Mouse Infestation

[wendylevinson]

My question involves an injury that occurred in the state of: NY: I live in post WW2 building near the Hudson River with nice big rooms & views of the views of the river. Anyway, that's one of the main reasons I've put up with it. We have field mice. The situation has gotten so serious with them that all bread/cereal items are kept in a thick plastic cooler, otherwise they are attacked & eaten during the night/day. Sometimes putting things in plastic isn't even enough. I have a photograph of the Rubbermaid Container the mice chewed through. I had to through out a piece of my sectional because 2 mice died inside the chair. Besides that, the mice had infested this same chair & managed to shred the furniture stuffing to confetti. Besides the sectional going in the trash, they infested & damaged a brand new Fedders 8,000 BTU A/C, lost hundreds of dollars in mouse-damaged food items, chewed holes in the upholstery, clothing...I have photographic proof of it all. I am a meticulously clean person. My family & I cleaned out every closet, any area that could possibly prove attractive to a mouse family looking for a home. Yet they remain. I'm catching them at times, of 8 in a 48 hour time period. Mgmt has made several half-hearted "search & seals," over the last 12 years, but the problem remains. They believe "they've done their best to combat the problem." I beg to differ. Not only have these mice take. My peace of mind, they are damaging my property. I purchased new furniture several months ago, but am afraid to have it delivered here for fear of the same mouse problem. The landlord has offered to move me to a fully renovated apartment for the same rent (these apts are renting for 400-500 more a month an I pay). No moving costs at all from the landlord. I disagree on that point. I think they sould compensate me for not only all of the stress & aggravation of constantly dealing with rodent-related injuries, but the property as well. Why not moving expenses? Despite moving me to a renovated apartment, I still have to move a fully furnished 2 bedroom, 2 bath apt. That costs money. Why should I have to pay when I am essentially being forced out of my apt by the mice. I have played no part in the infestation, nor the perpetuation of this problem. I feel I should be compensated for the stress & aggravation of dealing with this problem, my damaged property, & any expenses incurred in connection with the move (including moving & re-installing ceiling fans & flat screen mounts) also, why should I have to come out of my pocket when I am moving due to a situation I did not cause. I am interested to hear thoughts on my cause of action.

[Mr. Knowitall]

Unless and until you explain to us what has been inadequate about your landlord's efforts, we aren't able to comment on their adequacy.

If you prefer not to move to the remodeled apartment, you appear to have the option of remaining in your current unit. If you don't want to move and believe you can get better results with your own exterminator, you can discuss that possibility with your landlord and see if he'll reimburse you for what your own exterminator is quoting.

You can't possibly be the only tenant with a mouse problem. What are the other tenants saying?

[PandorasBox]

We had mouse problems at the mobile home we used to live in.

- Look at floors and ceilings for entrance points, get those sealed. It can be as small as where your cable TV comes in. Get some sealant, and seal it inside and out.
Larger holes - tape, steel wool, and a cut piece of tile. Insert steel wool into hole, tape or cement piece of tile over the hole.

- If you (or neighbor) feeds the birds, guess what else is being fed....

And last but not least....moth balls. throw them around the area.

Also, mouse traps. Bate with a dab of peanut butter. Place in high activity areas especially. We had one area....same trap every darned time....

[blackbird345]

Tell the landlord that the exterminator they hired did not solve the situation and that you insist that a new provider solve the problem. They are not required to compensate you for the stress & aggravation, but they should provide a solution to this problem. If they refuse to do anything further, then you have a legitimate compliant. Your renters insurance may cover additional damage to your property so you should be checking with them instead of the landlord.