Family Says Management Not Doing Anything To Fix Deplorable Living Conditions In NW OKC Apartment

A metro couple is living in horrible conditions in their apartment with vermin, cockroaches and their ceiling and walls falling in on them. They said their landlord is doing nothing to help. News 9's Aaron Brilbeck has the story.

Wednesday, September 30th 2020, 6:24 pm



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A metro couple is living in horrible conditions in their apartment with vermin, cockroaches and their ceiling and walls falling in on them. They said their landlord is doing nothing to help. 

On the outside, Lakewood Estates apartments on West Wilshire in northwest Oklahoma City looks like a pretty nice place to live. But on the inside, water has seeped into the apartment causing a wall to fall. 

Ceilings are sagging and also coming down. The wood floor is so rotted in one room, it’s spongy. Then there’s what appears to be mold that has formed on the debris. 

Christian Burks was tucking his 1-year-old in a couple months ago when he noticed the damage was starting. And it just keeps getting worse.

“The manager told me that the owner told her that he’d come put up plastic. And that’s what they’re willing to do,” said Burks.

Burks and his wife, Sequoia Bowens said this isn’t the only problem.

“I can’t use my stove because, no, because the rats live in there.” Burks said. “Because we have an infestation of rats and mice and cockroaches and possibly termites and they know about it.”

Cabinets are filled with vermin droppings and dead roaches. The couple just wants to move out and get their $500 security deposit back, but they said management won’t cooperate.

“Let me out of my lease. Pay me what I paid to move in, so I can afford to move. And that’s it. I don’t want a thousand dollars. I don’t want to start a GoFundMe. I don’t want none of that. I just want to be in a healthy environment.” Burks said.

The couple has moved their children in with family members to keep them safe and away from the debris and mold. They believe it’s making the kids sick. And they have a stack of recent hospital bills to prove it.

“It makes you feel like, ‘What are you doing as a parent? It makes you question, “Am I doing the right thing by my child? Why is he getting sick?’ And that’s not a feeling that a mother should ever have to have.” Bowens said.

“As a man it sucks.” Burks said, “I can’t, how can I protect you? I can’t.”

News 9 tried to talk with management. They kicked us off the property. 

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