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Oh believe me, DH has said after this, he won't lift a finger to help him around here.
Half the house needed sheet rock and we put it in only taking off for the sheet rock. I can go on and on but won't.
We haven't minded any of the inside work. My husband installed a marble countertop and backsplash in the kitchen as well. We like a nice home. He was going to finish the insulation and siding on the half of the outside that just has plywood because that half of the house is very cold in the winter.
I just think that a 50% increase with 16 days until its in effect is a bit much.
OMG only 3 posts in and already my blood is boiling so to speak at this. First you should have been paid for labor and time. You did more than just repairs a lot more. You brought up the value of your LL's property, home, apt. Now if you leave your LL can probably get more $$ maybe not as much as your increase amounts to but I'm sure more than what you are paying now. A 50% increase is insane I wonder if he is planning to sell and needs to show he made more income from rent to get the price up (value) for sale. He can also sell for more than what it was worth because of the repairs you guys did for free, assuming you weren't reimbursed in some way, not just based on the income from the rent you are paying.
What a SOB this one is. Don't let him being a lawyer stop you from checking with your Municipality to see if there is a limit on how much he can raise the rent. You might also be entitled to be part ownership of the property since you werer not paid for the work. I know a tenant who went took their LL to court with all the receipts they saved up proving they did do the work and, long story short, they ended up being part owners of the home. So your LL being a lawyer should know better than to not pay you for doing the work. Look into it because you might be entitled to more than just material reimbursement since it's more than just a few minor little repairs you did.
You might also be entitled to be part ownership of the property since you werer not paid for the work.
This is a ridiculous assertion. At most, having done work might entitle the tenant to some payment for that work. It's a long journey from there to partial ownership of the property. Even if it was determined that the landlord owes the tenant anything (which is certainly NOT a given) that landlord will be asked to pay cash. I guess it's possible that if the landlord cannot pay that cash, a lien could be placed on the property, which might one day lead to partial ownership.
I wish I had tenants as good as you and your husband. I would move on and say to heck with this. I would be pissed too, and upset. However plenty of people would love to have great tenants and you sound like a winner! Move on!
I wish I had tenants as good as you and your husband. I would move on and say to heck with this. I would be pissed too, and upset. However plenty of people would love to have great tenants and you sound like a winner! Move on!
Thank you so much! We were homeowners for 15 years and after our 5th flood, we had to go. Irene gave us 12 ft of water last year in our home and after previously having 13 ft with Floyd and losing 3 walls of foundation in another flood, we decided enough is enough and have to move on and try and start over.
Our kids love it here and the school is good. They've made so many friends. The instability of having to move again is just killing us. I'm so past upset at this point.
Decent people are hard to come by.
I also wonder about the legality of this wood burning furnace in the basement.
It kind of scares me but I figured if they lived with it when they lived here, it must be ok. Rest assured, I bought plenty of renters insurance because of it.
This is a ridiculous assertion. At most, having done work might entitle the tenant to some payment for that work. It's a long journey from there to partial ownership of the property. Even if it was determined that the landlord owes the tenant anything (which is certainly NOT a given) that landlord will be asked to pay cash. I guess it's possible that if the landlord cannot pay that cash, a lien could be placed on the property, which might one day lead to partial ownership.
I agree it's ridiculous but not because it can't be done. It happened to a former neighbor of mine. I nearly fell over when I saw the legal papers drawn up by the lawyers. Soon after that my neighbors adult children started taking over the responsibilities of the house and rent collecting. She was an old woman who I think got royally screwed and her children knew it. It was a deal that the tenants lawyer was able to get for them. I just couldn't believe it and I am sure I would not have believed it had I not seen it in writing. I never in my life heard or seen such a thing happen. Showed me make sure I never never hire a tenant to do anything. I hire only contractors and if I do ask for something from a tenant I pay them and I stopped paying in cash because there's no proof of payment so I let them take it out in the rent so it shows they did get paid one way or anther from me.
Last edited by Lolipopbubbles; 09-30-2012 at 11:52 AM..
Reason: almost forgot those tenants still live there and LL is in some nursing home. Kids didn't waste time doing that.
Does your town have requirements for rental properties? Certificate of Occupancy? You might be in an illegal rental. Also, find a lawyer who doesn't know this guy.
I would check to see if your town has any rules governing rent increases. I haven't had to deal with this stuff in a few years, but I believe you can challenge the rent increase as "unconscionable" if it really raises your rent so dramatically that it's ridiculous, but it will likely be a fight. Also, I believe the landlord must provide you with 30 days notice of rent increase--might buy you a bit of time, at least. See the link below for a better explanation.
memema, I don't think we have requirements, but I will check. He is the attorney for the town, haha! I am going to call tomorrow anonymously.
jerseyjersey, I know about the unconscionable thing in the tenant rights and feel that I do have a good argument for it.
He wants to bring it more toward market value, however, this is not a market value home. This would be sold as a fixer upper, as-is, if it were for sale, requiring thousands and thousands of dollars in repairs just to bring it up to code.
Good lesson here for everyone also: Do not do work on a house you do not own. You will not be repaid for it. If you are going to rent, just occupy and enjoy. Repairs and improvements should be for homeowners, not renters. If you "like to live in a nice place" and do repairs and improvements, just be aware that you will not get anything back for doing this. It's not wise to do it. If you want a nice place to live, rent a place that is already nice and does not require work.
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