Large Scale Central

Geyser at the Skunkworks aka 'Randy is a big fat idiot' OT

General Discussion
#1

What happens when a landlord hires his brother-in-law to be the maintenance man? Nothing much good if you LIVE there. We’ve been here a year. I’m still sorting out the drains, wiring, fixing the floors, windows, and generally trying to undo what Randy did. Just to make this dump fall under what most folks would expect as ‘habitable’. I was beginning to think nothing would surprise me anymore… WRONG!

A week ago, we noticed a damp spot starting in the bedroom, but couldn’t find the source. Last night about 10pm the wall started hissing, so we pulled the dressers away, and found the panelling was hot and blistered. Pulled the soggy panelling off annnnnd was greeted by a very fine steam of very hot water… Mr. Brilliant had driven a nail though the hot water line when putting the panelling back up while he was ‘fixing’ the freeze breaks before we moved in. Then just left it. And the nail had finally rusted out. There was a cute little 6" square access hole patched with cardboard a few inches from where the hole in the pipe was was, so I’m guessing he probably knew he did it, too.

“Fixing” it will only require about 6" or so of pvc pipe and 2 unions, PLUS 2 sheets of panelling, new carpet (stained), and if my great great aunt’s 100+ YO oak dresser molds or splits, I’ll not be real happy about THAT either. Do I submit a bill and get a retalliatory eviction notice? Do I charge union scale for labor while I’m at it? Or is this enough sue the both of them over? Since I’ve just fixed the damned stuff up to now, when I probably SHOULD have been taking notes and pictures all along? I’m sure not calling Randy to come ‘fix’ it! (Or maybe I should? This time he might put a nail though a live wire and learn to be more careful?..No. My luck the place would just burn down…I’m not real sure you CAN “fix” careless, let alone stupid, anyway.)

All because somebody hired his wife’s brother to save HIM money. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

#2

Money probably had nothing to do with it.
Hire the worthless brother in law or continue to listen to your wife nag?
What would you choose :slight_smile:
Ralph

#3

Maybe he saw that method for repair on HDTV? Send a bill like a contractor would.

#4

He must be from Larry the Cable Guy’s territory, and jest did the best he could do!! Regal

#5

I can fix it for you Mik. I stayed at a Holiday Inn.

#6

Ralph, I might have agreed with you - except the landlord has owed a couple folks that live here money for work since this past summer (about $2K altogether)… and WON’T allow them to simply deduct it from the rent.

As for what I’d “choose”, maybe it’s a good thing we’re outta bullitz? “Honest ocifer, I thot he wuz a prowler!” (Wouldn’t DO it, but daydreamin about it reduces stress at times like this)

#7

Hire a real contractor and send the bill to the landlord.

#8

It gets better. I fixed the line by lunchtime, then went to turn the water back on underneath the mobile home… And everything froze last night. Instead of turning, the handle on the main shut off broke off in my hand (really cheap all plastic ball valve!)… So, now we have to wait for the big fat idiot to decide to show up and turn the water off further upstream t try to fix that. Maybe he’ll wander in by Monday?

And it turns out it wasn’t a nail. It was a staple from a pin nailer, there were actually TWO holes (three if you count the exit wound out the other side from the one that blew)- but only one let go completely…

AND I have some pretty good pix of the grey/green mold inside the walls

#9

Oh Mik, what a mess :frowning: I don’t know how you guarantee a win for your side in this one.

#10
Mik said:
AND I have some pretty good pix of the grey/green mold inside the walls
Treat the mold with bleach. If the bleach doesn't kill it................MOVE Ralph
#11

When I first read the title of this thread I thought I some how did a boo-boo or sumting, :0
Seriously Ralph gives some good advice, molds are not something to treat lightly, some can be highly toxic.

#12

I sprayed the mold w/Clorox right after I took a pic of it. Nice lady who’s been letting us fill up jugs w/ water says her hubby told the landlord 2 years ago this place needed fixed up or torn down. The real question, is, since I’ve got a witness willing to testify if need be that says the owner knew about many of the problems - By not fixing it AND letting it to us as ‘habitable’, is that simply misrepresentation or outright fraud?

AND, yes, I also saved the pieces and have found the phone number for the township building code (state guy) officer if it turns out I need to go that route.

What I CAN’T find is specifics on what is or isn’t actually addressed in the definition of habitability in PA. HUD doesn’t even have a list (we stopped in on the way back from the hardware store).

#13

Mik, I don’t know where you are so not sure of the landlord/tenant laws. I am in BC, Canada, and let me tell you we have some of the most one sided laws there are, and they are all in favour of the tenent. Landlord/tenant regulations change province to province and probably state to state in the US. In BC we have the residential tenancy board to settle disputes and I would think that wherever you are there is something similar. I would check your local government offices to see if there is something like that and then ask them what to do. They would have advice that would pertain to the rules in your jurisdiction.

#14
Mik said:
is that simply misrepresentation or outright fraud?
Sounds like slumlord [i]but hey I ain't got nothing to worry about since I'm part of the good ole' boys network[/i] fraud.
#15
Ron Spencer said:
They would have advice that would pertain to the rules in your jurisdiction.
Probably same as the ones around here, [i]"Then why don't you move?"[/i]
#16

Call Mike Holmes. :slight_smile:

#17

Mik, if you have one contact your housing and zoning inspector. Also find out if your community has adopted the property maintenance code. The other place to check is the board of health for the mold issue. All three of these can lead you in the right direction and force your landlord to do what is right and required by law.

#18

At the moment I might settle for having water (where it belongs). The big dummy got here yesterday morning, got out of the truck, took about 10 steps, then is his phone rings, so off he goes again saying, that he’d be right back… How long IS 'right back" anyway? 'Cause we ain’t seen him since.

Hauling water from the neighbors’ just to flush the commode is getting pretty old for everyone involved. A minor gripe perhaps, except slipping on the ice between here and there ain’t particularly fun or safe. AND it isn’t fair to them to have us traipsing in their houses to mooch a few gallons two or three times a day.

The Clorox turned the mold (and everything around it) white. The wall is still apart waiting for me to check the new joints once water comes again. And even though I filled the 1/2" wide, 2 foot long gap/crack in the floor with adhesive caulk, there’s still a nasty breeze. AND the carpet is starting to smell funny instead of drying out… Wheeeeeee!

#19
Mik said:
The big dummy got here yesterday morning, got out of the truck, took about 10 steps, then is his phone rings, so off he goes again saying, that he'd be right back....... How long IS 'right back" anyway? 'Cause we ain't seen him since. ...
Mebbe another dissatisfied customer with more clout ... as in "my cousin, he break your kneecaps good".
#20

Push is coming to shove. The landlord is insisting WE have to pay him to fix it, AND we have to wait until “maybe Monday” to get the work done. He also tried to ding us for an additional $125 that we don’t owe.

I explained the situation, and suggested perhaps I might call a restoration specialist for an estimate on the water and structural damage, the township construction code inspector about the shoddy workmanship throughout, and an independent housing inspector to get a habitability report including the mold, PLUS get a copy of the inspection report on the old furnace that he spent 8 months saying there was “nothing wrong with” but the contractor condemned after only a brief inspection (mismatched and inoperable parts, multiple cracks, etc), a couple depositions of what he was told needed repaired several months before he did a quicky paint and presented it to us as being in “move in condition”, and go see what the magistrate thinks… Or that he could treat us fairly, reconsider his fees and penalties, and just do what needed to be done. His choice.

I don’t like conflict, but I’m really tired of getting screwed.