Plumbing repairs made after sewage seeps into apartments

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — There's now a major update from our In Your Corner team following a situation at a metro apartment complex. News 4 has been following the story all week after sewage and water was spilling into homes.

As of Wednesday, the plumbing is now fixed and inspectors from the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency were there to determine the next steps in the repair process.

The carpet in Shawntay Manuel's apartment is soaked with sewage.

News 4 began reporting on the issue on Monday.

A day later, other tenants came to our crews asking for help and said management at Council Trails apartments is never in the office.

"Knocking on the door, knocking on the door, knocking on the door. And it's not open," said Sharmene Vester, an upset tenant.

After our story first aired, the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency got involved.

"Our first priority is the safety of residents. And so we want them to be able to live in a safe and sanitary place. And if that's not happening, then changes need to be made," said Holley Mangham, the communication manager at OK Housing Finance Agency.

On Wednesday, their inspectors were at the complex.

Maintenance from the corporate office, was also there.

"They did see some deficiencies," said Mangham.

"They were just like, this is unacceptable. You know that carpeting needs to come up, the padding, all of that," said Shawntay Manuel, who's had sewage and water spilling in her apartment.

Housing Finance Agency leaders said they'll now be calling on the apartment owners to make those repairs.

"We don't want just to have band-aids put over things. We want to see a permanent solution in place," said Mangham.

Some tenants use a choice voucher, commonly known as Section 8, to live there.

An attorney, specializing in tenants rights, said when problems like this arise, those tenants can get help from an outside agency.

"That obviously puts pressure, as it should on the landlord to get those things fixed," said Richard Klinge, the Director of the Housing Eviction Assistance Program at Oklahoma City University School of Law.

The Housing Finance Agency said there will be another inspection and the complex will have 24 hours to correct any issues that are found.

News 4 also called the complex's corporate office again on Wednesday, but did not heard back.