Suite Problems-PLEASE, PLEASE help!
 

We have been having problems with a leaky roof lately. Well, leaky roof is an understatement. The roof has been leaking since January (not the first time for that to happen, either) and has been fallen in since January as well! The tiles in the roof of our suite have become saturated with water and have begun to fall in!
We can see sky in one of the holes in the roof. I'm concerned about mold, mildew, the safety of our things in the suite and of course the safety of the girls! When it rains, water literally runs down the walls, and more of the ceiling caves in. We can't function in our suite, and we certainly can't go on any longer with it in this condition!
We've tried to talk to our house association, which has not helped much, our greek advisor has tried to get UAB to fix the problems, however, all they have done is move the 5,000 pound air conditioner that caused the problem over two feet, causing MORE leaking! They came to clean our carpet so it wouldn't smell like mildew, but it doesnt matter because the carpet is still getting leaked on!
I am tired of having to deal with problems like this. I am only a freshman, and this is not the way I expected UAB to treat its greek community! What can be done?

PLEASE, please give me any help/information if you can...

Oh my!! Here is my suggestion, as per watching too many court tv shows....

First, document all the contacts you have made in an attempt to fix the problem - who spoke with who, date, time - if in person, always take a second person with you - write what was discussed and what action would be taken. If possible, even have the person sign the documentation. Also have one person be the contact person to make sure all the proper contacts are made with the proper people.

Second, you may want to document the actual leakage with a video camera. Perhaps they just feel that it is college students just over-reacting.

Then make an appointment to see the person in charge of the housing situation - with all documents in toe. Be professional - dress professional during the discussion (I'm sure you already knew that!). Again, document the discussion and the results of the discussion. Have a clear understanding of what can be done and the timeline of it before leaving.

Also, make sure that you have insurance on your belongings - just in case something does happen! Both for sorority items and personal items (renter's insurance, ask your parents about how to get it if you don't have it yet - it's pretty cheap, but worth it just incase of incidences like these).

Also, you may want to contact your national housing representative to assist you if these things fail.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

I PMd you.

I believe that if you have a lock on the door to your dorm room, your parent's homeowner's insurance may cover your property.

I would get your advisor involved as well. You ladies do the talking, have them be a witness. When we had an issue, having the advisor present at all meeting was very important because when it comes down to the 'hysterical sorority girl' versus the school admin it is great to have a respected adult on your side. But maybe this is just how our school was. Perhaps your national org's housing director can help you out in some way as well.

Good Luck

The previous poster was correct...your parents homeowners insurance should cover any damage to your personal property, but they need to contact their insurance company. In the off chance that you are independent of your parents, it is always good to have rental insurance. When I was an undergrad, my parents USAA policy covered me in case of loss.

Here is a good article.

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/insur/20030109a.asp


I agree with being sure to document the continued problems. Photographs, certified letters (so the recipient has to sign for the letter stating damage) and make sure you have everything in writing from the names of the people you speak to as well as the dates of complaint.

Good luck!

If you take photos of the damage (which I recommend), be sure to use a film camera and hang onto the negatives. Digital photos are usually not admissible in court because it's so easy to modify them.

Good luck getting it straightened out.

And if all else fails, I'm sure the media would LOVE to get a hold of a story like this...

Contact the local health inspector (county, not university!). Holes in the ceiling that lead to the outside does sound like something they would have to evacuate the area for until it is repaired, and since it is a school dorm, the school will have to provide you with accomodations at a nearby hotel or unoccupied dorm.

Your parents should also call the school and raise a huge fuss. You can write letters and call your sorority nationals to complain. Make sure you date and document everything.

And if you want to, contact local media (radio, tv, newspapers, both local community and the school paper) to raise awareness of the school's negligence in your safety and health. Do be aware that this may get you in trouble with your sorority if there is a ban on talking to the media, or it could portray your nationals in a negative light.

Then again, consider the larger issue-- you are being housed in unsafe conditions and you and the other residents need to consider that your safety and health are more important-- so if a newspaper story drives people to finally fix the problem, it is more than a worthy trade-off.

Good luck.

Definitely contact your county's health department. When I was in college, the school made a 2 foot round hole in my bathroom ceiling so that they could fix something. After it was fixed, the hole remained for about a month despite repeated attempts on our part to have them fix it.

I made one call to the county health department, and the hole was fixed within 2 days.

The squeaky wheel, and all that.

Good luck!