Paying for downstairs tenants hot water.

[Anarchist86ed]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

My landlord is being sued by former tenants because they were paying a high electric bill. Turns out they were right about them paying for all the hot water that was being used. I DID NOT know this. the former owner told me that it was separate. Now the new owner has put the hot water heater on my electricity. The former tenants dragged their feet moving out and would leave the hot water running on purpose to screw the owner, but now I have a $156 electric bill. My may bill was $37. June was $80 just after she had an electrician mess around with the water heater to put it entirely on my bill. There is no way my bill can be $156 from my use. It can't skyrocket as much as it has in two months when my usage has gone way down. Now new tenants have moved in and are constantly using the hot water, there is only one heater for both apartments. This means the sky is the limit for my next bill.

I need to know what I can do and what my legal options may be. My landlord is pleading poverty in her refusal to make it so the water heater use is separate essentially forcing me to pay two bills.

Do I tell her I'm taking it all out of the rent, or do I have to make some kind of threat? Because she refused to do anything about my previous bill claiming I must have been using a lot of power, even though my bill NEVER went above $40 before she put the water heater on my electricity.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

My landlord is being sued by former tenants because they were paying a high electric bill. Turns out they were right about them paying for all the hot water that was being used. I DID NOT know this. the former owner told me that it was separate. Now the new owner has put the hot water heater on my electricity. The former tenants dragged their feet moving out and would leave the hot water running on purpose to screw the owner, but now I have a $156 electric bill. My may bill was $37. June was $80 just after she had an electrician mess around with the water heater to put it entirely on my bill. There is no way my bill can be $156 from my use. It can't skyrocket as much as it has in two months when my usage has gone way down. Now new tenants have moved in and are constantly using the hot water, there is only one heater for both apartments. This means the sky is the limit for my next bill.

I need to know what I can do and what my legal options may be. My landlord is pleading poverty in her refusal to make it so the water heater use is separate essentially forcing me to pay two bills.

Do I tell her I'm taking it all out of the rent, or do I have to make some kind of threat? Because she refused to do anything about my previous bill claiming I must have been using a lot of power, even though my bill NEVER went above $40 before she put the water heater on my electricity.

How did she put it on your bill? Is it on a separate meter that she had added to your bill, or did she have an electrician switch it to your meter?

Potential solutions to the problem vary depending on your answer. Also, what about heating and air conditioning? Your bill may be skyrocketing because those are not separate either.

Your electric bill however, in the end, is going to be higher, because you were not paying for hot water in the past. I suspect that the 80.00 bill is probably about where you should be...and maybe higher if heating and air conditioning are part of the problem.

 

[Anarchist86ed]

How did she put it on your bill? Is it on a separate meter that she had added to your bill, or did she have an electrician switch it to your meter?

Potential solutions to the problem vary depending on your answer. Also, what about heating and air conditioning? Your bill may be skyrocketing because those are not separate either.

Your electric bill however, in the end, is going to be higher, because you were not paying for hot water in the past. I suspect that the 80.00 bill is probably about where you should be...and maybe higher if heating and air conditioning are part of the problem.

She had someone do it, she won't tell me if it was the electric company or a plumber, I suspect plumber based on a conversation I had with a plumber who was fixing a leak downstairs. She asked me not to report it so she wouldn't get fired. The electric company said the high $80 was not because of a maintenance charge.

I know it was going to go up, but not like this. I figured maybe $20, $30 at most. I haven't used an air conditioner despite scorching temps, I unplugged everything I don't use, and even go without using a fan. I take quick luke warm showers and clean dishes with barely warm water. there's no way it went up that much based on my cutting back due to her putting the water heater on my bill. If anything, based on how much I cut back, it should have averaged out. I only shower once a day and wash dishes once a day. I know the downstairs people were using hot water because when I would go to use it it would be ice cold and not heat up. They were doing this on purpose, thinking she would be charged a high bill.

I rationed electricity before because I was told the hot water was separate. I rationed it even more and got slapped with this insane bill. There is no other explanation as to why it's so high. I unplug everything at night time as well, including TV, computer, cable box... there's simply no way I used that much electricity even with hot water factored in. We also learned that the downstairs water can not be shut off without shutting my water off, which means... it's all connected into one. There is no separate heating of the water.

 

[LdiJ]

She had someone do it, she won't tell me if it was the electric company or a plumber, I suspect plumber based on a conversation I had with a plumber who was fixing a leak downstairs. She asked me not to report it so she wouldn't get fired. The electric company said the high $80 was not because of a maintenance charge.

I know it was going to go up, but not like this. I figured maybe $20, $30 at most. I haven't used an air conditioner despite scorching temps, I unplugged everything I don't use, and even go without using a fan. I take quick luke warm showers and clean dishes with barely warm water. there's no way it went up that much based on my cutting back due to her putting the water heater on my bill. If anything, based on how much I cut back, it should have averaged out. I only shower once a day and wash dishes once a day. I know the downstairs people were using hot water because when I would go to use it it would be ice cold and not heat up. They were doing this on purpose, thinking she would be charged a high bill.

I rationed electricity before because I was told the hot water was separate. I rationed it even more and got slapped with this insane bill. There is no other explanation as to why it's so high. I unplug everything at night time as well, including TV, computer, cable box... there's simply no way I used that much electricity even with hot water factored in. We also learned that the downstairs water can not be shut off without shutting my water off, which means... it's all connected into one. There is no separate heating of the water.

Based on all of that, the only thing that I can suggest is that you move. She obviously does not have the money to make the necessary changes to insure that the electric for all things, for both units, are completely separate. What she should be doing, is either doing whatever is necessary to insure that everything is separate, or charging a higher rent to the people who are getting free electrical services and a lower rent to the people who are footing the bill for the other tenant, or including the electric in the rent and paying it herself, figuring out a formula for how to charge each unit.

Unfortunately because she has leases with both of you she cannot change the rent at this point. However, if you move out and sue her the same way that the other tenants are suing her, she will have to figure out something.

 

[FarmerJ]

If there is only one hot water tank and two meters then tell this landlord that she can put your electric meter in her name and you promise to stay conservative with your use of electricity and you will pay her say 55$ ? a month more in rent if she pays the electric ( this way you can not feel bad say about using fans , or then later in the winter when we all use lights more the extra money will help with the extra lights needed from more hours of darkness and if she says NO your choices are to call in building inspectors to verify for you that your meter is the one supplying the power for the buildings hot water and plan on taking her to court OR if your city requires that any utility a tenant pays for to be for the tenants exclusive use /control - cannot be shared with out a written disclosure or last to be let out of your lease with zero penalty to you.

 

[Anarchist86ed]

Based on all of that, the only thing that I can suggest is that you move. She obviously does not have the money to make the necessary changes to insure that the electric for all things, for both units, are completely separate. What she should be doing, is either doing whatever is necessary to insure that everything is separate, or charging a higher rent to the people who are getting free electrical services and a lower rent to the people who are footing the bill for the other tenant, or including the electric in the rent and paying it herself, figuring out a formula for how to charge each unit.

Unfortunately because she has leases with both of you she cannot change the rent at this point. However, if you move out and sue her the same way that the other tenants are suing her, she will have to figure out something.

Can't afford to move. She claims she's going to fix it in September, but I doubt it. She's friends with the new people. She has changed the rent. She increased it by $50 in may.

I can't call her till Monday, I want to be ready with options. I will not pay for the former or current tenants using a utility I pay for. The new people are getting free hot water. Like I said, it's not my fault how things were I knew only what the owner told me. It wasn't my responsibility to fix that.

 

[Anarchist86ed]

I still need help with this. This months bill was $88, my landlord now refuses to lower my rent to make the difference. She obviously told my new neighbors that they're not paying for hot water as they brought it up to me. She says I should pay higher bills now because of what her family never fixed and implies it's somehow my fault and responsibility. I informed her this is illegal, and she says it's absolutely not and she expects a full rent payment this month. She still pleads poverty and is unwilling to fix the problem. I told her I intend to have an inspector from the city look into this if she doesn't make it right, she then hung up and will not answer my calls anymore.

She also will not fix a multitude of problems while complaining about the very ones, implying it's my fault there are cracks running down the walls and 40 year old faucets drip and can't be turned off right.

I have no choice but to pay these bills, which makes it impossible for me to move.


I want to present her with something legal to show her how wrong she is.

 

[adjusterjack]

I told her I intend to have an inspector from the city look into this

Then call the inspector first thing in the morning.

 

[single317dad]

Can't afford to move.

Sounds like you can't afford not to.

 

[FarmerJ]

What stopped you from sending to her via certified mail your written repair request for the faucets and the cracked walls and the electric since you last posted in July ? IN the end here you have to have a paper trail no matter what route you go , why a paper trail can you see your LL doing this well your honor the tenant never complained to me about A, B, C and even if you countered in court ` yes I did !` where is your proof, what would you offer to the court that your landlord could not dispute ? on paper letter that is sent to the LL with a way that the court would not dispute. Let your LL cry poverty , boo hoo for her , assuming you have a copy of your lease store one copy somewhere else that's safe OFF site /not at home. Then call your city inspections desk, If they do come out and order your LL to correct this, Your LLs options will be to pay your electric bill in totality until leases are up so that the LL can time the install of a second hot water heater to coincide with lease renewals so leases can be renewed with each tenant paying own hot water OR ask you to negotiate with with you for a increase with LL paying your util bill or a reduction in rent OR to do nothing and let your city condemn which would via governmental order end your lease since city would be saying NO ONE CAN LIVE THERE until its orders are complied with. ( in the time being get that dang letter sent and consider suing if your city wont do a thing. In court you will want copies of all your electric bills, you will want to bring your copy of your written complaint to the LL and lastly your city inspections desk report ( If your city inspector says they cant help you what you want to do is go over that persons head and make it clear to her/his boss that you atleast need a building inspectors report to sue the LL since building inspectors are a agent of the government then a court should have no problem accepting a building inspections report that says the hot water heater is connected to your meter and it is the only hot water heater supplying two housing units )