She complained to her landlord about leaks for years. They patched them but never fixed the problem, and then one day, the ceiling collapsed on her young daughter. What happens now? Tonight’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser. Diana chose to rent this house for a reason I have never heard. Diana Girald: “It was a main street, and it’s close to the Turnpike.” Lots of traffic flowing by. One thing Diana didn’t know when she moved here, lots of water would be flowing in as well. Diana Girald: “New spaces every day. Every time it rains, there’s new surprises. This has been going on for approximately, maybe, five years.” As you walk from one room to the next, you see the damage on the ceilings. The house is owned by a large corporation. When a leak appears, Diana contacts their rep. Diana Girald: “And every time they come out, they’ve always just put a bandage on it.” Repairmen would patch the roof, and some would leave a warning behind. Diana Girald: “And he said, ‘That ceiling in the bedroom and your living room is going to cave in.'” And then a September rain proved them right. Diana Girald: “My daughter was actually laying on the bed. She was laying on the bed, on her iPad, nice and calmly, when the roof just fell and caved in.” The drywall and insulation covered Serena as she laid with her doll. Diana Girald: “She just started screaming and crying.” Diana Girald: “When it fell, did it hurt?” Daughter: “Yeah.” Diana was at work, and her father was taking care of the little girl. Diana Girald: “I took her to the ER. Luckily, there was no head injury, just a cut and some bruises.” Serena calls monsters Momo. It’s now her word for their soggy ceilings. Diana Girald: “‘What did Momo do?’ She didn’t do nothing to Momo.” Diana now wonders when the next ceiling will drop. She should move out. She can’t. Diana Girald: “I don’t have the funds to pay a first, last, security in another place.” Can’t afford to move. Can’t stand the stay. So, legally, what are your rights, Howard? Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “This is what the law calls a ‘casualty event,’ meaning the tenant has the right to immediately terminate the lease, get their security deposit and any other money they are owed back. But because it’s so expensive to move, the other option is to stay and reduce the amount of rent, because you cannot use part of the house or apartment.” We contacted the corporation in Texas that owns the house. The best word to use: wow. Diana Girald: “I got a call from one of the vice president stating that they are relocating me immediately. Very remorseful, didn’t know this was happening.” They moved Diana and her family into a hotel suite. Next stop? Diana Girald: “They also said they will give me a temporary home and that they will immediately start fixing the premises.” The company has put a tarp over the roof and is now taking care of the problem. They told us the “safety of their residents” is their “top priority” and will continue to “work closely” with Diana to “fulfill their housing needs.” Just what she wanted when she called Help Me Howard. Diana Girald: “You have no idea the gratitude I have for you guys.” You are welcome, and the Texas company also started paying for dinner for Diana and her family until they can move into another house. Nice of them. Now, if you have a similar problem, and you want to move out immediately or reduce the rent, send the landlord a letter letting them know you are terminating the lease or the reduction in the amount of rent you think you’re entitled to. You might have to negotiate that. Feel like you’ve hit the ceiling trying to solve a problem? Don’t collapse and cave in. Contact us to see the solutions pour in. With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News. CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:Email: [email protected]: Patrick Fraser at [email protected]: 305-953-WSVNBroward: 954-761-WSVN