INDIANAPOLIS-- The Marion County Health Department has cited dozens of landlords for broken air conditioning units over the past two months.
Records from May 1 to July 3 show that health inspectors issued 129 housing order violations to property owners for broken air conditioners.
Of the 129 orders, 31 were considered an emergency, and 98 were considered non-emergency, according to the agency.
“Failure to correct these violations could result in court action,” read the violation notice. “Fines up to $2,500 and costs may result.”
Call 6 Investigates found many of the orders were issued to out-of-state landlords and property owners in a dozen states including California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Alabama.
Machelle Fields is a renter in Preston Pointe on E. 12th Street in Indianapolis and has been struggling to stay cool while her air conditioning is broken.
“It’s very stressful,” Fields said. “I try to get away from here when I can. I would go over to someone else’s house, but everybody works, so it’s hard.”
On June 8, the health department issued an order to her property owner showing a violation for broken air conditioners throughout the building, records show.
Fields said it was her neighbor who called the health department, but she hopes the order provides relief.
"It cools off at night, but during the day I am sitting there in my bra and panties all day,” Fields said.
The health department typically gives landlords between 24 hours and 30 days to fix the air conditioning, depending on the urgency of the situation.
If there’s elderly, young children, or people with medical issues in the home, or they do not have windows that open with screens, that will require a quicker fix.
“Sometimes landlords just don’t know, and when we call them, they say they’re working on it, or we need a part,” said Lara Morgan, team leader with the Marion County Public Health Department.
Often, a health department order will do the trick.
Call 6 Investigates stopped by a rental house on the east side, and the tenant said the landlord fixed the air conditioning after the health department got involved.
Morgan emphasizes you have the right to a clean, safe place to live.
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"If they had air conditioning in their unit when they signed their lease, we can issue an order for that air conditioning,” Morgan said. "But they would certainly want to talk to their landlord first. We can't do the fix. All we can do is the enforcement to have it fixed."
As for Fields’ unit, the health department gave Preston Pointe until June 11 to fix the air conditioning, records show.
Call 6 Investigates spoke with on-site Preston Pointe property manager Susan Long who said they had been waiting on a part for the air conditioning, but are fixing the problem.
Call 6 Investigates saw crews working at the apartment complex Tuesday morning.
Long directed us to an attorney who did not return calls from RTV6 Tuesday.
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