Landlord Won’t Respond To My Attorney- Please Help. We Were Rented A Home Without A Certificate Of Occupancy.

Hi there- I am desperate.

Edit to add specific question: What can I do of my landlord will not respond to my attorney? Please read below.

Last week my family discovered that the home we rent has no certificate of occupancy, and failed all of its building inspections in July. Two weeks later they rented the home to us. They didn't fix anything. They have an open building permit and no certificate of occupancy. We have had issue after issue.. for the most part we have tried to fix minor things ourselves- like anchoring the dishwasher, etc. It all came to light when the temperatures started to drop in Oct/Nov. We discovered the home had zero insulation- the landlord willing told us this. We were freezing in our home. Eventually, they insulated the exterior walls by drilling holes a spraying cellulose. Despite us asking twice if we needed to prepare or move our belongings in preparation they destroyed the home and our belongings in the process. There was insulation and drag wall dust in and on everything, and the home was still unable to keep up and stay heated. I work in planning and development and thought it was bizarre a renovated home would have no insulation so I submitted a public records request for the building permit which led to the County calling us in for a meeting to tell us the history of the property. We had a bizarre conversation with landlord the next day where they said they didn't need permits and to contact their legal team. I know they needed permits- the County explicitly told us so. I'm lucky enough to have an attorney in the family and he has made 3 attempts at getting the contact information for their legal representation but has received no response. Please someone help or provide any guidance or advice.

Edit to add: located in Haywood County- North Carolina. The county is the municipal entity for my address.