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Posted by Sassy on March 19, 2000 at 16:04:47:

In Reply to: HELP please posted by JoAnn on March 14, 2000 at 20:10:09:

Why didn't the landlord give tenants leases...? And why didn't the tenants demand one???

Suggestion: Your friends should document everything including saving any/all harassing phone messages and take photos of their kitchen, whatever's left of it. He wants them to move so he can renovate the apt. and charge/get higher rent. They should band together, notify him via certified letter, outlining what should be repaired, and give him a deadline. If he fails to comply - send him another letter, certified, return receipt, stating they'll put the money in escrow and see him in court. Believe me, there is the "Power in the Pen". Whoever told them "the landlord can do what he wants" is wrong - landlords are not Gods, nor are they invincible. They're landlords today, and tomorrow they can end up as tenants if they lose their property.

: Help Please. I have friends that are living in a 5 family dwelling in the Bronx. The landlord does not give leases to the tenents. Since December 99 their lives have been hell. The boiler broke down completely in Jan 2000 when we had all that really cold weather. The other tenants left the building and must have stayed with family members but my friends had nowhere to go and could not afford a hotel.There was no offer from the landlord to purchase heaters. So they stayed freezing in this apartment. The landlord had his buddies work on the boiler and since they were not a real repair firm they took their time working only at night and not properly fixing it. Since the landlord does not live here he could care less that there was no heat or hot water for over a month. Once the boiler was turned on and since they did not know what they were doing my friends apartment was drenched in hot steam from pipes that busted apart. A pet was killed. The landlord was called and he said not to worry about it. Its only a little steam. The kitchen was completely destroyed
: and had no heat because he capped off the pipes. He said you will no longer have any heat in the kitchen or bathroom. He refuses to repair the apartment and said you have to move so I can fix the apartment.They have no kitchen!! He keeps harrassing them every day by leaving messages on their phone. What rights do they have and where can they turn for help. They have been looking for an apartment but its not easy. They have been told that the building is not rent controlled or stabilized that the landlord can do whatever he wants. I did not believe that we still lived in a society that landlords can still get away with such atrocity.
: Thanks in advance for any help.

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Comments:
: Why didn't the landlord give tenants leases...?  And why didn't the tenants demand one???

: Suggestion: Your friends should document everything including saving any/all harassing phone messages and take photos of their kitchen, whatever's left of it.  He wants them to move so he can renovate the apt. and charge/get higher rent.  They should band together, notify him via certified letter, outlining what should be repaired, and give him a deadline. If he fails to comply - send him another letter, certified, return receipt, stating they'll put the money in escrow and see him in court.  Believe me, there is the "Power in the Pen". Whoever told them "the landlord can do what he wants" is wrong - landlords are not Gods, nor are they invincible.  They're landlords today, and tomorrow they can end up as tenants if they lose their property.


: 
: : Help Please.  I have friends that are living in a 5 family dwelling in the Bronx.  The landlord does not give leases to the tenents.  Since December 99 their lives have been hell.  The boiler broke down completely in Jan 2000 when we had all that really cold weather.  The other tenants left the building and must have stayed with family members but my friends had nowhere to go and could not afford a hotel.There was no offer from the landlord to purchase heaters.  So they stayed freezing in this apartment.  The landlord had his buddies work on the boiler and since they were not a real repair firm they took their time working only at night and not properly fixing  it.  Since the landlord does not live here he could care less that  there was no heat or hot water for over a month.  Once the boiler was turned on and since they did not know what they were doing my friends apartment was drenched in hot steam from pipes that busted apart.  A pet was killed.  The landlord was called and he said not to worry about it.  Its only a little steam.  The kitchen was completely destroyed
: :  and had no heat because he capped off the pipes.  He said you will no longer have any heat in the kitchen or bathroom.  He refuses to repair the apartment and said you have to move so I can fix the apartment.They have no kitchen!! He keeps harrassing them every day by leaving messages on their phone.  What rights do they have and where can they turn for help.  They have been looking for an apartment but its not easy.  They have been told that the building is not rent controlled or stabilized that the landlord can do whatever he wants.  I did not believe that we still lived in a society that landlords can still get away with such atrocity.
: : Thanks in advance for any help.



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