Columbia, SC (WLTX) - A Columbia woman and her family have to find somewhere else to live after learning the home they recently moved into has been condemned by the City of Columbia.
Linda stone, her son and daughter have been homeless, living in hotels and with friends, for nearly two years.
"With the help of the Salvation Army, they explained to us that if we find somewhere on our own to move then they would help us with the security deposit, the rent and also turn on our lights," says Stone.
They found a three-bedroom home on Barhamville Road in Columbia, signed a lease and moved in on October 12, excited to start something new. What she didn't know is that for over a year, the house has been condemned by the City of Columbia's Code Enforcement, citing unsafe conditions.
"This is where the squirrels have been living in the attic and this is feces and urine," says Stone. "These windows have to come up and they can't, they're nailed down. There are cracks in the structure, the floor is lumpy. We have no running water."
Stone says she signed a lease with her new landlord, with hopes that the water would be fixed. When doing the walk through of the house, she learned that the copper pipes were stolen from under the home, and on top of that, she learned that the house was set to be demolished on October 24. So she called our On Your Side line.
News 19 talked to her landlord over the phone, and he says he didn't know of the home's status either. In fact, he says he's a victim here too as he was in the process of buying the house from the original owner.
"I had no idea, I had already had an offer and it had been submitted and accepted and had already signed off on everything," he said. "I can't do anything now."
According to documents from the code enforcement office, there was a violation and correction order issued on July 6, 2017. The owners of the property had 30 days to make repairs; if not the house would be condemned and then demolished.
Code enforcement says the owners signed a consent order acknowledging the condemned status. They are now believed to be out of the country.
Meanwhile, Stone remains upset about the entire situation.
"This has been a long ride for us and now the journey is starting all over."
News 19 reached out to owners of the property for a comment, but did not get an answer. The Salvation Army says they will continue to help stone and her family find a safe place to live.