A resident of the Nowata Gardens apartment complex said she's frustrated by what she's perceived to be poor communication from management regarding when gas will be restored to her and some other tenants.
Lora Nelson told NewsChannel 8 she's been a tenant of Nowata Gardens for several years and had never experienced a problem like what has occurred.
She said she, along with at least 30 other units, was impacted by a shutdown gas line that Oklahoma Natural Gas said is in need of repairs.
She said that announcement came 12 days ago in the form of a handwritten letter on her door, but that there have been gaps in communication since.
"The only responses we're getting from [the owner and management] are the letters that were left on our doorstep," said Nelson.
Nelson showed NewsChannel 8 proof of text messages she says she sent to the owner of the property that did not receive any response.
"We're talking our basic needs that we need and we've gone 12 days without," said Nelson. "It's frustrating, she's not having to deal with it."
NewsChannel 8 was approached by the management of the property right after interviewing Nelson for comment.
"Over a week ago we were notified by Oklahoma Natural Gas that there was a gas leak on our property and they shut down like the main line of half of our property," said Natalie Wood with the apartments management team.
Wood said that the team initially went into a crisis mode, and shared relevant information with residents as they came.
Nelson said that she received three notes from management: one right after the incident, a second letter last Friday, and a third Monday.
NewsChannel 8 asked Nelson if she would read the first letter aloud.
"The note said there will be no gas until after holiday weekend," said Nelson. "Tuesday will be the soonest day they can get to it. Sorry for the inconvenience."
That deadline was last Tuesday.
Wood told NewsChannel 8 that the reason for the passed deadline was initially tied to the inability to find enough certified plumber quotes to tackle the extent of the repairs Oklahoma Natural Gas said would be needed before gas was restored.
Wood said it's a requirement of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
NewsChannel 8 reached out to HUD and received the following statement from a spokesperson:
We are concerned, aware of the gas issues on site and are working to support management as they advance a response for the tenants.
"We have contacted dozens of plumbers in the area," said Wood. "To the residents that are on Nowata Gardens property, please know that we hear you. We sympathize with you, but that's not enough."
Wood said the property is currently allowing impacted residents to access its gas appliances for food needs. As for hygiene, Wood said the apartment has worked out a partnership with Love's Travel Stop in town for impacted residents to shower temporarily.
NewsChannel 8's John Hayes brought up travel difficulties, and Wood said the apartment would work with residents who did not have reliable transportation to Love's.
Nelson said that what she and other residents she's spoken with are the most frustrated about is poor communication.
"That's what's frustrated everybody is the lack of communication on our managers' part," Nelson.
NewsChannel 8 asked Wood about those concerns.
"We manage multiple properties so in the event someone left a voicemail and it was not returned, my sincerest apologies," said Wood.
Wood told NewsChannel 8 that a licensed plumber has been found and that repairs should be underway within the next few days, but there is no estimated time of when they'll be complete.
NewsChannel 8 reached out to Oklahoma Natural Gas regarding this issue and received the following statement:
At Oklahoma Natural Gas, the safety of our customers is our top priority. While we do not give out information specific to accounts, what I can say is when an issue is found on customer piping, ONG may turn off service until a customer engages a qualified third-party contractor to perform repairs. Once those repairs are made, our team will come out and perform our required tests. Upon the customer’s piping passing all safety checks, the customer’s service will be restored.
Under the Landlord Tenant Act, in Nelson and other tenants' cases, a tenant can terminate their lease with written notice, find somewhere else to stay without paying rent until the situation is resolved or take legal action.