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We rent a unit that already has a satellite dish fastened to our balcony when we moved in. We never used it and had no interest to pay for the service.
New LL purchased this building a couple of years ago and while we were away visiting family during the weekend, they posted a letter outside our door so anyone walking down the hallway could read the letter.
It is a hostile letter to remove the satellite dish as it is not part of the lease and if they have to remove it for us, considered as non-compliance there will be a charge and failure to do so may result in legal action to terminate tenancy.
First of all, we never installed the damn thing. This LL is a new owner, why assume it was us who installed it and why such threats?
They could have used different tone in their letter, instead of being so hostile.
In general, I find most LL issue hostile letters and we take it as a threat. There is no need for that and how would you handle this situation?
We have notified the Super. that we did not install satellite dish as he should know because he cleaned the unit before we moved in and had him remove it immediately since we do not have the tools or the strength to remove it.
The letter is very strong tone. Do we just let it roll off our back or do we reply to it? If we reply, we do fear this would further bring more attention to us, then the LL would bully us that we would get evicted (new LL increase the rent to new tenants by 25%) as we have suffered this experience in the past at previous place.
If you have experienced similar situation, please share and how did you handle it, and what was the result?
OP, yes, your landlord was being a jerk. Maybe he is new at landlording, but new or not, he doesn't understand how to keep good tenants. Whether or not this was about whatever happened with the 911 call, I don't know.
Don't know where you are, but in CA, a landlord can't kick you out for at least 6 months after you exercise a right. So, if that law is the same where you are, it might behoove you to go ahead and write a response and send it via snail mail or email, saying that you had nothing to do with the placement of the satellite dish and you are wondering if the landlord has some kind of issue with the 911 call, and if so, you would like to know what it is.
Whatever the 911 call was about, mentioning it may give you some rights as far as a veiled threat about a retaliatory eviction or possibly discrimination of some kind? It's basically, like playing a game of chess and you're positioning yourself in a way that it would be difficult to come out a loser.
Very, very direct doesn't equal hostile? Yeesh. That's like the equivalent of an alternative fact.
Of course, it was hostile. Sure, the landlord has the right to post a hostile letter, but is that a smart business move? I don't think so.
What is to be gained by obsessing on how not-nice the letter was? The point is, the situation is fixed, and relations can only be improved by calling and very nicely saying it's all taken care of. The letter doesn't matter.
We don't have a history with this new LL and been with them for two years when they first purchased this building and we've lived here prior to their purchase.
Wait, so it was there for two years before this landlord even had a problem with it???
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe
Whatever the 911 call was about, mentioning it may give you some rights as far as a veiled threat about a retaliatory eviction or possibly discrimination of some kind? It's basically, like playing a game of chess and you're positioning yourself in a way that it would be difficult to come out a loser.
I would sure as hell hope a person needing emergency medical care isn't a problem with the landlord. Sounds to me like OP is the one who should be hostile over that-- what if someone had died or had some kind of adverse health outcome because of the delay in getting them emergency services, because of the landlord's negligence? (But I absolutely don't think OP should bring it up to rock the boat; sounds like they're already on thin ice. They could absolutely come out a loser-- like the landlord says "no, of course that 911 thing was no problem. Oh, is that a speck of dirt on your kitchen floor? You're evicted.")
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook
What is to be gained by obsessing on how not-nice the letter was? The point is, the situation is fixed, and relations can only be improved by calling and very nicely saying it's all taken care of. The letter doesn't matter.
It does if it's an indication of how all communications with this landlord are going to go.
Or, if it's an indication that the landlord is now looking for a reason to evict them-- and I'm starting to wonder, if something that wasn't a problem for the previous tenant despite allegedly being against the lease, wasn't enough of a problem to remove before the current tenant (OP) despite allegedly being against the lease, wasn't a problem with the current tenant under the former owner despite allegedly being against the lease, wasn't a problem with the current tenantunder the current owner for two years despite allegedly being against the lease ... now is suddenly a problem, and such a large one that they're already being threatened with eviction despite having shown no sign that they're going to be difficult or noncompliant (in part because they've not been given a chance to show those signs, since this is the first they've heard that the dish is a problem).
It does if it's an indication of how all communications with this landlord are going to go.
Exactly. I'm not the victim type. You come at me with hostility, I'm going to fortify my position, even if I do it while acting naiive and with a smile. If I see a potential legal threat, I'm going to put myself in a better legal position. Just smart defense - just in case - based on someone threatening to take legal action.
I have become the master of this, knowing the laws - knowledge truly is power. I don't look like someone who could kick your butt in court, but I am. And the main reason is because if I perceive a potential threat, I position myself in such a way that I would win against you.
I don't suffer bullies. And I very much disagree with the contingent on this forum who seems to think all tenants should roll over and play dead.
For what it's worth, I used to be an apartment manager and a private landlord, and I never treated tenants like that. Even the ones I had to kick out were treated with dignity and they left without any major problems. It's just good business to do so. You keep good tenants and avoid damage from tenants you need to kick out.
But, there are some landlords who get into the business because of the power trip. May the universe send them a tenant like me to teach them a consequence they deserve.
It does if it's an indication of how all communications with this landlord are going to go.
OK, but there's still nothing to gain from being too trigger happy. If relations don't improve, then move... but there's still nothing to gain from picking a fight. Be businesslike.
OK, but there's still nothing to gain from being too trigger happy. If relations don't improve, then move... but there's still nothing to gain from picking a fight. Be businesslike.
Be businesslike? The same could be said for the LL. Plus, you know, he has more reason and incentive to be "businesslike" since, you know, he's actually running a business.
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Call and tell them it's already gone.
