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Local resident sues Cleveland Housing Network over mold and bad carpet

Posted 10:10 PM, Sep 20, 2016
and last updated 11:52 PM, Sep 20, 2016

Angela McShan has lived in a house owned by Cleveland Housing Network for almost 7 years and has only experienced minor issues, but recently that's dramatically changed.

"I have headaches, I can't sleep, I'm just on the edge all the time because I'm always shaken up about what they're going to do to me," she said.

She says she's been given the runaround to get the mold and poorly installed carpet throughout her home fixed.

“All I asked for was them to come out and fix the things that were going on in my home, they made a big issue out of it, and the things never got done."

After collecting carpet lumps while vacuuming and seeing stitching falling apart from the stairs, she paid the public housing company for a replacement carpet, but the problem was never fixed properly.

“The carpet is old, it can't be repaired," said McShan.

A document from Empire carpeting service, who McShan called in to inspect the problems, says the carpet is no good and beyond repair. So McShan demanded her money back.

"When I asked for my money back, that's when everything became a problem," she said.

She's now suing the public housing company, claiming they won't reimburse her money. She told me in retaliation, they're trying to evict her.

“After they found out about they lawsuit told me they were going to evict me for nonpayment of rent of September," McShan said.

But she has records showing that she paid her September rent on time. The money order was sent back to her, with no explanation why.

“I feel very disappointed in the Cleveland Housing Network," McShan said.

We reached out to housing officials for an interview, but they declined and said they have reached a verbal agreement to reimburse McShan some of the money she spent on the carpet.

McShan disputes that claim.

"We have not reached an agreement...I told her I would have to think about it," she said.

She said she has no plans of backing down.

"This didn't have to be. I don't think they thought I would take it this far, but I am."

Her court date is set for early October. She said the housing network has told her if she drops the case they will not evict her, but she intends to stay in her place until her lease is up in December.