ORANGE, Texas — A renter in Orange is celebrating a victory in court after dealing with mold issues in her apartment since April.
12News first reported Brandie Richard's story when an at-home test kit revealed mold growth in her unit at the Sunset Grove Apartments.
The property hired an HVAC company to do a duct cleaning, but refused to cover the cost of proper treatment.
Richard withheld a portion of her rent, so the complex served her an eviction notice. She sued them and won.
Back in August, 12News spoke to Richard about the issue and just hours later, an eviction noticed was placed on her door.
She paid the remainder of her rent to stop the eviction, but she believed the complex still owed her for the mold cleaning costs.
After Richard cleared her balance, she filed a small claims court case with the justice of the peace presiding over her precinct.
A court date was set and Richard presented her case without an attorney. The jury unanimously voted in her favor, deciding that Servio Property Management, which operates Sunset Groves Apartments, should pay Richard over $2,000, plus court costs.
Richard shared her number one tip for taking on a large company in small claims court.
"I had my documentation, I had pictures, I had printed out all my maintenance reports. You know, I had notes. Keep notes, keep notes, keep notes, keep notes. Note the date, the time and who you spoke with, what it's about. I had all that. I had my pile was, like, this big, and so it was all there, black and white," Richard shared.
Servio Property Management has until December 11, 2024 to either pay Richard or appeal the judgment.
Although Richard won in small claims court, Sunset Grove Apartments refused to renew her lease and she is in the process of moving out.