katie33kate
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA
I rent a room in a house with another roommate and the owner. I was 2 days late paying the cable bill. It was explained that I would never see the cable bill, so the next day I paid whatever he wanted. BUT..the A/C was turned off, and the cable box was removed. You can imagine there was a big blow out about it. The man was paid, but what he really wanted was to force me out right then. He was mad that the electric bill was so high for July. (we split the bill between the 3 of us). I wasn't even here for 11 days in July. The nasty heat wave that hit the NE? I was in Georgia.
Well..since then, I have not had A/C. I complained that it is just too warm for me to sleep through the night, and too hot in the afternoon for me to work (I do contract work online at home). I haven't gotten a full night sleep since this started...wide awake because it is just too warm! The roommate comes home in the evening and turns on the A/C till he is cool enough for him, then turns it off again.
Next, the water bill. When I saw it for the first time...there was a charge on it for a "Deferred Payment plan" ... I saw the yearly breakdown..and last fall there was monster water usage. I called the water department...and they would not talk specifically about the owners bill..but..confirmed that the payment plan is put in place when an old bill is so large that the owner needs a plan to pay it off over time. This guy was trying to get me to pay is past due bills!!! He refuses to talk with the water department with me about these bills...but..it is clear he knows what he was trying to pull on me. Also.. I reported a couple of times that his toilet leaks. It runs almost all the time ..and getting worse. He does nothing about it .. week after week.
Well..I am moving. I had to find another place in a hurry (not easy to find a place for the 1st when you only start looking on the 20th). BUT..here is the question.
When the electric bill comes for August..I do not plan to pay it. I am really mad that I was denied A/C when I needed it. This was part of the deal when I moved in. I do not plan to pay more than the average actual water use ...not the additional charge for his payment plan..and not the increase that can be attributed to this toilet running all the time. Am I on reasonable ground here?
I rent a room in a house with another roommate and the owner. I was 2 days late paying the cable bill. It was explained that I would never see the cable bill, so the next day I paid whatever he wanted. BUT..the A/C was turned off, and the cable box was removed. You can imagine there was a big blow out about it. The man was paid, but what he really wanted was to force me out right then. He was mad that the electric bill was so high for July. (we split the bill between the 3 of us). I wasn't even here for 11 days in July. The nasty heat wave that hit the NE? I was in Georgia.
Well..since then, I have not had A/C. I complained that it is just too warm for me to sleep through the night, and too hot in the afternoon for me to work (I do contract work online at home). I haven't gotten a full night sleep since this started...wide awake because it is just too warm! The roommate comes home in the evening and turns on the A/C till he is cool enough for him, then turns it off again.
Next, the water bill. When I saw it for the first time...there was a charge on it for a "Deferred Payment plan" ... I saw the yearly breakdown..and last fall there was monster water usage. I called the water department...and they would not talk specifically about the owners bill..but..confirmed that the payment plan is put in place when an old bill is so large that the owner needs a plan to pay it off over time. This guy was trying to get me to pay is past due bills!!! He refuses to talk with the water department with me about these bills...but..it is clear he knows what he was trying to pull on me. Also.. I reported a couple of times that his toilet leaks. It runs almost all the time ..and getting worse. He does nothing about it .. week after week.
Well..I am moving. I had to find another place in a hurry (not easy to find a place for the 1st when you only start looking on the 20th). BUT..here is the question.
When the electric bill comes for August..I do not plan to pay it. I am really mad that I was denied A/C when I needed it. This was part of the deal when I moved in. I do not plan to pay more than the average actual water use ...not the additional charge for his payment plan..and not the increase that can be attributed to this toilet running all the time. Am I on reasonable ground here?