RACINE, Wis. — A Racine woman has been put out of her apartment after her kitchen ceiling collapsed over the weekend.
Johnicia Etinne was cooking with her daughter in their kitchen Saturday when their ceiling suddenly gave way, covering them both in drywall, wet insulation and brown water.
"One piece had fell off, hit me and fell on her, and the water just started leaking really fast after that," Etinne said.
The collapse came after years of maintenance requests to her landlord, Smart Asset Realty, according to records dating back to at least 2023.
Watch: Woman turns to TMJ4 for help after her kitchen ceiling collapses
"It's just crazy because I've called the day before, I called the day of, that it happened, and by 5 o'clock that day, it just fell in," Etinne said.
When maintenance workers did respond to previous requests, Etinne said they only provided temporary fixes.
"When maintenance comes, they usually come look at it," Etinne said. "The guy painted over the black mold, and that was it. That's his quick fix."
Four days after the kitchen ceiling collapsed, water continues to leak from the damaged area. The wood in the ceiling remains sopping wet, along with the remaining insulation. Another leak has also developed in Etinne's bedroom, which she has also reported to her landlord.
"It just makes me feel like I almost don't have no where to go, I'm at my ends because I can't stay here, and I feel like if I d,o then I might die, from my health, they don't care. I got kids," Etinne said.
A representative from Smart Asset Realty said maintenance came out Tuesday, three days after the ceiling collapsed. When asked why no one responded immediately to the Saturday emergency report, the representative said they were looking into the delayed response.
A city inspector came out to inspect the property, too.
City of Racine Division of Neighborhood Enhancement documents show the property has been cited for several code violations. The violations include the large hole in the kitchen ceiling, missing hardware in the shower for proper functionality, improper lighting in the kitchen, and dampness in the bedroom and kitchen.
City documents show the landlord and owner have until Monday, February 16, to correct all of the violations.
According to documents, the owner is Shore Island Holdings, LLC. We've made multiple attempts to reach out to them and are waiting to hear back.
"I feel like I'm not getting the help that I need. At least for my kids. But I'm not staying here, I'm not coming back even if they do fix it," Etinne said.
After being contacted Wednesday, Smart Asset Realty is now working to move Etinne and her children to a new location.
Etinne and her family aren't living in that Racine apartment right now because of all the damage. If you'd like to contribute to their family, you can donate here.
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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