Continuing Coverage of Jaycee Towers

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Continuing Coverage of Jaycee Towers

WTVC - Chattanooga,TN

September 14,2006

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More Chattanooga residents from Jaycee Towers retirement home opened

their doors to our cameras and showed us where water is damaging

their belongings, and the federal government is getting involved.

" When I first moved in it was fantastic. We had security. We had a

good maintenance. You could eat off the floors in the lobby, " said

Karl Epperson.

But Epperson said things have gone downhill since Lookout Property

Management took over Jaycee Towers in 2001.

" It's the management company. If a light bulb goes out, you can't

change it if you don't have the ladder to reach it, and Chip's not

providing them with what they need, " said Epperson.

Chip is the local manager. Wednesday he said he wasn't aware

of problems the air conditioning units in at least two apartments.

" If there's water in their apartment, not at all. If there's water

or AC leaking, they need to call us right then. If they don't get

anybody to take them seriously, they need to call me, " said .

After nine years of living at the towers, Epperson moved out this

month. He said one of reasons he moved was the air conditioning

leaking water onto carpet, creating mold and mildew.

" Because of all the mold and mildew. It's not good for your

breathing. It's just not good for you, " said Alice .

showed us three different places in her apartment that

suffered water damage.

" The air condition up over my bedroom... The man came and told me he

said it's up to water this thick, and it's going to be pouring down

into your bedroom, " said .

But not everyone is unhappy with the Towers.

" This is a decent building and everybody here is happy, and we get

along good, " said Harry .

Epperson is on the Chattanoogans with Disabilities Commission.

Thursday he stopped by Mayor Ron Littlefield's office to discuss

Jaycee Towers. The Mayor wasn't there, but we caught up with him

later.

" I'm not aware of all of the intricacies of the Jaycee Towers, but

we're not going to let unlivable conditions continue there, " said

Littlefield.

We contacted Jim from the U.S. Department of Housing and

Urban Development. He drove down from Knoxville Thursday afternoon

to check out the apartments for himself.

said he'll make repairs, and we did find maintenance men

repairing an A.C. unit. said we can come back and inspect in

a couple of weeks. We'll let you know what we find.