MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Milwaukee tenants Michael Hoskins and Amari Johnson say they are facing health issues and threats from their landlord after reporting a recurring gas leak at their apartment building.
TMJ4's Chief Investigative Reporter Jenna Rae first spoke with Hoskins in August after gas technicians discovered multiple leaks in his apartment building, forcing repeated shutoffs of gas service.
Seven months later, Hoskins said it's happening again.
Hoskins and Johnson said they have experienced health issues since the newest leak began.
Watch: Milwaukee tenants say they faced eviction threats after reporting recurring gas leaks to their landlord
"There was strong fumes coming from the vent area, and I was good before I went in the bathroom, but as I'm using the bathroom I started throwing up," Johnson explained.
"I would come in the house, I wasn't tired and all of a sudden I'm tired," Hoskins echoed.
Recognizing the symptoms, the couple investigated the smell.
"So we went down to the basement. There was some type of smell; it smelled like gas, so we called We Energies, and they came out," Hoskins said.
We Energies confirmed its technicians were at the property on Milwaukee's north west side Friday. They shut off two water heaters due to improper venting and left information stating the equipment should be repaired by a qualified technician.
"What happens is when We Energies shuts it off, the maintenance people come back and turn it on, and they don't fix the problem. So then the leaks start back," Hoskins said.
TMJ4 visited the property Tuesday when We Energies returned. A spokesperson for We Energies said the repairs noted Friday seemed to be tampered with, and the water heaters were turned back on without being fixed.
"They've got us paying $900 a month, but we can't even safely live in here and don't know if we're gonna blow up or not or breathe in carbon monoxide," Hoskins said.
Hoskins says reporting the concerns to We Energies resulted in threats from Badger Management. An email that appears to come from the property manager threatened eviction.
"You complain about gas leaks, call WE Energies out, we attempt to fix it, you want to complain. I'm tired of this Michael, you are getting a 28-day notice terminating tenancy. Start looking for a new place because there will be an eviction in your name if you don't comply," the property manager said in an email to Hoskins.
"What was your initial reaction to receiving that email?" Rae asked Hoskins.
"Anxiety," Hoskins said. "This explain why the people will not call on they landlord because of the retaliation that they're getting."
TMJ4 News called Badger Management Tuesday and left a voicemail. Thirty minutes later, Hoskins received a text message from his landlord.
"We will be out to repair the gas tomorrow. We do not wish to continue this tenancy," the landlord said in a text.
A property manager responded to TMJ4 News via email, saying water heaters are only relit once any identified issues have been properly resolved. The property manager added that there is no pending eviction, but rather an agreed-upon move-out date.
Meanwhile, Hoskins remains concerned for his safety.
"Laying down and not waking up. That's my next biggest concern, so I'm worried about that," Hoskins said.
This story was reported on-air by Jenna Rae and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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