Compensation of missed immigration app because landlord did not provide mailbox key

[user33]

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

I have asked my landlord for mailbox key for over 3 months, he keep saying ok but did not give me the key. Finally I got the key from another tenant and got the letters, but I missed my immigration appointment. I suffered a lot and had 4 hrs hard time to explain and to ask for help. Can I take a legal action to ask my landlord to pay me for 4 hrs times plus compensation for what I suffered?

I have tried to work with landlord. He said sorry for what I suffered, but He had nothing to do with what I am asking. And I am frighted that he would terminate the contract if I file a small claim case against him, as I still need to stay here until my immigration case is approved.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

You should have contacted the Post Office about not receiving your mail.

 

[quincy]

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

I have asked my landlord for mailbox key for over 3 months, he keep saying ok but did not give me the key. Finally I got the key from another tenant and got the letters, but I missed my immigration appointment. I suffered a lot and had 4 hrs hard time to explain and to ask for help. Can I take a legal action to ask my landlord to pay me for 4 hrs times plus compensation for what I suffered?

I have tried to work with landlord. He said sorry for what I suffered, but He had nothing to do with what I am asking. And I am frighted that he would terminate the contract if I file a small claim case against him, as I still need to stay here until my immigration case is approved.

I cannot understand why the landlord would not give you a mailbox key or how another tenant's key would give you access to your mailbox or why you waited three months to find another way to get your mail. Certainly contacting the post office would have been smart if access to your mail was, for some reason, being denied.

But, that said, I do not see that you have any legal action you can pursue against your landlord over your "suffering" or for the "4 hours hard time to explain" to immigration why you missed your immigration appointment.

 

[user33]

I cannot understand why the landlord would not give you a mailbox key or how another tenant's key would give you access to your mailbox or why you waited three months to find another way to get your mail. Certainly contacting the post office would have been smart if access to your mail was, for some reason, being denied.

But, that said, I do not see that you have any legal action you can pursue against your landlord over your "suffering" or for the "4 hours hard time to explain" to immigration why you missed your immigration appointment.

Thank you, Quincy and OHRoadwarrior for the prompt replies.

I do not understand why the landlord did not give me a mailbox key neither. That is my point for a legal action.

This is a resident house. The landlord rents rooms to tenants. There is only one mailbox to be shared by the landlord and tenants. I am not sure post office have a key or own this mail box.

The tenant with the key lives in a room with a separate entrance. I did bother her to get my mail in past. But the landlord should give me a key for mailbox. As a tenant, I though this is one of my right. Would you please advise if this is a legally appropriate statement.

With this info, would you please advise whether I have a legal action to pursue.

Thanks. Appreciate your assistance.

 

[cbg]

No. You do not have a legal action to pursue.

 

[Eekamouse]

Thank you, Quincy and OHRoadwarrior for the prompt replies.

I do not understand why the landlord did not give me a mailbox key neither. That is my point for a legal action.

This is a resident house. The landlord rents rooms to tenants. There is only one mailbox to be shared by the landlord and tenants. I am not sure post office have a key or own this mail box.

The tenant with the key lives in a room with a separate entrance. I did bother her to get my mail in past. But the landlord should give me a key for mailbox. As a tenant, I though this is one of my right. Would you please advise if this is a legally appropriate statement.

With this info, would you please advise whether I have a legal action to pursue.

Thanks. Appreciate your assistance.

If you had gotten your mail from this other tenant in the past, why didn't you make arrangements with that person to slide your mail under your door until you got a key? Why didn't you go to them to access the mailbox if you knew your immigration paperwork was coming in the mail? You should have been calling your landlord everyday asking for your key. You didn't and you missed your appointment. This not just your landlord's fault, it is also YOUR fault for not doing anything to help yourself.

 

[user33]

If you had gotten your mail from this other tenant in the past, why didn't you make arrangements with that person to slide your mail under your door until you got a key? Why didn't you go to them to access the mailbox if you knew your immigration paperwork was coming in the mail? You should have been calling your landlord everyday asking for your key. You didn't and you missed your appointment. This not just your landlord's fault, it is also YOUR fault for not doing anything to help yourself.

Thank you Eekamouse and cbg for prompt replies.

No sympathy . It is appeared that you all are landlords

Any advice/strategy for me to work this out with the landlord, such as complain to BBB? Since I asked the him so many times, he even became impatience to response to me.

Thanks and appreciate your assistance.

 

[quincy]

Thank you Eekamouse and cbg for prompt replies.

No sympathy . It is appeared that you all are landlords

Any advice/strategy for me to work this out with the landlord, such as complain to BBB? Since I asked the him so many times, he even became impatience to response to me.

Thanks and appreciate your assistance.

Following is a link to a notice from the USPS: http://about.usps.com/notices/not11/not11.htm

Read the first "tip" and "tag." You can fashion the tag for your needs.

Your request for a key should be in writing (that includes the information in the tag) and then mailed to your landlord (even if your landlord resides in the house). Keep a copy of this correspondence for your own records. This is what should have been done when your landlord first failed to satisfy your request for a mailbox key.

If the landlord only has two mailbox keys (one for him and one for his other tenant) and needs to make a copy of the key to give to you, this can be difficult. Many places that copy keys cannot make copies of mailbox keys (for security reasons). If the mailbox is older, your landlord may not have the original mailbox company's information to order additional keys (if any can be ordered). It is possible the landlord needs to get a new mailbox with enough keys to distribute to all of his tenants.

You can also ask the post office to make a copy of the post office's key, although there will probably be a charge for this and the request will probably have to come from the landlord.

You can also get a post office box and have your mailing address changed to the PO Box number. This can be a hassle and is not as convenient as home delivery of your mail but at least you will not miss getting any important letters. Getting your mail in a timely fashion can be especially important around tax time when tax information is being sent out.

You still do not have any legal action to pursue against your landlord for your lost time or suffering. I do not see that a BBB complaint will help you. Contacting your landlord in writing and/or contacting the post office is your best course of action at this point.

Finally, this is not a site that dispenses sympathy, although we might be sympathetic to a poster's concerns. It also does not matter who answers the questions. Whether the responder is a landlord, a tenant, a lawyer, all of the above or none of the above, the responses are generally based on the law and the options available under the law.

Good luck.

 

[cbg]

As a matter of fact I am NOT a landlord and never has been one. The law says what the law says whether I am or not. Or did you imagine that the law would say something different depending on who gave it to you?