Woman's Homewood Shores Condo Leaky Roof Not Fixed For Nearly A Year Despite Repeated Requests

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Homewood woman has been living a nightmare for nearly a year due to a leaky roof in her condo leaving water on the floor, in the bathroom and pretty much everywhere.

Lexie James says he roof in her Homewood Shores condo building started leaking in June.

"Something just told me get up and check on my baby," she said. "It's like 12 o'clock. Big water splashes all on her head. I look up, water falling down on her head."

Shocked by what she saw, she snapped a picture to show her condo's management.

After discovering the roof was leaking in her baby's room, James put down a bucket to catch the water, and that's when she heard what she thought was her shower running. So she walked across the hall to her bathroom and found an even bigger problem.

"I come in, no it's water leaking on top of my toilet," she said. The bathroom is flooded, and it stinks. It's dirty rain everywhere in my shower."

She reported the problem immediately but said it took months of calls and emails before a repairman was sent out in January. She says he did patchwork.

"I'm like, 'That's what they sent you over here to do?'" she said. "And he was like, 'Yeah.' And he left."

James said the work didn't even stop the leak, and after Thursday night's heavy rain, she woke up to a heartbreaking sight -- her bedridden mother in soaking wet sheets.

"She can't talk," James said. "She can't move, so if the rain's dripping on her, she can't move over. She can't yell, 'Hey, Lexie, this rain is on me.'"

That's when James decided to call CBS 2 for help.

CBS 2's Mai Martinez called the condo's management company and got a taste of what she'd been dealing with for nearly a year. Martinez identified herself, saying she was at the Homewood Shores condominium complex, and the person who answered responded, "I have to go. Our lines are getting ready to get cut off. Thanks for calling."

Martinez called back and asked to speak to the owner of the company, who promised to look into things right away. less than two hours later, James sent pictures of roofing crews at her building.

The owner of the management company said crews are installing a tarp on the building's damaged roof in hopes to stop the leaks until a new roof can be installed.

He also said a mold remediation company will be contacting James to address the mold in her condo.