'I cried good tears,' Durham woman says after strangers help in her time of need

Tia Hoyt said she could no longer keep her four children in a rented house plagued by leaking pipes that leave water on the floors and have created mold and even mushrooms in some cabinets.

The Durham Housing Authority, which gives her vouchers each month to pay her rent, has repeatedly failed the home during annual inspections, and she said inspectors failed the home again during a special inspection Wednesday.

Mold, mushrooms: Durham single mother says her rental home is unlivable

But by then, offers of help were pouring in from across the country.

"So many people have reached out to me wanting to help me and my kids move out of here, help us get furniture for our new place, with food, just anything," Hoyt said. "I cried good tears for a change."

One woman even offered to give Hoyt her 2008 Volkswagen Jetta.

"I’m a stranger to everyone who has donated. They don’t know us from a can of paint, but they care enough about us to want to help us out of this bad situation," she said. "I’m just so thankful. I couldn’t even imagine so many people would want to help us."

"We are beyond blessed. I don’t even know what word to say. It is magnificent to know how many people ... wanted to help," she said.

She is now looking for new rental homes and hopes to move as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, many others across the Triangle are still struggling with their living conditions.

Sherissa Oakley said her rented mobile home in Franklinton has holes in the floor, leaky plumbing and is even missing a window.

"We deserve to have a safe environment where you don’t have to worry about falling through your floor," said Oakley, who is pregnant and lost her job a few months ago. "I’m sick throwing up all the time from the smell of mold."

Isaac Sturgill, who directs housing advocacy programs for Legal Aid of North Carolina, said uninhabitable housing is "pretty prominent" in North Carolina.

"Under state law, a landlord does have to keep a place fit and habitable and in a livable condition," Sturgill said. "If there’s any condition that substantially affects the tenant’s use and enjoyment of the property, that’s a violation the landlord needs to fix. And that’s kind of a broad definition, and a lot of things could fit within that. That could be mold, unsafe flooring [or] a leak underneath the sink."

Tenants must notify landlords of any problems, he said, adding that they shouldn't try to withhold rent when fixes haven't been made.

"If a tenant keeps paying their rent throughout the period, even though the repairs haven’t been made, that tenant can still pursue a claim against the landlord and try to get the judge to order the landlord to pay the tenant back," he said.

Local housing code inspectors can also fine a landlord who doesn't make needed repairs in a timely manner. And state law protects tenants who complain about their housing from retaliation by landlords.

Sturgill said tenants in need also can call his team at Legal Aid toll-free at 866-219-5262.

"Most landlords have attorneys because they can afford them. For tenants, it’s very hard for them to get legal counsel. I’m just trying to level the playing field," he said. "We’re able to accomplish a lot for those tenants we represent."

Hoyt's advice to other tenants is to learn their rights in any fight with their landlords.

"Never give up," she said. "We have a lot of rights that I didn’t even know we have."