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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
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    Default Is a Tenant Obligated to Remind Maintenance That Repairs Need to Be Made

    My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Oklahoma

    I've lived in an apartment almost 5 years now and they have done zero maintenance during that time. I have spoken to them and let them know about a couple things but nothing ever came and I didn't really care to push them on it. But I did bring it to their attention.

    I fell asleep on my couch in the very early morning hours studying maybe 3 years ago. I was woken up around 6:30 am by someone kicking and hitting my door. I am the only one without a peep hole in my area. There are 4 apartments and a central landing. So I had no idea who it was. They just kept saying, "Open the f****** door!" over and over.

    I would say, "Who is it?" and they would shout, "Open the f****** door!" This went around and around for 10 minutes. At which point he was literally punching and kicking the door. I kept asking who it was until finally I said, "Look. I'm scared. I don't know who you are or what you want." Because obviously I was frightened.

    He finally says, "It's maintenance. Open the f******door! Your bathroom is flooding!" I run to confirm what he said and sure enough under the sink water was gushing out. I try to turn it off by hand but it won't turn. So I run and open the door and as soon as it is about an inch open he smashes it in and jumps directly in front of me and puts his face real close to mine and says, "When I tell you to open the f****** door, you open the f****** door!" And acts like he is going to hit me so I just tense up. He then rushes toward the bathroom and mocks me along the way, "I'm scared..."

    He gets in there and can't turn the water off either and ;eaves and comes back with pliers. I say to him, "Listen thee is no reason to behave this way. I didn't know who you were and you're acting very threatening toward me and I am not trying to present a threat to you at all. And he says, "Threat huh!?" And get close to my face again and acts like he is going to hit me.

    Finally he says, "It isn't your fault. But when I tell you to open the f****** door you better open the f****** door!" and left. He never came back. What had happened was instead of using a compression nut they used this plastic kind of pvc nut and it cracked from the pressure.

    Everything under the sink was soaked through. The drawers were falling apart. I had to take the drawers out and pull the sides and backs off the faces and toss those parts. Then I had to wipe all the faces down with bleach because a tiny amount of mold was growing. I did the same thing under the cabinet so it wouldn't mold and dried it all out. Then I stacked up the drawer rails and faces and put them under the cabinet.

    No one ever came to fix my sink. I have a compression nut for it. I just need a new gasket. The thing is - Everything in this place is old and it's hard to find the kinds of things they used. I can't really go to Home Depo and say I need a gasket for a 5/8 compression nut and they actually have one. And we don't have plumping store that would carry it. So instead of wasting time looking I just use the tub since I rarely have guests. And I don't want to sink my own money into this place and I don't want to become liable.. Although if I were to put a new gasket, teflon, and nut on the sink they'd never know because they don't keep track of anything or write anything down..

    The reason I told this story is to explain why I haven't reminded maintenance of anything. I never told anyone what happened. The three apartments around me had to have known. I mean there's no way they didn't hear him yelling and cussing. But no one came out to check I was all right so who knows. I never told the manager. We have a tiny staff and I didn't want to turn anyone against me. It is a manager and a 3 person maintenance crew. I believe the guy who did this is gone now. Plus I didn't want to piss off a man who could get keys to my apartment.

    But little things are breaking here and there and it is easier for me to just fix them. I'm wondering if it is my job to remind maintenance about things. When I move out I don't want them coming after me for money because I know they don't log maintenance requests. And I don't want them to be like you owe us for this and then when I say well I told you it needed fixing and no one came and then when they ask when I told them and I say 3 years and 2 managers ago - will that be my fault for not reminding them or theirs for not logging it? because after I said something 2 -3 times I just stopped asking. Plus it's not like the man forgot that entire incident and forgot it needed fixing.

    I plan to put everything I fixed back. One night I came home and my door wouldn't open. The spring in the mechanism broke so I had to climb on the roof and go through my window because I wouldn't have had anywhere to sleep and maintenance would have taken 3 hours to get there. Then I just took the mechanism out and have left it out. The toilet lever broke (it had been super glued apparently.)

    So I plan to take my compression nut, gasket, toilet lever, and just put that door mechanism back when I move out next year.

    Am I responsible because I didn't keep reminding maintenance to fix my stuff or are they liable for not logging it and keeping track their selves?

    And will the complex be seen as responsible for not doing any preventative maintenance during my time here? I mean if they were to come after me for some damage would they be legally to blame at all for doing no preventative maintenance?

    I take care of my apartment and keep it clean but stuff breaks and they use cheap parts. I've gone in other apartments they were "fixing up" after someone moved out and seen enough to know they cut corners. I can see it with my own too. The laminate on the cabinets peels and dissolves just by cleaning it wit ha wet wrag. ALl the damage is wear and tear due to being such an old complex with so little maintenance and upkeep.

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