Landlord Wanting Us to Pay for Maintenance Out of the Blue

[JoshAK]

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

We rent a house from my wife's coworker and her husband. They're older people and have been pretty nice, but lately there are two problems that seem to be of growing concern.

A) There is apparently a water leak on the property. We rent the house which is situated on a hill, but the property is pretty massive here being dozens of acres, and it's mainly just open fields and forest. They believe the leak is somewhere down by the main road which on the property's gravel road is a solid 200 yards from the house. His repairman he uses looked for the leak but didn't find it.

B) We agreed to cut the grass on the property when we agreed to rent, and they agreed to supply the mower. We kept the grass up until a few weeks ago when the lawnmower broke. They use a local guy to fix things like this, but he usually does a shoddy job, and the lawnmower still isn't fixed. We are very excited to cut the grass again because our kids can't go outside in tall grass.

So the owner is insinuating that we could be responsible for paying for the leak. He also says we owe his repair guy $300 for (not) repairing the mower and (not) finding the leak.

Is it a renter's responsibility to cover things like this? Maintenance was always covered in my past apartments, and it was here as well until just recently. And I never agreed to pay his repair guy anything. More than that, if I was responsible for finding a repairman, I would have found someone else because this guy has not impressed my wife or me with his abilities as a repairman.

Thanks so much for any advice.

 

[JoshAK]

I would also like to say it was some sort of belt that came off the lawnmower. It's a riding lawnmower. We didn't drown it in a lake or anything. Something just came off the bottom, and now the screws won't tighten correctly to keep it back on. It's an old mower.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

1. Tell him to just shut up an replace the water hose. Oops sorry, WV joke. Unless you did something stellar like cause the water leak yourself, the repairman's cost is between him and the repairman. He needs to hire a better one.

2. Tell him you don't care, bring a goat over. Oops sorry see above. It appears this issue you might be liable for. Until someone determines whether you broke it the repairman should not touch anything mechanical, the jury is out. Does your lease say you are liable for its repair? He probably put on the wrong belt or routed the correct belt incorrectly. At the risk of getting your hands dirty, you should be able to figure out which based on internet information.

(Being a few generations removed from WV, I reserve the right to make hillbilly jokes)

 

[Searchertwin]

If LL was to supply the lawnmower, his job to pay for repairs UNLESS damage was done by you. A belt can come off if one keeps riding over rocks or stumps, which than comes into your ballpark. The only way to know is to take it off and look at it.

If you are really concern about the grass for kids to play, do the job yourself. Replace and send him the cost of the belt. Than let kids play till their hearts are content and your excitement will escalate.

More than that, if I was responsible for finding a repairman, I would have found someone else because this guy has not impressed my wife or me with his abilities as a repairman.

This is a typical response from a tenant that expects the LL to jump when they say jump. This repairman is probably doing the best he knows how, so why cut him down, just because you are not impressed?

You are very vague about the water leak. Are you being billed extra on the utilities? Is property being flooding? You just say it is on the gravel road.

I would not pay for a water leak or pay the repairman because he couldn't find the leak until I know for certain what is causing the leakage. That's what I would tell him.

Being an old mower, means nothing. It is how you take care of them. Mine is over 10 years and covered a lot of acres and still going strong and still looks new.

 

[JoshAK]

This is a typical response from a tenant that expects the LL to jump when they say jump. This repairman is probably doing the best he knows how, so why cut him down, just because you are not impressed?

You are very vague about the water leak. Are you being billed extra on the utilities? Is property being flooding? You just say it is on the gravel road.
.

I say we're not impressed because he has unsuccessfully repaired things for us before. I thought I was being polite in my verbiage. My sheerest condolences to your slain feelings.

I don't ask anyone to jump. My relaying that particular notion was to say that had someone told me I was about to spend $300 on a repairman, I wouldn't choose a repairman who has a tried and true history of not being able to repair things. Is that not logical? To spend money on a more reliable entity? Should I give him points for trying to satiate your metal-on-metal attempt at wit?

Anyway, the water leak is not flooding the property. It runs slowly down a hill into a dense forest and looks a lot like rainwater runoff before disappearing into the heart of darkness. In my limited experience of turning on faucets and washing machines, I don't think it likely we could have caused the leaky pipe 500 feet from the house. It's a very old house I'm renting, and the water company has forgiven a leak in a similar proximity before.

And we've been here for six months. The lawnmower was shot when we got it. Good job on your mower maintenance, though. It's a skill I hope to one day hone.

 

[JoshAK]

1. Tell him to just shut up an replace the water hose. Oops sorry, WV joke. Unless you did something stellar like cause the water leak yourself, the repairman's cost is between him and the repairman. He needs to hire a better one.

2. Tell him you don't care, bring a goat over. Oops sorry see above. It appears this issue you might be liable for. Until someone determines whether you broke it the repairman should not touch anything mechanical, the jury is out. Does your lease say you are liable for its repair? He probably put on the wrong belt or routed the correct belt incorrectly. At the risk of getting your hands dirty, you should be able to figure out which based on internet information.

(Being a few generations removed from WV, I reserve the right to make hillbilly jokes)

I just came here to go to school, Holmes.

Fire away.

 

[Searchertwin]

I don't ask anyone to jump. My relaying that particular notion was to say that had someone told me I was about to spend $300 on a repairman, I wouldn't choose a repairman who has a tried and true history of not being able to repair things. Is that not logical? To spend money on a more reliable entity? Should I give him points for trying to satiate your metal-on-metal attempt at wit?

Not wit, just truth. If you know that you are not the cause of the breakdown of the lawn mower, than the $300 would mean nothing. Tell LL flat out that you refuse to pay and tell him to have a nice day. (Now use the politeness of verbiage a little better here). There would be just no more arguing on the lawn mower any more.
Park the mower, cover it, and go buy yourself a push mower and keep the yard up. Send a rrr letter stating just that. Simple
BUT, if you did break it, fix it.

It runs slowly down a hill into a dense forest and looks a lot like rainwater runoff before disappearing into the heart of darkness.I don't think it likely we could have caused the leaky pipe 500 feet from the house. It's a very old house I'm renting, and the water company has forgiven a leak in a similar proximity before.

In that same letter, tell him that the leak is far from the house and not your responsibility. If it is effecting your water bill, include a copy of the bill, highlight the usage amount and tell him that when it is fixed, not if, that the difference will be reimburse from average of three bills after line is fixed. He will jump on that note and get it fixed. Include the documentation of water company stating that there was a leak there. Tell LL that if line is not fixed or in process of being taken care of, within the month, that you have no choice but call inspections and see what they recommend. If he starts to look into the matter, than give him time to get things arranged, it might takes a few more weeks to get a bull dozer, etc. So keep that in mind.

And we've been here for six months. The lawn mower was shot when we got it.

A little lying here. If it was shot, how did you mow the lawn to begin with? Grass must be over 5 feet high by now. So did you really break the mower?

Good job on your mower maintenance, though. It's a skill I hope to one day hone

I seriously doubt that. It takes skill. You can't even consider to buy a push mower for kids to play in yard.

In my limited experience of turning on faucets and washing machines,

You must be a little stinker.

 

[FarmerJ]

Mower belts get torn up trashed just from use , WE have a zero turn and manage to go thru 2 belts every year. Water leak , if the leak is to your side of the meter use certified mail and get the complaint in writing ASAP .