rainyagain
Junior Member
Monroe, Michigan -
The day I moved into my rental townhome (12/31/04), I contacted the management office regarding a leak in the basement which was clearly coming from the outside cement courtyard that leads to the front door. I was told not to walk on it until it was fixed. The only other street entrance is via the garage. I assumed the builder/owner (who I've repeatedly been told 1) lived in our unit and 2) is "really good" at fixing things) would fix it sooner rather than later. It is now April 8. Since the initial phone call, we have had somebody fall through the cement. They could have fallen through into the basement and there *could* have been a lawsuit. Fortunately, they only had a leg go through. We'd had a "danger" sign posted, which must have fallen off w/ the inclement weather. Each time I've called the mgmt office, they've been polite but defensive. "We can't do cement work in this weather." "The owner has been by to check on it." Well...when the person fell into the floor, creating a 1' in diameter hole, I told the manager this. "Why didn't you have it locked off?" she asked me, as if it were all my fault/responsibility. Seems to me that if the owner had been monitoring the situation, it was his responsibility to secure the gate or provide us with information on the progress of the situation. If he is a builder and knows the construction of the place, he would have known the danger. We had no idea it was that weak. That night, maintenance came and chained/padlocked the gate leading to our front door and has done nothing else. I've missed deliveries and guests because visitors have no way of announcing themselves. It is also a safety hazard as firemen would be unable to access the front door – and if they could cut through the chain, they’d fall through the cement (which is deteriorating rapidly). WE are the ones who covered the hole w/ a large doormat. The owner has NEVER been by to see if there is any damage inside the home. Fortunately for us, the basement area exposed to the elements is a separate closed off space. When they do get around to fixing it, it will be a major repair job as the entire entry way must now be replaced. In addition to everything else, I’m wondering if we would also be able to ask for a reduced rent when they are fixing it, because they let it go so long that it worsened.
I'm particularly moved to take action now because my rental check arrived one day late (4/6) and on 4/7 I received a pay or vacate notice w/ the words "late fee" noted - but no amount listed. They're lucky we haven't put money in escrow or demanded they reduce our rent, and they have the nerve to send this notice???
We really can't afford a legal battle right now, but I would like to know what my rights are - what my expectations should be of my landlord. We pay $1,250/month on this unit and have never been able to access the front door since moving in!!
Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.
The day I moved into my rental townhome (12/31/04), I contacted the management office regarding a leak in the basement which was clearly coming from the outside cement courtyard that leads to the front door. I was told not to walk on it until it was fixed. The only other street entrance is via the garage. I assumed the builder/owner (who I've repeatedly been told 1) lived in our unit and 2) is "really good" at fixing things) would fix it sooner rather than later. It is now April 8. Since the initial phone call, we have had somebody fall through the cement. They could have fallen through into the basement and there *could* have been a lawsuit. Fortunately, they only had a leg go through. We'd had a "danger" sign posted, which must have fallen off w/ the inclement weather. Each time I've called the mgmt office, they've been polite but defensive. "We can't do cement work in this weather." "The owner has been by to check on it." Well...when the person fell into the floor, creating a 1' in diameter hole, I told the manager this. "Why didn't you have it locked off?" she asked me, as if it were all my fault/responsibility. Seems to me that if the owner had been monitoring the situation, it was his responsibility to secure the gate or provide us with information on the progress of the situation. If he is a builder and knows the construction of the place, he would have known the danger. We had no idea it was that weak. That night, maintenance came and chained/padlocked the gate leading to our front door and has done nothing else. I've missed deliveries and guests because visitors have no way of announcing themselves. It is also a safety hazard as firemen would be unable to access the front door – and if they could cut through the chain, they’d fall through the cement (which is deteriorating rapidly). WE are the ones who covered the hole w/ a large doormat. The owner has NEVER been by to see if there is any damage inside the home. Fortunately for us, the basement area exposed to the elements is a separate closed off space. When they do get around to fixing it, it will be a major repair job as the entire entry way must now be replaced. In addition to everything else, I’m wondering if we would also be able to ask for a reduced rent when they are fixing it, because they let it go so long that it worsened.
I'm particularly moved to take action now because my rental check arrived one day late (4/6) and on 4/7 I received a pay or vacate notice w/ the words "late fee" noted - but no amount listed. They're lucky we haven't put money in escrow or demanded they reduce our rent, and they have the nerve to send this notice???
We really can't afford a legal battle right now, but I would like to know what my rights are - what my expectations should be of my landlord. We pay $1,250/month on this unit and have never been able to access the front door since moving in!!
Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.
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