A problem she's been struggling with for five years brings Emma Vega to tears.
She and her husband Matias own Matt's Watch and Jewelry Repair on Harrison Street in Harlingen.
They said dirty water full of grease flows onto their property every day.
The grease, they claim, is coming from a nearby Whataburger every time their parking lot is power washed.
Action 4 News first tackled the issue in 2010 and got quick results.
But the couple said the results only lasted about three months, and the mess was back.
"The city blames the state, the state blames the city,” Emma Vega said. “We go to Whataburger and complain and Whataburger managers know about the problem, then the managers come and get together here, and it the end nobody does anything."
Aside from unsightly sewage-filled grease flowing to their lot and becoming a nuisance for the area businesses, the couple said they are more concerned about the safety of their customers who may slip in the now greasy parking lot.
"What I’m afraid of is that people are going to get hurt and sooner or later they're probably going to sue me for something like that," Matias Vega said.
The couple has taken countless photos to document the problem, has written the state, gone to the city of Harlingen and Whataburger, but they claim no one is listening or attempting to fix the issue permanently.
"We pay taxes like everybody else, so we have rights,” an emotional Emma Vega said. “So somebody out there, if you consider this is a problem (which) no one wants to pay attention (to), please help us – please."
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT