Fifth Ward Mother Faces Eviction Amidst Sewage Backup Crisis in Rental Home

Sewage Backup and Health Concerns

• 🏠 Sandra Butler, a Fifth Ward mother on a fixed income, is facing eviction after her rental home experienced sewage backups for months.
• 💧 The issues began approximately five months prior, following heavy rain, with sewage backing up through the plumbing and a bathtub that stopped draining.
• 🤢 Butler reports that the home has a persistent raw sewage smell, significantly impacting her health, particularly her asthma, leading to an ER visit.

Landlord Dispute and Rent Withholding

• 🗣️ Butler claims her landlord, Tony Castton, made initial repair attempts but never returned, leading her to stop paying rent in November.
• ⚖️ The landlord disputes Butler's claims, stating he has made multiple repair attempts and believes grease and sanitizer are causing the plumbing blockages.
• 📄 As a result of withholding rent, Butler has been served with an eviction filing.

Tenant Rights and Legal Recourse

• 📜 Eric Quatler from the Houston Eviction Advocacy Center explains that under Texas law, tenants cannot legally withhold rent due to unsafe living conditions.
• ✉️ To enforce repair rights, tenants must send their landlord a letter by certified mail detailing the situation and demanding repairs.
• ⏳ Landlords typically have about seven days to respond to such a demand, though emergency situations may have different timelines.