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Landlord harassment

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La51121

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Alabama
I have returned from the midwest, where my 60 year old, eccentric, estranged, reclusive brother has been living for many years because he hated the South. He was hospitalized with a stroke and has since been moved to a skilled nursing facility. I can't explain the 'shock & awe' upon visiting his apartment to retrieve his clothing & 'stuff'. The dark, damp & filthy 3-room pit was horrific.The floor moved underneath a blanket of newspapers & unopened mail; numerous garbage bags stacked up against a wall reeked & either vermin or insects had taken up residence inside; mold & mildew covered the walls; leaking toilet, tub & lavatory were black with mold; missing ceiling tiles exposed plumbing/wiring; mounds of dirty dishes, pots & pans were stacked all throughout the kitchen; ivy was actually growing through a crack under the window to the inside; the refrigerator was a science experience; piles of hoarded junk/clothing/books/magazines/tools, etc. made walking difficult. His neighbor told me my brother had been living in that garbage ever since he moved in next door and couldn't understand why the landlord allowed the apartment to remain in such inhabitable condition. The landlord would periodically leave cleaning supplies and/or notes asking him to clean the 'dump' up prior to the fire marshall's inspection. It was never cleaned so I don't know how it passed any inspection. I contacted the landlord and told him of my brother's illness and asked about the condition of his apartment. The landlord jokingly asked me if I was going to 'clean that dump up!" I asked why he didn't call Adult Protective Services about how he was living. He said, "I don't like to get into other people's business." I asked why he didn't give him an ultimatum, threatening to evict him due to his consistently late rent payments. He said, "I tried to make it easy on him so I told him he could pay weekly." Now the landlord wants me to pay his 3 months back rent; the costs of hiring a cleaning crew to clean & dispose of all his junk; and the cost of the dumpster & service to haul it away. He had never signed a lease for the years he lived there; paid monthly at first (now weekly) and has lived below the poverty level for years. And no one said a word. I called the local office on aging & was instructed to take photos of the apartment and keep them for future reference. What liability do I have to this landlord?What is the name of your state?
 


Hot Topic

Senior Member
Your brother probably was mentally ill during all those years of estrangement and not just "eccentric." He should have been evicted. Could he have moved in with you?

Unless there's a document saying otherwise, I don't see how the landlord can hold you accountable for what your brother did to the apartment.
 

La51121

Junior Member
No, he never liked the South and chose to move away when he was 19. He would come for a visit every 5 years or so but would never stay longer than 3 or 4 days. What we consider normal everyday living is foreign to his way of doing things. This is a tough project for me to undertake because he feels as though he has no rights, has lost everything, including his much-revered independence. We really are strangers to each other and he seems to like it that way.:(
 

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