A South Florida hairstylist is facing a big bill after a flood in her studio. Her landlord says it was her hose, so she’s on the hook. But she says it’s not her fault. It’s tonight’s Help Me Howard with Brandon Beyer.
Toni-Leigh Jacobs knew from an early age she wanted to be a hairstylist. She started out doing her own hair.
Toni-Leigh Jacobs: “And then my friends and I was like ‘I’m kind of good at this maybe I’ll take it seriously, and professionally’ and I did.”
She went to school, got her license, now she’s her own boss.
Toni-Leigh Jacobs: “The freedom, like my schedule. I can just do whatever I want. I can take off when I want, make what I want, the freedom, not being controlled by someone else.”
For the past year, she’s rented a little space in large building and grown her business.
Toni-Leigh Jacobs: “And then everything was fine until it wasn’t.”
When late one Saturday night there was a leak under her sink.
Toni-Leigh Jacobs: “My shampoo hose broke in the middle of the night and flooded half of the building.”
Several studios got water in them. Thousands of dollars in damages.
The woman she rents from seemed to be understanding.
Toni-Leigh Jacobs: “Initially, she told me that it was a freak accident, it could happen to anyone. I wasn’t being negligent.”
But then she got an email.
Toni-Leigh Jacobs: “Saying it is in fact my responsibility and I have to pay for the damages.”
And then came a demand letter, claiming her hose was rusty and asking for $9,000.
Toni-Leigh says the buildings handyman installed her sink and had just cleaned the hair trap days before the leak.
She says he never said anything about the hose.
Toni-Leigh Jacobs: “If there was something wrong, why wouldn’t you say something to me? That tells me that he didn’t see that there was anything wrong. It was working perfectly fine.”
Howard, floods are awful and so expensive. Is Toni-Leigh underwater?
Howard Finkelstein: “The landlord has what the law calls “the burden to prove” the tenant was negligent. To prove she didn’t properly maintain the sink and the hose, which could be difficult since Toni-Leigh says the handyman recently cleaned it and says there was no mention of a rusty hose. If she was not negligent, she is not responsible.”
And Toni-Leigh says she wasn’t.
Toni-Leigh Jacobs: “A hundred percent. I think she knows in her heart of hearts she has a plumbing issue.”
She says while she hopes it doesn’t come down to it she’s not afraid to go to to court.
Next month, she says she’s moving into a new space to make a fresh start.
Toni-Leigh Jacobs: “I feel like my job and just this space has always been my happy place. And I’m just ready to get out of here and for this to just be over.”
Toni-Leigh has insurance and she’s filed a claim. That could help, but Howard says they too will only have to pay if she was negligent.
Got a problem? Need a hand? Here’s how you find us below. It’s Help Me Howard. I’m Brandon Beyer, 7News.
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