Sue landlord for utility overages for refusing to fix issues?

mattday5

New Member
Jurisdiction
Georgia
Pertains to my daughter and her roommates in school. They sold the unit to a private guy 6 months ago who just gives run-arounds to fixing issues. It's too late to move elsewhere (college town and everyone has their apartments set).

Snake

They made report of termites eating at a rear door frame, which was never repaired and a snake got in one night. They don't pick up, even the emergency line. Cops came and killed the snake and removed it then the owner showed up and gave the cop lip service "oh don't worry we will repair this tomorrow". Months later never fixed, one of the girl's boyfriends just nailed a 2'x'4' to it.

Fridge

Fridge went out, a guy came in and said the motor's gone and it needs replaced. Two day passes and it's not replaced, we call in and they said to "buy coolers and ice packs" and I knew then they weren't fixing it any time soon. After 3 weeks I tell him I don't have time for you to wait for a used fridge to show up on craigslist (he is fuming over the phone), next morning 8 AM he shows up with a fridge from homedepot.

AC

AC went out over the summer, it blows mostly air. Days would be 90+ inside, nights 80+, only one girl was there and she mostly spent the days with her boyfriend to avoid it. AC guy came and said it's frayed and 30 years olds and needs replacement and he'll give it to the owner to sign off on it and be here tomorrow to replace it. Week passes nothing. I call in and the owner comes by (outside, doesn't come in) and 30 seconds later said he fixed it and leaves. He didn't fix it and I call in and he says he's ordering parts. Another week passes and now school is starting and the rest of the girls are coming back. I tell him how inhumane that is and I'd file a police report. He starts hammer calling my daughter from 8PM till 10PM when she picked up and asked if he can come 7AM to replace it, and he does.

Water

Bathtub faucet drips, made two reports, they never fixed it (didn't think they would fix small things). That drip turned into a full flow. It's hot water, and now we have a $600 water bill.

Of course, it's been 3 weeks I reported the full flow. He came and said he needs to get parts, would take a week. Two weeks later he said he'll come at 8 AM and one of the girls stayed home (rule is they don't come in unless someone is home), but he never came. Then he said Wednesday and he'll call, again nothing. I talked to him today and he says the parts are on "back order".
 
Is your daughter a minor? If not, then she (and her roommates) will need to be the ones to deal with this.

Let's go over your list.

Snake: Problem solved.
Fridge: Problem solved.
AC: Problem solved.
Water: Problem not solved. The resident(s) need to contact the city about the matter. A representative of the city will inspect and issue findings. They may find other things that the LL needs to deal with as well.

EDIT: Do the residents know how to use the water shut-off valve, if one is present?
 
Pertains to my daughter and her roommates in school. They sold the unit to a private guy 6 months ago who just gives run-arounds to fixing issues.

I'm not following what you're talking about.

For starters, you posted on a board that's concerned with commercial landlord-tenant issues. Did you mis-post here, or does your post concern a commercial landlord-tenant issue?

Second, you wrote that your "daughter and her roommates in school . . . sold the unit." What does that mean? Sold what sort of unit? Even if this concerns a residential situation, rather than a commercial situation, when it's a landlord-tenant issue, that would not ordinarily involve selling anything.

Third, if they sold "the unit," what would the buyer give your daughter and her roommates "the runarounds [sic] [about] fixing issues"?

If/when you answer these questions, I'll give some thought to the remainder of your post, but it would be helpful if you asked a question or otherwise explained what you are or your daughter is seeking to accomplish.
 
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