Crazy Landlord That is NOT Making Repairs...... (fit in, apartment) - Charlotte - North Carolina (NC) - City-Data Forum

abri07 · 03-22-2012, 12:35 PM

I am currently renting a home, for our non profit organization. We offer transitional housing services for women with children. We currently have a crazy landlord who is NOT making any repairs!

The Background: We signed our lease on Dec 26, 2011. Our landlord waived the deposit and only charged us ½ of January’s rent because we offered to do minor repairs. We made an agreement of what we were expected to (things like paint, put in new kitchen counter tops, etc).
It was brought to my attention that there were no smoke detectors in the home (I know I should‘ve checked this out.) I contacted the landlord multiple times. Finally, I called the city code enforcement and they came out and found more things wrong with the place. We had an informal meeting on March 12 with code enforcement and our landlord did not show up.

Now: Our landlord has scheduled to have an electrician come twice and the electrician has not shown up! Also she began a demolition to a shed in the backyard last Monday March 12 and has not finished, it’s a big mess back there.

Also, in our lease it states the landlord will install central air by May 1. I now know that she is not honest and I do not believe she will do this! I want to know what actions can I take? Does anyone know of any good lawyers? I was thinking about using legal shield.
　
Please Help!

coped · 03-22-2012, 01:11 PM

Legal Services of Southern Piedmont is your best bet either for help or referral. Some of the lawyers there wrote the book on tenants' rights in NC.

Feltdesigner · 03-22-2012, 01:37 PM

your best bet is to move....

If the landlord didn't fix these things before you moved in the chances of them fixing it after you moved in were slim.

Trademarked · 03-22-2012, 09:24 PM

Why not just put up a smoke detector? You can get one for like $5.

A broken shed isn't really worth suing someone over, especially after only a week. Calling code enforcement was extreme and is going to cost your landlord a lot of time and money, and if you were my tenant I'd tell you to break the lease and leave. I think you should move out and stop causing problems for the landlord.

Feltdesigner · 03-23-2012, 08:47 AM

yeah... on second thought the landlord waved the deposit, only asked for a half month for Jan and you thank him/her by calling city code?

Something doesn't add up. I'm thinking the landlord waved the deposit and charged a half month because YOU agreed to fix it up.... and now that fixing it up cost money and time you want it all done for free.

I still think you should move but something tells me you won't because you would have to pay the deposit and full rent every month.

spankys bbq · 03-23-2012, 09:13 AM

Any willingness to do any repairs your landlord may have had is now gone since you called Code Enforcement. As a landlord, we cannot control what our contractors do. Sure, we can fire them and find a new one, but it is a slow process and it requires that we be there to practically hold the new contractor's hand until they gain our trust. we don't just let anyone go into an apartment or house without some supervision.

I am curious about you calling the landlord crazy. Where did that come from? I'm being serious.

Oftentimes, tenants feel like we are lazy because we don't get to a house or apartment just a few minutes after we hang up the phone with a tenant. That simply is not the case. While a smoke detector is somewhat of a priority, you have no way of knowing what else is going on within the business.

I wouldn't sweat the AC timeline just yet. May 1 is over a month away and it takes a day or two to install central air.

Going back to Code Enforcement, the landlord is not required to show up. Neither is the tenant. We all know that showing up will make no difference and is pretty much a waste of our time. The decision has already been made and no fail items will be removed from the list. So, why bother showing up to be told what one already knows. CE doesn't penalize the landlord for not showing.

I'm sure the idea of withholding your rent has crossed your mind. DO NOT withhold the rent. You are not allowed to do that and even having a list of repairs will not make a difference if your landlord goes to evict you. The only question at hand would be if you paid your rent or not.

If you feel like nothing will ever be done to your satisfaction, perhaps you should ask to be let out of your lease and move on.

abri07 · 03-23-2012, 01:02 PM

When we moved in we put in over $1,500 in cosmetic work (we signed a contract of what we would do and completed all of it.) We offered to put smoke detectors, but we asked her to sign a permission form because in our lease it states we cannot make repairs or add anything without permission. We called her multiple times and she only answers the phone around the time rent is due. Please understand we are a small non profit on a limited budget (my mother and I pay for ALL the expenses out of pocket).

The only reason we called code enforcement is because in order to complete our transitional house license we have to have an inspection. The business inspector suggested making sure all other basic code enforcement issues are met before having them come. That is why we called code enforcement.

Also, there was 9 issues found not just the shed and smoke detectors. Two issues are electrical, 1 water pressure, and one uneven kitchen floor. We offered to get the shed up to code because we really wanted to use for our clients we also offered to pay to have the work done and have the money taken off the rent.

If this was my home I would not care but I do not live there and how can I possibly try to help women and children and put them up in home that is not comfortable. I know I should’ve checked on these issues prior to moving in and I will next.

Moving is not easy because we would have to change everything not just for us but for our clients as well. Also, it would be like throwing $1500 out the window! AND LET ME BE CLEAR, we are not trying to sue anyone over these things we would only sue her if she does not install central air by May 1, which is in our lease. If she will not fix repairs that are under $200 then I doubt she will install a central air system.
　
I called my landlord crazy for multiple reasons. She is not really the home owner, she is the power of attorney for her mother who is the home owner. We have later found out from neighbors she is a known drug addict. She demands me to bring the rent to her on the first of the month, if I offer to put it in the mail she screams and curses at me and tells me how she needs it so bad (I hate conflict so I try to accommodate as much as I can). She shows up at the house whenever she wants and comes in the home without permission. Our lease states she must give 24 hours notice but she does not this.

We have been working on getting these issues since January 7 we did not contact code enforcement until Feb 11. I think that we gave her ample amount of time to bring smoke detectors or sign the consent form.

coped · 03-23-2012, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abri07

I called my landlord crazy for multiple reasons. She is not really the home owner, she is the power of attorney for her mother who is the home owner. We have later found out from neighbors she is a known drug addict. She demands me to bring the rent to her on the first of the month, if I offer to put it in the mail she screams and curses at me and tells me how she needs it so bad (I hate conflict so I try to accommodate as much as I can). She shows up at the house whenever she wants and comes in the home without permission. Our lease states she must give 24 hours notice but she does not this.

Move ASAP. Seriously. If your non-profit can scrounge up the money, break the lease and get out. (You might consult LSSP on ways to get out of the lease if the landlord violated the contract). You don't want to get into a legal battle with a drug addict. Worse yet, one who knows where you (or your clients) live.

abri07 · 03-23-2012, 01:48 PM

She hasn’t broken the lease yet. She has made it clear she will not let us out of the lease (and it is a 2 year lease that started on Jan 1, 2012)! That is why I made this post to find suggestions on lawyers who are familiar with this type of situation. Lssp will not help us because we make too much money. They referred me to another agency that will do a phone consultation for $50, but I rather just find a lawyer for this issue that I can meet with face to face.

My mom operated our non profit in Las Vegas, NV for 4 years and made similar arrangements with other landlord and we have NEVER had any issues. Our non profit has over 10 landlord references. We worked with landlords and helped them improve their properties by getting work donated, doing some of the work ourselves, and paying for some parts of it. It suppose to be a win, win for everyone.

@felt designer It is challenging to pay full rent and deposit as a non profit that makes NO MONEY. No board members make any money, we are simply trying to help women and children who have no place to live. Most of our expenses (95%) come out of our own pockets.
We made an agreement of what we were expected to (things like paint, put in new kitchen counter tops, etc).
　
Please Help![/quote]

spankys bbq · 03-26-2012, 09:58 AM

Being a privately owned house changes things a bit. And she may have violated the lease. Certain leases allow for entry with or without notice for inspection, repairs, or pest treatments, among other things. If your lease requires 24 hours notice for any entry, that is a violation if she enters without providing the required notice. Most likely nothing will be done about it. It kind of sucks that way.

Most likely a decent attorney will talk to you for free. I wouldn't pay anything for a consultation. It might be in your best interest to locate some other transitional housing providers and ask if they use an attorney, and who it is.

As far as the woman being a supposed drug addict, you really need to take that with a grain of salt. Lots of people presume a person is a drug addict if they are different from them. I'm not saying she's not, because she may very well be an addict, but don't always believe everything you hear.

I really think your best bet is going to be to move even though you don't have the money. You may be able to find a landlord who will work with you on the deposit and be understanding about your current situation.