Parking problems
By 4monsters4me
@4monsters4me (2569)
United States
April 11, 2007 8:41pm CST
Our landlord informed us today that we can't park in front of our apartment door anymore because that spot should be for the lady and man that live next door. Our doors are right next to each other and we were told that was our spot when we moved in (we had a different landlord then). Since then they have gotten a car and we have shared the spot. First come first serve. The other person parks next to the concrete slab outside our doors (a tight fit for our minivan). Things have worked okay for the most part.
Now all of a sudden we aren't supposed to park in either spot. We are supposed to park way in the back of the property by the trees. This area is behind a bar where drunks come and go and park all day long (one guy comes flying in every day at 5pm--we're afraid to even let our kids out during that time).
So we are supposed to park over there and trudge across the parking lot with 4 kids. Oh, did I forget to mention the parking lot is full of 6" deep mud puddles. The whole thing is hidden under water. There is no way to get to where he wants us to park without walking through the water when it has been rainy (and it rains more often then not here). During the winter these huge puddles freeze causing even more dangers. I almost broke my ankle parking next to the concrete slab because it is such a steep incline to the gravel below and it was frozen solid. The whole parking lot gets like that.
The puddles are deep enough that our minivan bottoms out (scrapes the muffler) when we go through them to get in and out of the parking lot.
We just looked at our lease and no where in it does it say we have assigned parking. It says parking is at our own discretion and that you have to sign some paper to have assigned parking. Which no one has.
I told my husband if he insists we have to park across the flooded parking lot and drag our 4 small children (6, 5, 4 and 1) through the mess then our landlord has to fill in the holes. They are a major accident waiting to happen.
But our landlord insists that the area with the holes is not on his property and the guy that owns the bar insists that it isn't his property. So they both refuse to fix the problem. Our neighbor has lived there for 8 years and she says it just gets worse every year. They can barely get over the edge of the hole in their car (it has almost torn the exhaust off their car). They complained but he said he wouldn't do anything about it. It is very very dangerous and I refuse to drag my kids across that. They could get hurt.
It's so stupid. And on top of that our idiot landlord refuses to fix out hot water heater. It worked fine for the first year and a half we lived here (although it isn't big enough to service a family of 6) but now we barely have any hot water. There is enough for one 25 minute hot shower and that is with the cold water completely off. If I do dishes in the morning there usually isn't enough hot water that night to take more then a 15 minute shower and the water really isn't that hot. But he says there is nothing wrong with it and won't fix it. I hate not being able to take a shower when I want to because someone else took a bath or shower or I had dishes to do that day.
2 people like this
4 responses
@hassanchop (820)
• United States
12 Apr 07
Geez, that's quite a bit worse than the parking situation over here, and I thought that even that was bad. Over here, we have more apartments than we do parking spots, and if you don't get home in time to get a spot, you park across the street at Blockbuster Video. Nowadays, it's improved, but the tow company the complex uses is insane. They are currently being investigated for extortion, and hell, they're Raider fans - I don't know which is worse, but it's pretty close.
@oldboy46 (2129)
• Australia
16 Apr 07
Check with your local council who actually does own the block of land, because someone will be paying rates on it. If it is not owned by your landlord what right does he have to tell you to park there. If he owns the land, then he has to fix it up and that can be dealt with by the local council as well I would think as it is a hazard.
Why is it that he says you cannot park in front of your apartment door anymore? Is there some new law or what that stops you from parking there I wonder?
With the hot water service, that should be done through your local council as well. Most places have laws governing health conditions and I would think that if you cannot have a hot shower, wash the dishes etc for lack of hot water, then the council could take some action. At least that is the way it is here in Australia. We have rental property and are responsible for many things, including the maintenance and upkeep of the property which includes driveways, parking sections and water including the hot water service.
Failing that, I would be looking around for another place to rent. It might be in a differnt area but it certainly isn't suitable where yo are now, particularly if you have 4 young children. The owner will have to fix the things before new tenants can move in, so it will be his loss too.
@4monsters4me (2569)
• United States
17 Apr 07
We were told not to park there because the people next door want to park there. Our doors are right next to each other and there is only one spot. They supposedly get preferential treatment since they have lived here longer then we have.
I got screamed at by the guy next door this morning as I was walking my daughter to the school bus stop (she is 6). He told me to move the car (in not so nice words). So I didn't park there when I got back from grocery shopping. But I got yelled again, this time in front of my 4 and 5 year old because my husband moved my van back into that spot when he went to take my daughter to Scouts. The guy was screaming at me in front of my kids. I don't like that. My husband refused to move the car.
So, now after my husband leaves for work tomorrow, I have to move the van and I assume when he gets home he will move it back because he wants to have a war with these people. Problem is last time they got into a small dispute over a car with our other neighbor (they bought their car but it needed more work then they thought) they called the cops. So now I'm assuming I will get a visit from the cops later this week if my husband doesn't stop moving the van into "their" spot. I am beyond annoyed with my husband. He is starting this war but he works all day. I'm the one that has to get screamed at by this guy.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
12 Apr 07
Your parking situation sounds dreadful. Do you have a local council you can call in. If someone does hurt themselves the owner of that land would be responsible.
Maybe you could drop the kids off then go park your vehicle.
As for your hot water...sorry, but who has 25 minute showers...that's a long time. I take 7 minutes, enough time to soap all over, scrub my toes and rinse off.
You still should be able to get your hot water fixed though. Do you have a rental tribunal you can approach. Bank your rent in a special account and tell him that's what you've done and you won't pay till it's fixed. Surely he's supposed to maintain the property.
@4monsters4me (2569)
• United States
12 Apr 07
That's what my husband says. If he presses the issue he is going to demand the landlord repair the parking lot so that it is safe to walk through and if he won't then he is complaining to the city. My neighbor said the same thing months ago because she asked the landlord about fixing the holes and he said it isn't his property so he won't do it. But the guy that owns the bar next door says it isn't his either so he won't fix it. It is very dangerous out there.
I don't see why they can't go in halves and re-gravel the place since both properties use the parking lot.
My husband also said he is considering withholding the rent but then we might lose the apartment. Our lease expired last November but our landlord seems unconcerned. He hasn't tried to renew any of them (my neighbor asked me about it since she never heard anything from him). We didn't care since we are moving this summer but I really want to stay until school gets out in June but if we get kicked out before then, so be it, I guess. I'll just have to homeschool the rest of the year.
And 25 minutes for a shower isn't that long. I can get through a shower in about 15 minutes if I rush but who wants to rush. It takes about 10 minutes just to shave since I can't see in the shower without my glasses on. I used to like to just stand under the water and relax but there is no time for that here. I get about 2 minutes to enjoy the water before I have to hurry and wash my hair and shave before my hot water is gone.
