VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.— Imagine living without power for nearly a week and having no idea when it will come back on.
That's the reality for several Virginia Beach families, living at Egret Landing Complex, which is just north of Virginia Beach Boulevard.
News 3 reporter Kelsey Jones spoke with residents who are desperate for relief.
Friday will make a week since Pam Kimball, a mom, has been without electricity.
"We sleep with the windows open and the door open at night which isn't exactly safe but we have to keep the airflow coming in," she said. "We had to get rid of our food and make sure that we leave our refrigerator and freezer open so it doesn't mold and mildew."
Her 7-year-old is staying with her grandmother for now.
"She doesn't understand what's going on, it's just safer for her to be there, so she has hot water and access to air conditioning," said Kimball.
Neighbors received this notice on their door on May 19th, saying the electricity was going to be shut off. According to the notice, the power will remain off for one week or more as investigate an electrical problem.
Thursday families got an email saying they can expect to be without power for another 12 days.
It impacts 20 families, including Fabian Valdes.
"We've tried to contact them and we've got vague answers back. We're trying to get a generator but it's also been a week, and there's still no generator," Valdes said. "Today we got an email saying that it's going to be seven to10 days to get a part, two days to install the part, and that's if everything goes right."
Valdes says he goes into his car just to get AC and charge his phone.
Attorney, Larry Lockwood Jr, with the Hunter Law Firm, has some advice if you find yourself in a situation like this that's beyond your control.
"If you're renting your home [or] apartment—if those premises become uninhabitable, and by statute, it is defined uninhabitable, if there's no water, sewer or electricity," said Lockwood.
Lockwood also recommends filing what's called a "tenant's action" if they believe the landlord is not complying.
"That means they open a case and they start paying rent into the court. The landlord has roughly a month to respond and if they cannot respond in a way that justifies or shows that they complied with the requirements of the contract, then the money is sent back to the tenant," said Lockwood.
Meanwhile families tell News 3 booking a hotel to stay cool has been difficult and costly.
"Especially this weekend, it'll be Memorial Day weekend," Valdes said. If you want to get a hotel in Virginia Beach most of them are by the Oceanfront. It's going to be $300 a night, and they're not doing anything about that," said Valdes.
News 3 did reach out to the management of the complex for answers. We're still working on getting a response from them.
