With the heavy snow, we started to get water leaks in multiple buildings. We are actively working on it, but it takes time. There are no health issues. It’s not harmful, just unsightly.”
Balthrop thinks six weeks without her bedroom or answers is too long.
“At this point, they have no intention of making this right. It’s been impossible, and I do not say that lightly, to get ahold of anyone from the property company,” Balthrop said.
Managers tell me they are allowing tenants to break their leases and say they are not requiring February rent.
They also say they hope tenants have renters’ insurance to help cover any personal losses.
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