Almost left without heat in freezing weather, Sherman resident raises concern about apartment maintenance

SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - As temperatures dropped below freezing Monday, Laura Patterson knew her options for staying warm were declining too.

“The next three days are going to be horrible,” said Patterson. “What am I going to do?”

She says she submitted a work request to get her heater fixed more than a month ago at Archer Village apartments.

As of Monday morning, she was still waiting.

“This is how I sleep at night,” said Patterson. “In my coat and all that. I shouldn’t have to do that paying rent. I got every blanket I own on that bed. It’s ridiculous. I shouldn’t have to do this.”

She said her oven broke too.

“I used the oven for the last month to stay warm,” said Patterson.

Now, she’s concealed every crack in her unit with tape.

“You see how I have to tape up everything to keep warm,” said Patterson. “It’s embarrassing, but yeah, I’ve been doing that.”

Patterson said she called the complex again with one more desperate attempt for help, mentioning News 12.

“They told me this morning, right before I called you, they’re sending the maintenance man out here,” said Patterson. “It never happened. It hasn’t happened once.”

It wasn’t until News 12 left the interview that maintenance arrived with a heater.

She said they did not fix her broken oven or solve the absence of hot water in her bathroom.

“I’ve tried and tried for two years,” said Patterson. “Maintenance men, they just all disappear.”

News 12 reached out to the complex and has yet to hear back.

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