CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — An elderly couple claims an A/C and heating unit in their apartment has landed them both in the doctor's office and they say the leasing office is refusing to make the necessary repairs.
Juan and Berta Ramirez are living at Hawks Landing in Kingsville while their custom home is being built.
But shortly after moving in, they say they realized the air ducts were covered in black dirt and would blow out particles of dust.
“The air condition and looked at the filter and it was laying on the floor all wrinkled up black,” said Juan Ramirez.
They contacted the leasing office, who they say neglected to clean the air ducts.
Instead they say they told them they could pay a private company to do the cleaning, but the money would have to come out of their pockets.
“They told us that they could not do anything about it, but if we wanted to move to another unit it would cost us $300 more,” said Ramirez.
Since moving in back in August, the Ramirez’s say the air quality in their apartment has made them both sick. When they told Hawks Landing management about it, they say they didn't receive any compassion.
“You're going to have to bring some kind of statement from a physician saying that this is what's causing your problem,” said Ramirez.
Even then, the Ramirez’s went to the doctor, and received a note that states it was the doctor’s opinion that the air quality was what was affecting their health.
“Happened to have a condition called CPOD which is a lung problem, and it got so bad we had to rent a hotel,” said Ramirez.
The couple has resorted to using space heaters and electric fans, but they just want management to clean the air ducts, for the sake of their health.
We contacted the manager at hawks landing and she refused to comment, but instead referred us the property owner Robert Hale.
We reached out to Hawks Landing's management who said the couple's lease agreement states they accepted the apartment ‘as is’ and the health standards are acceptable for “ordinary persons".
They also claim the elderly couple is leaving their windows open and that could have affected their air quality indoors.
But they told us they are offering to let the couple out of their lease.