My First Apartment…

Monday, July 21, 2008 11:10 PM Posted in Environment, Ethics, Fort Worth, Life

These things should come with instruction manuals… and 30 day return policies.

First, the good news: I’ve only seen one ant since I got back Saturday night.

The bad news: my air conditioning is still sketchy at best.  All day long today, even with the A/C set between 70 and 75, I wasn’t able to get it below 80.  It topped out around 85, and right now it’s at 79 (it’s been dark now for over 2 hours).  The A/C doesn’t stop running; it just doesn’t do its job.

And in the bathroom I kept finding black flakes and specks around, so I checked the vent.  Mold.  I took pictures and I’ve written a letter to apartment management.  I’m going to take it in tomorrow, but rest assured I’m going to get this dealt with.

Here’s a question for you former apartment dwellers: is this normal, or should I be upset?  I’m trying not to throw a fit when a fit need not be thrown, but I’m also not interested in getting shafted by crappy management.  Thoughts?

by Joe Kennedy

12 comments

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July 21, 2008 - 11:48 PM

Leanne - Well, as a former apartment manager, I can tell you this is definitely sketchy. Any chance you could get me a copy of all paperwork you signed, including your lease? You can leave out the personal info. I just need to see the fine print to tell you what you may have signed w/out knowing it.

In the meantime, try this: http://www.texastenant.org/rights/main.html

and start looking for a new place. If you take your time, document (date, time, person spoke to, and RECEIPTS for supplies/prevention etc.) and follow the law, you will come out, at the least, even $ wise and optimally, ahead $ wise.

I know it’s a hassle but you need to really think hard about this place. The amount of trouble you have had is WAY disproportionate to “normal” tenancy and you’ve not been there but a month or two??????

I’m real sorry about this, Joe. Real sorry.

July 22, 2008 - 1:36 AM

Art Rogers - Yes. What Leanne said. Definitely sketchy. Definitely should be leaving with no penalties for yourself.

Good job on taking pictures. Take more. Date/time stamp them all. The more evidence you have – even if it is 19 angles of the same flecks of mold – the quicker they are going to be about getting you the heck out of their establishment in a happy way. They don’t want to deal with fraud charges or whatever they might be charged with as a result of failing to live up to their obligations in the contract.

Take pictures of the thermostat, too.

The A/C probably just needs freon. That’s a simple fix that they could do quickly and easily.

July 22, 2008 - 8:56 AM

Kevin Bussey - What part of town did you move to?

July 22, 2008 - 2:10 PM

Joe Kennedy - Art and Leanne, my first priority is to get things fixed. I’m not going to start looking for ways to get out of my lease just because a few things aren’t exactly the way I wanted. The apartment people have been friendly enough, and they’ve done a good job showing up to fix things quickly.

The A/C seems to be working much better now, and the guy sprayed some anti-mold stuff all over and in the vent, so I’m satisfied for now. He showed up quickly (he was here before I even got back from the office) and even stopped by on his own a couple hours afterward to make sure things were better.

Like I said, there’s no reason to pitch a fit if a fit doesn’t need to be pitched. And having a good relationship with the people here is better than burning the bridge and suing to get out of my lease.

Kevin, I live in Benbrook, on the SW side of Fort Worth.

July 22, 2008 - 2:21 PM

Art Rogers - Well.

La ti da.

Aren’t we the Missional Apartment dweller. :)

Ok, good. You’re longsuffering. It would have maybe changed my response if you had mentioned those things earlier, but since you chose to bait me into looking like a hotheaded jerk.

Or maybe that’s just me… ;)

July 22, 2008 - 3:55 PM

adam - NOT normal.

July 22, 2008 - 4:28 PM

byron - woo-hoo joe!

i’m proud of you! way to suck it up and keep perspective…

http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?typeid=19&catid=10&cid=928

i’ll be in Rwanda for a couple of weeks beginning next tue or wed…peace, my friend.

b.

July 22, 2008 - 5:00 PM

Dorcas Hawker - Joe -

As to response time, the apartment dealing with your issues has been abnormally good. Tony lived in his apartment for four months with a missing window!! That they painted the boards covering it to match the outside walls should have been a clue. I have lived in apartments, and many of them, and truth is that there will always be issues. Just remember that in this area of Texas, I know it is a law in Fort Worth, and maybe all of Texas that air conditioning MUST be provided. Apartment complexes can get in big trouble for having that out of commission. Not to mention when some little old lady almost dies of heat stroke and they call in the news media, etc. So I would say they are pretty normal for lower to middle income apartments in the metroplex. Decent response time, but they don’t fix things until somebody complains. You will have to keep track of everything, and timely turn in WRITTEN maintenance requests, but as long as you are willing to jump through their hoops to get service, I figure you probably have just as good a place as anywhere (unless you are paying a ton of money for upscale apartments in Dallas or something). Well, the ants were worse than they should have been, but you probably have messy neighbors who keep the critters about. The only way to keep pests away is to convince your neighbors to clean up their act too.

July 22, 2008 - 6:23 PM

Joe Kennedy - Art, I guess living in New Orleans and seeing how people lived there gave me some perspective. Also, Byron kinda reminded me of how I should be acting with all this stuff… I mean, look, my parents and brothers have all lived in much worse over the years. You went to Vietnam just a few months ago- so you know how good we have it sometimes.

Dorcas, you’re exactly right. I picked an apartment facing the west and south, with no real shade on that side. The sun bakes into my apartment from end to end, and regardless of what I do, the temperature is going to rise. There’s probably no good insulation in the walls or roof either. Maintenance guy said so today. Knowing it’s just a fact of life settles the issue for me.

Of course, switching it from fan to auto turned the dang thing on too. Whoops?

And Byron, have a good trip. One of these days timing and money will work out so I can join you out there.

July 22, 2008 - 11:01 PM

Lu - Just be careful about the mold. My parents got pneumonia from mold growing on the baseboards behind their beds and that’s essentially what brought about their deaths. Granted, they were 80, not a young ‘un like you :) but still…. mold is not something to play around with. That stuff is toxic, no matter your age. Get the managers to get it out QUICKLY or move. You can’t be missional if your in the ICU with a machine breathing for you.

July 22, 2008 - 11:07 PM

Joe Kennedy - Lu, the guy used something called Killz to finish off the mold. I watched him spray all up in and around the area, so I feel like it’s satisfied. If it’s not, then he promised to return with bleach. Having spent time in NOLA, I know what mold looks like and can do to you. I know several people who left the city because of it, and I’m not completely unconvinced part of my health issues over the last 2 years were influenced by mold and the environment as a whole.

Here’s what I know about mold:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephkennedy/399501667/in/set-72157594339101906/

I took the photo in my dorm building about three weeks BEFORE Katrina. They sprayed it down with bleach and it was the only room without mold after the flood.

July 22, 2008 - 11:13 PM

Art Rogers - Ok, Kilz is paint that covers stains, but does not remove mold.

Keep a very close eye on that. It’s not gone, just covered.

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