cold in Indiana.

[micknmel]

Hi all I live in Northwest Indiana and I am having some landlord issues. First of all we have no lease and I am having a heck of a time with the landlord not repairing things. My main problem is that she will not fix the heat or get new windows and it is freezing in here. I received a 1000.00 power and gas bill. We have the heat up so high because we have windows ice thin. The bedroom sliding glass door is very dry-rotted and you can just feel the cold air flowing in. The heat is in need of major repar it sounds like a thunderstorm in here it is so loud, the back door will not lock, I could go on and on. I tried to turn her i to the local building inspector and my town (schererville, Indiana) told me they do not have anything like that and I needed to hire an attorney. Well I call and attorney and he tells me that since I dont have a lease nothing is expected of the landlord. I say bull. If I dont pay my rent I will get kicked out. Where is the tenant rights. I wrote this lady a letter with all the repairs that need to be done along with telling her that her car that she parked in my garage last Novemeber needs to go Because I am paying for a garage and do not have one.
Please dont tell me to move. I am disabled and live on SS and my husband just got layed off. Can I without rent? She also called and said she is going to change the locks on us. Becasue we asked her tomake repairs. Please help with some advice.

 

[djdj]

Well you will have to move......

well you will have to move......

well you will have to move.....

YOU could start selling everything you own on http://www.ebay.com to raise some cash

You must send a certified return reciept letter to the landlord about all that is needed, she will start evcition proceedings against you, but with that kind of heating bill a JUDGE will know something is very very wrong here.

and will probably not make you pay back rent, if you decide to withold it.

SO start selling your stuff TODAY and get ready to move!

OH PS.. LETS HOPE SHE DOES LOCK YOU OUT...BECAUSE THAT IS ILLEGAL, AND YOU MUST CALL THE POLICE AND HAVE HER ARRESTED!

[Edited by djdj on 02-01-2001 at 02:39 PM]

 

[LL]

I don't know anything about Indiana law, but I don't think that you have described any problem that the landlord is required to deal with.

I doubt that he is required to put in double or triple strength glass, or storm windows, especially for the purpose of lowering your heating bill. There are probably regulations that require him to provide a heating system that will keep the house above a certain minimum temperature, maybe 68 degrees F. If the heat falls below that, then he has to do something, otherwise he has probably fulfilled his obligation.

See the following for ideas about what you can do:
https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?threadid=34392

We all have high heating bills this year, but the heating bill is your problem. If you can't afford it, you need to move.

 

[micknmel]

heating bill

my heating bill should not be 1039.00 for one month on a 800 sqft duplex apartment. I know people here that have huge homes and they were not even close to mine......we only have to bedrooms.

 

[LL]

Call the gas company and ask them to come out and perform an energy audit.

In any case, the heating bill is your problem, not the landlord's.

 

[djdj]

are you sure its for ONE month? look at the bill closely and see when the last time the meter was read. it could be from months ago

And if the heating ducts are broken, in a central air heat apartment letting in cold air then it is the landlord responsibility to fix it.

Do you have forced air, radiators, how is it heated with gas?

YOU are responisble for growing up and learning about home maintenence, you ever hear of a store called HOME DEPOT?

They are your friends, they can SELL you weatherstripping caulking all sorts of plastic to seal your home from the cold, and it will all cost less then $100, and you can deduct it fromthe rent...

BUT you are not that smart or handy huh?

[Edited by djdj on 02-02-2001 at 09:56 PM]