Students return to find water-logged apartment

Imagine the anticipation all Ohio State students feel before a new quarter, especially after a long winter break. Some students are excited to come back while others dread their rigorous class schedules.

Now imagine coming back from break and finding your apartment or residence hall room submerged in inches of standing water.

Water damage may be the last thing many OSU students think about, but it is something Dustin Growick and Robert Emrich will never forget.

"I was in D.C. for New Year's and Dusty was at the bowl game. Luckily, Dusty's sister stopped by our place while we were gone. Water had been gushing out for three days," said Emrich, a senior in philosophy.

"I walked in and heard water running. I thought there was a shower running, but it seemed more forceful than that. I looked in the kitchen and saw it was underwater. It looked like a waterfall was flowing out of holes poking out of the wall," said Dustin Growick's sister Sasha Growick.

Sasha Growick called 911 because exposed wires were in standing water.

The cause of the damage was a faulty part in an internal pipe.

"The pipes didn't freeze. It was an internal pipe that burst and the heat was on," Emrich said.

"Water leaked from the second floor bathroom all the way down to the basement. There was at least four inches of standing water in the basement," Emrich said. "It was so moist in there that your glasses fogged up. It was like you were in a jungle."

Dustin Growick, a senior in women's studies and anthropology, lived in the basement of the apartment and most of his things were damaged by the water.

"I would say I have about $9,000 worth of damage. At first it didn't seem like it would be that much, but all the little things definitely add up. Luckily, my insurance is covering most of the damage," he said.

"The moisture was so palpable that it condensed on the sides of the walls upstairs. The moisture even damaged things upstairs," Emrich said.

"Renters insurance is definitely a good idea for students moving off-campus. It costs between $100 -$120 and covers theft, water damage and fire damage," said Nate Rivard, a representative from Buckeye Real Estate, the company Emrich and Dustin Growick rented from.

"In this case, Buckeye was really good," Emrich said. "They were great as far as what they were legally obligated to do and what they did."

Buckeye Real Estate put new carpet in right away.

"We thought that would help, but it didn't. There was still an unbearable stench. That's why we moved," Emrich said.

Emrich and Dustin Growick were able to move into a new apartment, and Buckeye Real Estate also agreed to compensate for any excessive utility bills.

"We did everything we could, within reason," Rivard said.