LANDLORD BREAKING

[JCD0500]

I LIVE IN GEORGIA. THE APARTMENT COMPLEX I LIVE IN IS DOING SOME RENOVATIONS. THEY ARE REDOING THE BACK PORCHES. WHICH MEANS THEY WERE COMPLETELY REMOVING THEM. I LIVE ON THE THIRD LEVEL, THEY HAD SENT OUT A LETTER TWO DAYS IN ADVANCE LETTING US KNOW THAT THE BACK PORCHES WOULD BE INOPERABLE FOR THE NEXT THREE BUISNESS DAYS. WHEN MY HUSBAND CAME HOME WITH MY 8 MNTH OLD HE FOUND THAT THE LOCKS HAD BEEN CHANGED AND THERE WAS NOT A NOTE OR ANYTHING LEFT TO LET US KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND ALSO MY DOOR WAS IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE (STILL IS). HE WENT UP TO THE MANAGERS PLACE AND HAD FOUND OUT THAT THEY HAD BROKE DOWN MY DOOR TO GET IN. HE SAID THAT HE TOLD THEM BEFORE THAT IF THEY NEEDED TO GET IN TO LET US KNOW AND WE WOULD LEAVE THE BOTTOM LOCK UNLOCKED. WELL SHE TOLD HIM THAT IF HE WANTED THAT KIND OF PRIVACY HE NEEDED TO BUY A HOUSE. THE ONLY REASON SHE HAD MAINTENANCE BREAK THE DOOR DOWN WAS SO SHE COULD PUT A PIECE OF PLY WOOD AGAINST THE SLIDING GLASS DOOR (WHICH MY COUCH IS IN FRONT OF) SO WE WOULDN'T WALK OUT OF IT...IS THIS LEGAL? AND I BELIEVE THERE WERE OTHER BETTER SOLUTIONS TO THIS LIKE MAYBE WRITING A NOTE AND LEAVING IT ON THE DOOR OR WAITING 20 MIN LONGER TO LET MY HUSBAND KNOW WHEN HE CAME HOME. I FEEL EXTREMELY VIOLATED IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE AND VERY UNSAFE IN MY OWN PLACE ANYMORE.

 

[lildevil719]

CAPS!!!!

Not sure how much you know about internet etiquette, but when you type something in all caps, it means that you're yelling. I can almost garuantee(sp?) that no one else will reply to this post because of that. You might want to try reposting in lowercase letters. Now as to your problem...I'm not a lawyer, or a landlord, but I am a tenant. Depends on where you live(you might want to include that in your new post, you'll get better advice from the others who are landlords, but they won't reply to someone who shouts at them) so this is just from personal experience. Every place I've ever lived(from Military housing to regular apartments) The landlord has to give 24 hours notice that they will be entering the apartment on such and such date at such and such time. However, they did give you two days notice that the balconies would be inoperable. Did this two days notice say you needed to be there or leave it open so they could enter and make changes needed for your family's safety? if it did, you're SOL. Here's the thing. You knew they'd be doing work on the balconies. They broke into the apartment to take safety measures to protect your family. also, any landlord who has a brain would have had keys to your apartment and all locks in or on it. They have a right to that, for reasons just such as this, so they don't have to bear expense of replacing the locks cause they had to break in. I would just talk to your landlord/manager, and tell him that this upset you, and in the future could he/she/they please let you know they'll be coming in. and make sure they have keys.

 

[djdj]

I would also send a letter certified mail, that due to the landlord violating the lease agreement to have someone present to let them in, the landlord is financialy responsible for all damage done to the door, frame, locks etc, and that as per the rental agreement we expect the landlord repair the damage, caused by the landlord, to install a new door, locks, frame asap, to protect our security...take lots of pictures of the damaged door, send one to the landlord.

As long as the landlord takes all financial responsibility for the damage, not really much you can do...

[Edited by djdj on 01-31-2001 at 12:19 PM]