FEDERAL HEIGHTS, Colo. -- A Federal Heights woman is dealing with a wet, sloppy headache. Every time it rains, her new apartment floods.
For the past two weeks, Sarah Merrill has had a close eye on the sky.
“I watch the weather like a hawk now because every time it rains I know what’s going to happen,” Merrill said.
Two weeks ago, she moved into the Tuscan Heights Apartment Complex at 1800 W. 85th Avenue in Federal Heights, but when the first storm moved through, it uncovered a big problem.
“There’s a yellow line that pretty much comes from the one corner, it wraps all the way around the way,” Merrill said, pointing to the water stain on her bedroom wall. “That’s all water damage.”
Merrill said in the past week, her apartment has flooded five times. It has gotten so bad, she’s resorted to lining her patio with sandbags and sopping up the extra water with dozens of towels.
“It’s about $100 to sandbag it. And it’s my time, my gas, my car, my very gracious neighbors,” Merrill said.
Merrill said the real problem is the lack of outside drainage. Each time it rains, instead of going down the drains, the water is pushed onto her patio and leaks in through her bedroom door and wall.
The issue, she said also affected the previous renters who were forced to tear up the unit’s carpet due to mold. Still, she said the complex doesn’t have another unit for her to move into for at least two more weeks.
“How dare you rent an apartment that you know floods,” Merrill said. “I’m fighting for the next person who comes through here, so they don’t have to go through what I’ve gone through,” she said.
Denver7 reached out to Tuscan Heights Apartment Complex as well as the Tri-County Health Department but has not yet heard back.
