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Henrico mom worried about baby and broken thermostat at rental

Posted at 8:31 PM, Dec 14, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-15 00:21:58-05

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Janae Brown rents at the Glenwood Farms Complex, and she said her heat has only worked sporadically since September, but lately, she said there have been days where it hasn’t worked at all.

Brown said she is extremely worried because of her seven month old son who has health problems.

“My son has a seizure disorder and if he gets a temperature, it can bring on a seizure,” she said. “We just can’t have that happen. I feel that I should have heat.”

Knowing temperatures are going to dip drastically in the next few days, Brown called CBS 6 Problem Solvers. She said she didn’t think her complex was doing enough to try and fix the problem.

She shared a picture of her thermostat when the temperature inside dipped down to 60 degrees, and CBS 6 contacted the management company on her behalf.

Regional manager Shannon Epps told CBS 6 News they would sent out maintenance to check her heat. Epps said they repaired a switch last week and thought it was fixed.

Epps also said her technicians did follow up visits and the unit worked fine.

Brown tells a different story, however.

“If they reset it, it would come on and blow hot for about 30 minutes, then go off. If it did come on after that, it would blow cold air and it remains cold,” Brown explained.

The mom put a thermometer on the wall in her apartment to track cold temperatures. She said the only way she and her seven month old son are able to stay warm is by using several space heaters.

Epps told CBS 6 News they provided the tenant with two space heaters.

“I got another one from my dad,” Brown told us.

She also expressed concern over having to rely on the space heaters for warmth.

“It’s not safe, though because they can cause fires. I don’t feel comfortable sleeping with these space heaters,” Brown said.

After CBS 6 News visited the rental office, Epps said they were willing to transfer Brown and her son to another unit by the end of this week without additional fees.

Brown said she’s ready to move ASAP.

CBS 6 News is working for you. Click here to email a tip to the CBS 6 Problem Solvers. Be sure to leave us your name, phone number and detailed description of the problem. You can also leave a message by calling 804-254-3672.

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