My landlord is insane

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almightygnat

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I never post here, but this is just too unreal not to share. Just a copy paste from my facebook immediately after it happened, so the grammar and everything might not be perfect.

So my landlord just came to my door, very aggressively, and was telling me that I should get the fuck out.
For some backstory, 4 times in the past 3 weeks my tub has just randomly filled with raw sewage. Most of the times they fixed it within a couple of hours... the last 2 times, they didn't, so I called the health department. The landlord stated that today they were going to put a camera down the pipes to see wtf is going on. So when I get home from work today, I knock on the door. His wife answers and asks 'What?' I respond with 'Hey, I was wondering if you guys found anything in there today?' Very quickly and short, she replied 'Baby wipes.' She seemed a bit mad at me, so I asked if her husband was home. She said no, and I mentioned that his car was outside. She started going off about how I'm calling her a liar and slammed the door in my face. Naturally, I said aloud to the slammed door 'stupid bitch ass cunt' and went on with my day.
So the landlord telling me to get the fuck out. Basically he knocked on the door and asked 'you were looking for me?' I reply, 'yea, i was wondering if you guys found anything in the pipes today.' His response was that I was cursing at his wife. Taken aback a bit, I admitted that I did, once she slammed the door in my face. He states that I indirectly called her a liar, and that he would have slammed the door in my face too. At this point, I pick my aggression up a bit, because he's pissed me off. I ask 'how would you like it is someone slammed a door in your face?' and he starts screaming at me to get the fuck out and how i cursed at his wife and repeating the same things.
So I try to explain that his wife ignored me for 5 hours, and that was why I called the health department, but he kept interrupting me and not letting me speak, saying he was the manager and that he could do what he wants. So I scream and tell him to shut up and let me speak, and he calls me an idiot.
At this point I tell him I'm going to shut him down. He tells me to go ahead and do it. Stare down occurs. I tell him to have a good night. He says you too. Then he walks away, mumbling how i'm a 'dummyhead'. His wife comes out and starts saying how i'm a dummyhead and to get my life back together.

Hooooooly fuck. wtf? Anybody actually read this?
 
[quote name='KaneRobot']Well the last landlord thread ended with the landlord in prison for life, so you've got that going for you.[/QUOTE]
Wow. Nice callback.
 
[quote name='KaneRobot']Well the last landlord thread ended with the landlord in prison for life, so you've got that going for you.[/QUOTE]
Boomshakalaka.
 
I actually cursed after she slammed the door in my face. So if you want to get technical, I cursed at the door. As an aside, she was initially aggressive with me when I knocked on the door in the first place.
Regardless, I'm pretty sure the landlord is supposed to act professional, not use terms like 'I'm the manager, I can do whatever I want.'

This all stemmed from the fact that I've had RAW SEWAGE filling my bathtub for no reason, and they ignore me when I knock on their door.
4 times. In 3 weeks.
 
[quote name='KaneRobot']Well the last landlord thread ended with the landlord in prison for life, so you've got that going for you.[/QUOTE]

Link?
 
[quote name='KaneRobot']Well the last landlord thread ended with the landlord in prison for life, so you've got that going for you.[/QUOTE]

Exactly what I thought when I saw the title.
 
[quote name='VaultBoy101']Sounds like everyone involved here acted in a less-than-adult manner.[/QUOTE]

Never stated this wasn't the case... I'm not the proudest of how I acted, but it certainly could have wound up worse. While I was very nice at the outset of both the conversation with him and his wife, I absolutely ramped up my aggression level when provoked. Don't get me wrong in thinking that I think I handled it perfectly, because I didn't. I should have ended the conversation by slamming the door in his face when I posed the question; 'How would you like having a door slammed in your face?'

After thinking about it more over night, I'm pretty sure he's just trying to provoke me to hit him or something so that he could get me arrested. Based on many of the other tenants in the building, it looks like he is used to dealing with scum, but can't cope with someone using the law to their advantage.

It's already on record with the health department that they refused to fix the sewage problem for days on end, and that they demanded that they put a camera down the line yesterday. Since they refused to show me the work order, I'm just going to have to contact the housing department and inform them of the situation, and let them handle it.

Of course I'll be finding a new place to live, as well.
 
[quote name='VaultBoy101']Sounds like everyone involved here acted in a less-than-adult manner.[/QUOTE]

Considering there was raw sewage in his tub on multiple occasions, yeah...I'd have called the health department too and I sure as hell wouldn't have let it happen multiple times. Once, I can understand they need to see what the issue is first. Second time? I'd call and advise they should have it cleaned up immediately. 1 hour tops before I call the health department.

To the OP:

Calling the wife a cunt, while awesome, was probably a bit over-the-top. That said, you were ignored after asking a simple question. Plus, that whole sewage thing...

My advice: read up on the Renters Rights for your state and make sure you keep your landlord in-check. Good luck!
 
you're better off communicating via email with future landlords. timestamps, and they will say things that can't later deny.
 
remember your landlord is just like your job. if you are not happy move. In this market you should buy a home prices are the best they have been in a decade. renting is just like throwing money in the trash.
 
[quote name='GBAstar']

But seriously even if you're in the right act like an adult.[/QUOTE]

That's the plan from here on out. He was attempting to push my buttons to make me do something stupid. I yelled a bit, and have since calmed down and come up with a plan.

[quote name='pimpinc333']What does this exactely mean?

"At this point I tell him I'm going to shut him down."[/QUOTE]

By this, I mean I am going to either get him fired as landlord, or have the building condemned.

[quote name='keithp']So you put baby wipes down the drain and expect the landlord to be ok with that?[/QUOTE]

I never said I flushed baby wipes down the drain. I don't use baby wipes at all. They do, though. Naturally, the problem starting really getting bad once they had a baby.

In fact, I'm one of the few tenants that pays rent on time. I am quiet and don't complain about much... unless my tub is filled with sewage. I've contacted the Housing Department, Health Department, and Department of Consumer Affairs so far and they are all on my side thus far.
Oh, and just in case you might think I'm overreacting about the sewage, here's a picture:
If someone can let me know how to use Spoiler tags I can put it in that, because it's showing up rather large.
http://i46.tinypic.com/2643wqr.jpg

This can happen at any point. And the times that they have 'fixed it,' they left it for me to clean up. Please, imagine this happening to you.
 
[quote name='keithp']So you put baby wipes down the drain and expect the landlord to be ok with that?[/QUOTE]

[quote name='almightygnat']



I never said I flushed baby wipes down the drain. I don't use baby wipes at all. They do, though. Naturally, the problem starting really getting bad once they had a baby.[/QUOTE]

Why wouldn't you make that clear to the landlady then when she's accusingly staring at you saying they found baby wipes down the drain?
 
[quote name='keithp']Why wouldn't you make that clear to the landlady then when she's accusingly staring at you saying they found baby wipes down the drain?[/QUOTE]

I don't think the best way to get a situation fixed it to tell someone, 'Hey, maybe this is your fault?' Like I've said, my demeanor started out very friendly, and just wanting to get the problem fixed.

On that note, I'm pretty sure they aren't accusing me of flushing the wipes down the drain. Why would I do something like that if it was causing sewage to fill my tub? The times where the plumber has come out and they snaked the line, he's informed me that it was baby wipes. At this point, we both told the landlord and stated that maybe he should write a letter to the entire building stating which (obvious) things not to flush down the toilet, as it's causing major problems.

He dismissed the idea without thinking twice about it.

They are just lazy, scumbag landlords who don't want to do their job or spend any money. Since I contacted the health department, who FORCED them to spend money and do work, they are naturally angry with me. Much like what the people at the Housing Department told me on the phone, 'Well, that's too bad for them.'

They can not like me all they want. I just want my bathroom working properly without living in constant fear the sewage could fill it at any point.
 
^ How do you know it is sewage? Did you taste it?

Seriously though my sink backs up sometimes due to problems with the garbage disposer and although it looks similar in color to what was in your tub I can promise you it isn't sewage.
 
[quote name='GBAstar']^ How do you know it is sewage? Did you taste it?

Seriously though my sink backs up sometimes due to problems with the garbage disposer and although it looks similar in color to what was in your tub I can promise you it isn't sewage.[/QUOTE]

The smell. Health Department also confirmed it to be sewage. It's not really something that 'backs up' really either. I'll just be on the computer, hear a bubbling sound, go look in the bathroom, and it's filling up with sewage. So yea.
 
[quote name='Clak']How the hell does that even happen?[/QUOTE]

Easy- if the pipes to the buliding/house (sounds like it's a small complex) are compromised- say, roots growing through the walls- then items that don't break up well like hair or baby wipes can get caught and create a clog. Whichever drain is closest to the clog will become the outlet for the other drains. Imagine people doing a U-turn at a roadblock. Same thing.

My parents have had a lot of plumbing issues in the past few years due to aged pipes. ;)
 
Just to clear some things up. ( Ive worked in the apartment industry for 13 years I am a maintenance Supervisor)

1. Yes raw sewage can come up in your tubs. All the lines tie in together and drain out into one main drain. If stupid people flush baby wipes they can and probably will clog. People also like to flush Qtips and tampons down the toilet. Dont do this. Also do not pour hot grease down your sinks either. While hot its a liquid, once it cools it turns to a nasty solid that is very hard to break up. Cat litter is a no no as well.

2. Calling a plumber for this is pretty expensive so I can understand why the landlord would be pissed.

3. Its not acceptable to bang on the landlords door. That's where they live. Call in your requests. Communicate like an adult. Id be pissed if you banged on my door to. I don't come to your place of employment and make you cook me a hamburger on your day off or after hours. Id be pissed at you banging on my door to.

4. Read your lease. If its anything like ours, there is a place that says all work orders requests from you should be in writting. Make letters of everything. Keep a log when you gave it to them, when they fixed it. Document everything. It only helps you to look better. Follow your lease to the letter. Do a move out inspection with the people. Take pictures of everything. Hell, video tape the move out. Tell them you are videotaping the moveout inspection.

5. Dont be an asshole. Its not going to get you anywhere. Be nice. They are people too.
 
Yeah, OP you need to document all requests in writing and the timing of their responses in a way you could give to a judge in court.

Don't be surprised if at the end of the month you get some kind of eviction notice for the next 30/90/whatever days that your lease and state law allow for.

You should document all this stuff because if the landlord tries to evict you but you're not ready to leave or don't want to leave, you'll likely have a defense of retaliatory eviction. Retaliatory eviction (here, they are trying to evict you because they didn't fix a health hazard) is often illegal (depending on your state law). Depending on your state's laws there might be money in it for you too if they try to do a retaliatory eviction.
 
I would never rent anywhere that has a "landlord." The corporate guys call it "property manager." Work orders are submitted verbally and they get it done without any attitude. Zip code sucks ass but the complex itself is the closest thing to a diamond in the rough in this area. Get that credit rating up and move into apartments managed by a big, faceless evil corporation.

[quote name='cmb00']remember your landlord is just like your job. if you are not happy move. In this market you should buy a home prices are the best they have been in a decade. renting is just like throwing money in the trash.[/QUOTE]
Buying a home comes with a lot of other responsibilities that, if you are not ready for them, will erase all the benefits of buying vs. renting.

Also, you should not think of your home as an investment. You will be immune to market forces in most cases if you purchase a home that you love in an area you love and live there until the day they carry you out in a bodybag.

There are people out there who do not give two shits that they are underwater. They are the people who did their research the first time and won't be moving from their dream home.

Condos and starter homes are a bad idea.
 
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