MUSKEGON, Mich. — After months passed with no fix for his collapsed ceiling, Muskegon renter William Skaggs turned to FOX 17 News and got results.
WATCH: Months passed with no fix for a Muskegon renter's collapsed ceiling; FOX 17 helped fix it
William Skaggs rents a unit on McIlwraith Street in Muskegon.
In February of this year, Skaggs says a section of his ceiling collapsed onto the floor of his duplex.
"It just fell through," Skaggs said. "It just fell in. Fell into my apartment."
Muskegon
FOX 17 helps Muskegon man make headway on repairs to collapsed ceiling
Skaggs said he contacted his landlord asking for a permanent fix, but was told repairs wouldn't happen until May. With a boarded-up ceiling and no timeline in sight, he decided to reach out to FOX 17 News.
"A few months had gone by, nothing had been done. I just thought I'd reach out to you guys, channel 17 news, and see if you could help," Skaggs said.
When I first visited Skaggs, I also tried calling his landlord. As soon as the ceiling came up in the conversation, she hung up.
After the story aired, Skaggs sent a photo showing a brand new ceiling, repaired before May, as a result of FOX 17's reporting.
"Oh, I feel great. I'm hoping to stay here another four or five years. I don't need no big places… this is just fine for me," Skaggs said.
Skaggs said the experience taught him an important lesson: speak up.
“Instead of just sitting back, taking the rear seat and doing nothing, sometimes you just gotta stand up for yourself. And before, I've never been that kind of person," Skaggs said.
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