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Old 02-12-2008, 10:45 AM
 
8,411 posts, read 39,171,049 times
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Now I am HOPING that my landlord is just going to be flexable and let me go. Otherwise I am just going to pay 2-3 month rent of not living here. But do I have grounds to break my lease? I dont trust my LL anymore.

Problems:
- sink leaking since aug 2007 - multiple calls - no action
- german roach infestation 1st floor - ongoing since 08/07 - treated and baited twice. My apt isnt infested(bug guy said so)...But I have killed baby ones every other month crawling from other units I guess
- noisy tenants- I asked if you could hear convo through the walls. LL said no. But you can. Also people blast stereos, have scream sex, stomp happy. I am in a noise sandwich and losing my mind and sleep as it goes on as late as 1-4am sometimes. Greatly affecting sleep despite 2 fans/earplugs/tv/pillows
- proposed fine for someone throwing trash off the fire escape. I didnt do it. But LL will fine everyone 25$ if it keeps up. Is that legal?
- mugged right outside doorway - oh yeh fabulous!
- keep running out of hot water everytime I go to shower or do dishes. Its just not there. UGH.

Im tired and stressed...
Am I in hell or just some apartment building?
Am I doomed to the BS until I buy a house?
I called the health dept for an inspection to try to get to the bottom of this roach issue. Still waiting to hear back. I am so afraid that I will take them with me. I dont want to complain everytime about these stupid tenant. They dont need a LL..They need a BABYSITTER.

-In the Pitts in Pittsburgh
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Old 02-12-2008, 01:35 PM
 
Location: Seattle, WA
1,368 posts, read 6,489,320 times
Reputation: 542
Quote:
Originally Posted by pitt_transplant View Post
Now I am HOPING that my landlord is just going to be flexable and let me go. Otherwise I am just going to pay 2-3 month rent of not living here. But do I have grounds to break my lease? I dont trust my LL anymore.

Problems:
- sink leaking since aug 2007 - multiple calls - no action
Is this documented? Document it, and you start to have grounds.
- german roach infestation 1st floor - ongoing since 08/07 - treated and baited twice. My apt isnt infested(bug guy said so)...But I have killed baby ones every other month crawling from other units I guess
Thats just nasty
- noisy tenants- I asked if you could hear convo through the walls. LL said no. But you can. Also people blast stereos, have scream sex, stomp happy. I am in a noise sandwich and losing my mind and sleep as it goes on as late as 1-4am sometimes. Greatly affecting sleep despite 2 fans/earplugs/tv/pillows
Its an apartment building, this happens and it sucks. Not a lot you can realyl do about it.
- proposed fine for someone throwing trash off the fire escape. I didnt do it. But LL will fine everyone 25$ if it keeps up. Is that legal?
The whole, innocent until proven guilty thing seems to go in the face of fining EVERYONE...
- mugged right outside doorway - oh yeh fabulous!
Documented? Any extra security measures the landlord would take?
- keep running out of hot water everytime I go to shower or do dishes. Its just not there. UGH.
Insufficient water for the complex. Not a whole lot you can do about it.

Im tired and stressed...
Am I in hell or just some apartment building?
Both.
Am I doomed to the BS until I buy a house?
No. There are good complexes and landlords. Use your free time to find one.
I called the health dept for an inspection to try to get to the bottom of this roach issue. Still waiting to hear back. I am so afraid that I will take them with me. I dont want to complain everytime about these stupid tenant. They dont need a LL..They need a BABYSITTER.

-In the Pitts in Pittsburgh
Good luck. There have been some posts about the Landlord/Tenant laws in PA being a little weird (in favor of landlords), so I don't know how easy it is.

You MIGHT have grounds for breaking the lease if you can document your objections well enough, so that if your landlord took you to court... you could prove that he never fixed the maintenance issues, and that no steps were taken to ensure your security after the mugging.

You're really in the grey area though.
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Old 02-12-2008, 01:45 PM
 
8,411 posts, read 39,171,049 times
Reputation: 6366
Yeh...grey...thats what I assumed too...

I documented the sink and roach thing with my digital camera/witness...
Called the cops for the mugging.

God I hate this place. I dont want to go to court. I just want to GO.
I did do my homework on the new place. Now with the only complaints there being peeling paint and a week to fix a drippy tap...LOL BRING IT ON PLEEEEEEEEEEASE.
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Old 02-12-2008, 02:51 PM
 
8,893 posts, read 4,528,083 times
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I feel for you, but as Radek said, make sure everything is documented. You need to have a paper trail and pictures if possible. Good luck...
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Old 02-12-2008, 03:20 PM
 
1,005 posts, read 1,878,742 times
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Hi Pitt -

Please call for PA free legal aide for the best advice. You certainly have a cause for action, documentation in your favor. Continue to do so, please, as it will only help your case, particularly when speaking with a lawyer & most importantly, to keep facts consistent & accurate. Months after the fact... many don't remember exact dates/times/conversations.

In the Boston phone directory, it is listed in our "blue pages" (government listings) in the white pages phone book. Not sure how your directory works, but even if you search your gov't site online... there will be a listing for Legal Aide. The call may direct you to a recording asking you to call on certain days at specific times. In Boston, it's one day per week. In any event, they will know PA law, offer free advice & if not assist you directly, advise you & point you in the right direction.

Don't be miserable & uncomfortable when free legal council is available. Your living situation isn't "normal" & should be rectified asap, but you need to make a legal "first" step.

Best of luck to you. I hope this resolves swiftly & easily... VV
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Old 02-12-2008, 04:09 PM
 
8,411 posts, read 39,171,049 times
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Thats the info I was looking for...Thanks so much
<3

I am so brain dead atm

I will sleep better tonight knowing there is a step I can take if I have to.


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Old 02-12-2008, 04:15 PM
 
Location: Gary, WV & Springfield, ME
5,826 posts, read 9,577,609 times
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I'm no expert and I am not in PA, but I believe that as long as your mugging was documented, that would give you the right to break the lease. You have to consider your safety before you consider your money. It's a matter of 2-3 months, right? Any chance you could consider it money you loaned to a friend and never got paid back?

I am not trying to oversimplify this, but I think your bodily safety outweighs everything else. A mugging is way too close for comfort.
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Old 02-12-2008, 05:24 PM
 
8,411 posts, read 39,171,049 times
Reputation: 6366
Yeh...But its a city apartment. Things happen. Although I am going to use it as my list of things to present to him in hopes of him understanding. I feel bad for him too. I know thats stupid. But its seem the people that work for him are always new..and they are always below the bar in behavior/attitude. One cleaning lady actually brough a ghetto blaster to clean the apartment above and cranked it up. My unit was a giant speaker box. Her reason: "oh its hollow up there" Im not even going to make the joke that goes with that one. LOL

Its really bad tenants/workers that have totally ruined this place for me. Im not picky.
I just want clean and warm.

The thing is I may have to use him for a reference so I want to try to make this a peaceable split. Otherwise I would of been out of here long ago. I dont want bad tenant stuff on my credit report at all.
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Old 02-13-2008, 01:03 PM
 
86 posts, read 412,895 times
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If your LL has new help all the time, there is a reson! And it is not he's a peach of a guy.
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Old 03-10-2008, 02:47 PM
 
8,411 posts, read 39,171,049 times
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He's friendly...I think a little too laid back. His "people" look like slackers....Guessing because he tried to be a little cheaper.

Anyway... Health department sent a letter to him and to me about the bug issue. That week the bug guy here baited and sprayed the whole building again. A frig was replaced.
(perhaps that was an infestation source?) The letter from the h.d. stated 30 days to clear issue and then an inspection would be issued. After the two week knockdown period cleaning team was sent in to tidy the halls. I havent found anything in my unit. One very large german was flushed out from the unit below or beside and ran up the wall during my cooking above the sink. Other than that I havent seen anything so I am glad I called before it got out of hand again. I am keeping my unit pretty cold and really clean to deter them until I move.
Downstairs a dead one by the main front door and another on the hall wall which I drowned in lemon lysol. A good thing as it had an egg sack attached.

Its just really upsets me that I had to call the health department to get done what should of been done every two weeks starting in august when the problem began. I dont like being that way. Makes me feel sick...
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