Got Ceiling? or, Do Not Rent from Rubel Realty!!!!
If you have ceiling, consider yourself lucky! I don't! I implore you to click the "read more" and read this whole post. Really, it would mean a lot to me. If you consider yourself to be my friend or friendly internet acquaintance, please do me the courtesy of reading the post and looking at the pictures. I would really appreciate it.
At 7:15 yesterday morning, I was awakened by the sound of a BIG SLAB OF PLASTER falling from my ceiling. A week ago, a crack formed in my ceiling with an accompanying leak of cold brown water. Then more cracks branched out from it:
I immediately called my realty company, of course. And called. And called. See, I've lived here for a year and a half now, and it always takes an act of Congress for them to FIX SOMETHING in my apartment. I always have to call and call, several times a day for about a week--bug bug bug, nag nag nag. Then, as expected, it got worse:
The night before last, a couple of chunks of plaster fell on the floor. I left a message on the answering machine yelling at the top of my voice that I wanted someone here IN THE MORNING! Then, like I said, the two-feet-by-two-feet slab of plaster fell:
covering my entire bedroom, including bed, with plaster/mud debris:
I called L.'s cell phone (the co-owner of the realty company). What ensued was, undoubtedly, the most unadulterated fit of sputtering rage, of white-hot fury, that has ever come out of me. I screamed and cursed at her for 45 full minutes, telling her how dismissive she always is toward me. Every angry thought I've ever had about her over the past year and a half, I let her have right then. I yelled at her at the top of my lungs, which for those of you who know me in person is about the noise level of a jet engine at close range. Absolutely ear-shattering. She was crying by the end of the conversation, and you know what? I'm GLAD. I never tell people off in this way; I may rant, but I am a very easygoing person most of the time. They just pushed me TOO FAR. They are ethically bankrupt people, and they deserve it and more.
Because of this, I had to evacuate my bedroom and move my furniture into a vacant apartment down the hall, which I had to FIGHT to get them to consent to provide. Because of this, I am having to take an incomplete in my Women's Studies class, because yesterday I had planned to write my final response paper and study all day, and instead I had to deal with THIS. Because of Rubel Realty, I have been shaking with rage for 36 hours. I have no appetite whatsoever. The entire apartment has a dank, dirty, moldy, mildewy smell, which I'm sure will contaminate the rest of our furniture.
Then I got on the phone with the tenants' union. They advised me to call the Housing Authority, which I promptly did. The inspector came over within the hour, about the same time the owner of Rubel Realty arrived. The inspector put two work orders in and, right in front of the owner of Rubel Realty, APOLOGIZED and expressed his sympathy for my having to go through this.
I am not finished with them. I am joining the tenants' union and calling Legal Services here at the University.
- Clancy's blog
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Sorry!
I'm so sorry for all your troubles. I hope they make everything right, and I wish you all the luck in the world with the tenant's union - hope University Legal Services can help you out. If you don't have renter's insurance already, look into it . . . we had a similar problem in a previous apartment
-Laurie
Good GRIEF, that is horrible,
Good GRIEF, that is horrible, and right here at the end of the semester when it's time to take a breath and relax. No wonder you were so livid and being forced into the incomplete has got to be so defeating feeling. And if you're anything like me, after all that adrenaline rushing for two days, you'll probably crash. Man, I'm with you, take them to the max. Hang in there.
- Michelle from Phlebas
Bastards!
That's awful Clancy. If that happened to me this last segment of the semester as I'm trying to grade, do paperwork, and get ready for the holidays, I think I'd totally lose it. I don't blame you for giving it to them and pursuing a legal course. Good luck.
And hang in there. Though it may not seem like it right now, this, too, shall pass.
Cindy
Yeah, really, holiday shoppin
Yeah, really, holiday shopping, out the window. I've had a ton of work to do with this blog collection, grading (which I haven't even started!), all kinds of things. I've been staying with Amy and just trying to forget that I live in a shithole. I just look forward to the day that our lease is up and I can move somewhere else...of course, for any and all prospective realtors, I'm going to request housing authority public work order/intention to condemn records (which my ceiling now is, hell yeah!), court records in which the realtor is the defendant, all kinds of stuff. As I've said, I'm going to join the tenants' union. I know I can't trust any of these crooks, and I need an organization behind me when it comes to where I dwell and store my personal property.
Ugh.
I had the same thing happen to me at my apartment last year. Instead of continuously calling, I finally sent three certified letters to the office (for documentation) threatening to get a private contractor to fix my two outside doors that never fully shut, making AC and heating a frivolous idea, and send them the bill. They had someone come out almost immidiately and fixed it. Too late for the advice, I suppose, but I wish you well during the holidays! All will be well soon!
Lauren
http://feministe.us/blog/
I am so glad you got to take your frustrations out on....
someone at least. That had to feel good :)
That sucks ass Clance, I'm sorry. If I were you I'd see if they'd let me out of the lease early and make sure to stay away from any of their properties in the future. Why are so many apartment owners assholes, anyway? Is that a requirement before you can build or buy a complex? :PPPPPP I had a lovely man-bitch of one before we bought our house named, get this..... KARMA (of all freakin things!)
Good luck with your battle, and I would definitely stay out of the apartment as much as possible, since you don't want to get sick from the mold and nastyness.
Jen
Awww, Clancy. Of all timing!
Awww, Clancy. Of all timing! *hugs* to you, I hope everything works out!
becky
oh no!
Clancy, that's horrible. I'm so mad at them for letting your home be ruined, and for stressing you out this time of year. :( The tenants' union sounds like a great idea. The management needs a kick to the head. (Okay, so I'm not a violent person, but the thought of them ignoring you and this happening because of their neglect... grrrrr!) I hope they're made to pay, and soon.
And I hope your holidays will be extra fun/soothing/nice this year, so you'll have good memories to counteract the bad.
Chris
Keep at them
Clancy,
Keep on their case. You should get your rent back --certainly your security deposit-- and they should have to pay you moving expenses.
I'd also post the URL to the blog/entry pictures on any local WWW sites/bulletin boards dedicated to the town you live in, whether it's a university housing bbs, or WWW site about the town, or if there are renter's guides WWW sites or other places on the WWW where you can spread the word about them.
Nick
Good for you for getting on t
Good for you for getting on their ass about it. I was too much of a wuss last year with my previous landlord when there were animals in the walls and crap was leaking everywhere, making the gas bill skyrocket.
By the end of the year, I was pulling all the technicalities I could from the landlord/tenant by-laws from the province and just doing everything I could to make their life difficult. Thankfully, the word of mouth spread and I smile every time I see the For Sale sign on that house that's been there for the past 4 months.
Same situation
This is really quite odd. We probably live in the same building. .
In any event, the exact same thing happened to me, at almost the exact same time. My bathroom ceiling fell in twice during a 3 month period, and both times I was responsible for cleaning the mess, because I didn't want to wait days and phone calls later to get someone to come clean and fix it (That really isn't an exaggeration, it does take an act of Congress to get something repaired). Only after they discovered that I was allowing the water sit unattended on my floor did they finally act to get it fixed (out of fear the water would drip into the apartment below). So after 7 months without a ceiling, they finally came out to repair it.
So, why am I writing about this now? Well, I've recently decided to leave this building (I can't get out soon enough), and want to break my lease one month early. When I asked you know who if they would cut me some slack on the loss of my entire deposit, I was told that I signed an agreement, and that it is my responsibility to live up to the terms of that agreement. Funny, I replied, you didn't feel the need to live up to your responsibilities earlier. Unfortunately that did little good, and I was pretty much told tough luck.
Once again, let me add that it is quite coincidental I came upon your blog. I'm very happy I did. I completely empathize with you, and for the last couple days have been stewing over the fact that I missed my chance to take action against the company. Knowing that you did so however makes me feel somewhat better, that people at least know about our ordeal. I like to think that the concept of Karma plays some sort of role in the world, and that some day the tables will turn.
Keep Fighting!
SAME BUILDING!!
Hey ex former tenant... I live in the same glorious old delapitated 70's shrine! (but am moving out RAPIDLY!) Keep up the fight on behalf of the rest of the victims of Rubel here; don't even get me started on the ovens that keep breaking, heat that keeps quiting, garage that keeps flooding, and crack heads that keep coming.... (and you're lucky you got out before they painted all the doorway frames this obnoxious blue and purple lego-land decor... It's like a constant hang-over without the booze.) Good luck and KEEP FIGHTING!!
Yes *nods sagely.* The Temple of Doom.
Glad you're getting out of there. That building is not safe. After those college students died in that apartment fire, which wasn't far from The Hellhole, the University of Minnesota started an initiative to collect information on apartments, landlords, and realty companies in the Twin Cities, especially those. Last year, they solicited feedback from U of M students about experiences with landlords. I told them my whole story; parents and students need to know about these people.