shady landlord advice

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

Just firebomb the place. You'll feel better.

^ X2

 

[faulkton 5,000+ posts]

Again, tell them to split the panel. Adding a sub panel for "House" electricity is the legal way to do it. Shouldnt be more then $400 to do that.At some places, common lites in the hall have 2 bulbs in the fixture, so each floor is paying for hall lighting. Also each heating zone should have thier own pump moter on tied into the correct meter. Some ppl would rather open a window and run the heat full, rather then turn the stat down. So if its a common pump, who evers panel its tied into pays.

By law, each unit must be separate.

I told him the same thing already, but I guess he thinks he's gonna "raise hell" and not pay his rent. That'll show 'em! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif Till he gets evicted, has all his shit thrown on the curb and his credit ruined.
He thinks he's special and this is the first time in history this has happened. There couldn't already be a pile of case law and clear state law on the subject dealing with this exact issue. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

I don't think they will want to incur the cost and quite frankly i am suspicious about what other outlets and appliances are on my meter. It would probably be expensive to figure out the mess of wiring in this 100+ year old house... plus the heat is a radiator set up and there is no possible way to separate it..

This is also South Dakota, where normal agencies (like the housing authority) are much more interested in helping property owners and screwing the little guy.. After living here for a few years i have realized you just can not count on protections which are common in the rest of the country..

I dropped off a letter to the rental agency this morning that says this:

As I indicated yesterday when we met, it has come to my attention that the electricity which powers the coin operated washer/dryer and the furnace is run from my power meter. I never agreed to provide the electricity for the family of 5 downstairs to do their laundry, nor the other tenants in the building, while the landlord collects the profit. The apartment was advertised as heat included in the price of the rent. You have affirmed this fact to the South Dakota Energy Assistance program. At a minimum the property owner must have been aware that the house only has 3 meters and one of his tenants was being taken advantage of and was overpaying for electricity.
I recognize that to have an electrician come and install a fourth meter and sort out all the wiring would be labor intensive and expensive. However, without knowing exactly what outlets and appliances are on my meter I am unwilling to have the utilities in my name. I am proposing a $30 increase in the price of my rent and switching the electricity out of my name. In order to be justly compensated for the amount I have overpaid I propose that we backdate this agreement to the beginning of the lease.

This would result in my owing you for the difference in rent and you reimbursing me for the amount I have paid for electricity since I have moved in. A $30 rent increase would mean I owe you $30 for the last 6 months ($180) and you would owe me the $280.04 I have paid to the power company.

I have provided the bills from Northwestern Energy for you to verify this amount. This would end result would be a $100 reduction for Februarys rent for the amount I have overpaid in the last 6 months and all future electricity bills being paid by you.

I look forward to your prompt reply,

It seems fair to me... i'm not going off all half cocked and demanding anything unreasonable.. but i am also not going to sit back and let them take advantage of me.. my proposal seems fair to both of us..

 

[edzy 10+ year member]

Put a pad lock on your electric box. Shut it off when you leave, and lock it.

**** em'

 

[faulkton 5,000+ posts]

Well in the end my landlord agreed with my proposal. I get $100 back for what i have overpaid and I will now just pay a flat $30 a month for electric.

yay for MEzzzZ

 

[edzy 10+ year member]

Expect a rent increase soon, ontop of the $30 you volunteered to pay.

So glad you found a solution.

btw, its easy to add a panel and meter, Just use a tracer to find whats what, pull it out of the box and add it to the new panel. Its not like he has to refeed anything or pull wires thru the house.

Anyway........does heat come included in rent?

if not, run electric heaters 24/7.

And if the heat is regulated, say like its set to 70, and you cant turn it up? Just put a frozen towel over the T-stat. It will stay on till it defrosts.

 

[faulkton 5,000+ posts]

Expect a rent increase soon, ontop of the $30 you volunteered to pay.
So glad you found a solution.

btw, its easy to add a panel and meter, Just use a tracer to find whats what, pull it out of the box and add it to the new panel. Its not like he has to refeed anything or pull wires thru the house.

Anyway........does heat come included in rent?

if not, run electric heaters 24/7.

And if the heat is regulated, say like its set to 70, and you cant turn it up? Just put a frozen towel over the T-stat. It will stay on till it defrosts.

I dont plan on being here past the end of the lease, so they can raise the rent. I got this place because it was close to campus and i needed to find something the day after i got back from Korea.

Yes, heat is included in the rent, but i dont have a thermostat; it's in the downstairs apartment. I told the people downstairs i was cold one day and asked if they would turn off the radiator in the room with the thermostat and ever since it's been like 80 in my place, which is the way i like it. I actually had to open a window when it was -30 the other day cuz my bedroom was too hot and i couldnt sleep.

But once summer comes, you can bet i'll be nice and cool with the AC cost limited to only $30 a month.