First of all, I want to apologize for my entries lately.
This blog is suppose to be funny, and upbeat. Not the Debbie Downer I've become in the last little while.
I've been having a lot of good little things happen lately.
Buses and trains all making their connections, work at the museum becoming more exciting, friends helping out cos their friends, not worrying about what they'll get out of it.
I pay attention to the little things happening in my life. Smelling the roses!
Friday, I went for dinner with CC. Had a great talk, got home and noticed that the heat wasn't working all that well. Plus we'd just moved the old love seat out of my apt. So to be a little warm and notice it was cold, must be cold. Saturday, moved the new couch in, NO HEAT. By Saturday afternoon I called the superintendent. He flushed the lines and whola, I have heat again. Sunday morning, EFFIN ICE COLD!
Again, flushed the lines, and although it took all day to heat up, it did. By dinner time it was cold again.
As a courtesy, we're not to call the superintendent after 6pm M-F. Ever. Here it was 9pm at night on a Sunday and I've called him. Heat is included in my rent and I want my heat damn it. Called again at 10pm and one last time at 11pm when I noticed the radiator was leaking, a lot.
We did everything we could and as a result we decided to turn off all heat and water to my apartment. More so as a preventive measure so the suite below me did not flood overnight...........
It's now TUESDAY! and I still have no heat. Folks, that's 5 days with strong winds & below zero weather.
The owner of the building (not the superintendent) had the nerve to tell me:
-"It's not as cold as it is outside, and there is heat coming into your apt".
- "There is heat coming into the apt, but its not HEATING the apt, 12 degrees is not an acceptable temperature, there is a huge difference and if you think its not that cold in my apartment, let's switch homes until it's fixed."
The superintendent is doing everything he can by way of the owner, but the owner is an asshole. And hates me cos I won't move out so he can raise the rent to a ridiculously high amount that does not reflect the area or the apartment itself. Plus I'm not afraid to make him accountable for shit he's pulled in the pass, and by doing so, the TRAC has a nice record of rejected repair requests I've made over the last 8 years. The result is, I'm not going to do any upkeep on the apartment at all. I'll let it run itself into the ground, move and call the lack of repairs, regular wear and tear over the last 8 plus years. They can suck it.
Why do I stay, you ask? The view! I live 40 mins out of the downtown core and I have a view of water and many many mountains. :) Plus my place is huge for the amount of rent I pay. The same size downtown would cost me closer to $2000 /mnth. I know what my rights as a renter are, even if he doesn't.
Short of it is, if I do not have heat tonight when I get home, or some sort of word on when the repairs will be done, I'm filing a formal complaint, requesting a large reduction in rent, and my hydro bill to be paid as I'll have to use space heaters, or worse, stay in a hotel. Heat is included in my rent and they're not providing that and/or giving me pansy answers as to what the problem is and when it will be fixed.
I've told myself for the last 5 days, it's winter camping with dry shelter.
Island Guy who lives only a few blocks from me since he stayed at my apt while looking for a place to live on the mainland. (temp agreement we had) offered up his guest room for me until I get this heat issue worked out. Friendly neighbourly thing to do, right? I think it is. His g/f however does not. She broke up with him! Spazzed out completely! Seriously? We have no romantic history, and I'll be in the guest room! For all I know she'll be in the next room. I did not have a problem with her, (I do now) so why should she?
So I have no heat, the owner is being a wiener, and my friend trying to be a friend, loses his g/f in the process. Wow.
I told him to tell her I'll stay in my cold apartment, so she can rest her spazzy little mind.
I did not like 20yr olds when I was one, I don't care for them anymore now.
Most of them that is.
.....More on this later.
I had a similar problem two years ago - went without heat for 3 months - my landlord decided to buy a cheap furnace when he built his "palace" (his term) and have it installed improperly - suprising it lasted until it was really needed. We started to smell a lot of gas and got only cold air - seemed it wasn't actually heating anything - so his solution - it's no big deal, he doddled at replacing it because they have gas fireplaces upstairs. Our solution was crank up the electric stove and run the space heaters 24 hours a day to offset the freezing cold temps in our basement suite - and pay half the rent until it was done.
ReplyDeleteThe moral to my long story - the heater got fixed when his wife saw the hydro bill. Only then did he care. Have you called the Tenancy Rights Board? Sometimes it's only when it's financial to them does it change things. And we (I) stayed for the same reason you do.
As to the GF issue - good gried what has happened to people that they believe that every action of kindness is a cover for malice. He was being good - should be rewarded and that her stupid jealousy/ego cannot see that is appalling.
damn.
ReplyDeletejust when I think my life is going to hell... well, at least I am warm at night.
Good Luck, and if I was closer, you could stay in my guest room/kid's room, but it's a little messy....
S&P - Island Guy and I went to dinner last night. She "tried" to smooth things over, and her reasonings for acting the way she did, still do not make any sense to either of us.
ReplyDeleteHe's reviewing their relationship cos this might just be a precurser of worst things to come in their relationship.
He slept on my couch for 4 months, and she had the nerve to tell him he hadnt taken her feelings into condiseration and wanted to know why I couldnt call any of my other friends???
First of all, he lives down the street, why would I travel further if I dont have too? Second, ya he did consider her feelings, he told her about it. Not telling her would have given her a right to be a bit miffed.
They have some working out to do.
Kas - You're sweet.
Update - I HAVE HEAT! a little anyway. The thermastat says otherwise, but I had Island Guy come up and check the tempature cos I'm sure I was climatizing myself to the cooler tempatures.
He gave the green light and said it was comfortable for heat in my apt... Wonder how long it will last?
oh ya, his g/f isn't in her 20's... she's 37 and a school teacher!!! Which just made her behaviour that much more unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteWOW that is a shitty landlord! I hope you get your apt. heated and your friend should know that his g/f was looking for an excuse of any king sounds like! Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteSSW - Ya Island Guy is hashing out right now with the g/f. I expect that kind of attitude from a 16 yr old who has no experience in love yet etc.
ReplyDeleteThe apartment had a bit of heat last night, we'll see if it's toasty tonight when I get home today.
As it turns out, the news has been reporting that there are heating issues through out the lower mainland. It's not just my apartment.
Funny that Vancouver prepared for the snow this year, but never prepared for the artic tempatures we got. It normally never drops below -1 -3, ever. So the additional dropping temapture is doing a number.
I wonder how many years it will take the city to figure out that Vancouver & Toronto have changed climates for our Summers & Winters.