Landlord Problem

[Guest jmorriss]

I just moved up to Bulls Gap for a job in Rogersville-the ad in the paper and the person showing me the house informed me that there was a stove and dishwasher, I was to provide the W/D and Fridge-no big deal. However, I tested out the dishwasher after getting settled and found that it will not complete a cycle. I called the maintenance person and was informed that the dishwasher 'never worked' and the owner had no intention of replacing it as it was behind repair (which seems likely as it appears to be older then my 24 years.) and they did not want to spend the money at this time. My rather simple lease does not dictate that maintenance will be provided (to date the kitchen sink faucet has been replaced in addition to other misc. odds and ends). Also, it appears that for whatever stupid reason the TN Landlord and Tenant Act does not apply to Hawkins County due to it's population(seriously, wtf?) so I am not covered under it's provisions that the landlord must make repairs. I was specifically looking for a house with a dishwasher as I am lazy and hate washing dishes...

Help/Suggestions/Feedback/Advice?

Thanks-

[TripleDigitRide]

Ask the landlord if he's willing to take a few bucks off the rent each month if you were to buy a dishwasher and put it in. If he/she agrees, find a cheap, used dishwasher somewhere like Craigslist.

[BrasilNuts]

Sounds like you need to get a girlfriend.

[TripleDigitRide]

Sounds like you need to get a girlfriend.

At least a FWB. DWB.

[Mike.357]

I was specifically looking for a house with a dishwasher as I am lazy and hate washing dishes...

[56FordGuy]

At least a FWB. DWB.

Whassat mean? Err, I meant "WSSTMN?"

As for the landlord, I'd try TDR's suggestion. If you can't work out some sort of deal, then see if you can just get out of the lease. I'd talk to the landlord, too, not just the maintenance guy. "He won't fix it" from the maintenance man might be code for "I don't want to put in a dishwasher."

Good luck!

[TripleDigitRide]

FWB = Friend With Benefits

DWB = Dish Washing Benefits

[titan14]

PM me the address and owners name....if you dont mind.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

If the landlord has made any repairs, they should be needing to do all repairs. Not being a lawyer, take this however you wish, but I think if any kind of repair has been made, after that lease was signed, it might have just been implied that repairs will be made to the premises by the owner. Implied contract in lieu of an express contract. Implied contracts can be made by actions or verbal agreements, or at least they used to. I hope I said that right.

I also hope this works out for you.

Edited June 5, 2010 by 6.8 AR
add

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

Ask the landlord if he's willing to take a few bucks off the rent each month if you were to buy a dishwasher and put it in. If he/she agrees, find a cheap, used dishwasher somewhere like Craigslist.

We own about 5 rental properties and this is prolly the best advice you'll get... Honestly, if you try to shove around your lease in it, it won't be near as good for you for the remainder of your lease.

[Guest Daelith]

You could always go ahead and get you a dishwasher. Put the old one in storage if you have the room. Then when you move put the old one back in and take yours with you. Lot of trouble, but at least you would have a working dishwasher.

[Rightwinger]

Wiinner above.

I was also going to suggest paper plates and plastic cups. A few extra bags of garbage a month but the bachelors dream when cleaning up.

I assume that if you don't like dishes you probably don't do big home cooking projects right?

I bach'ed it a few months in Memphis back in 01 and the company paid for furnished apartments for us since we were there for 6 months minimum to shut down a contract. Minimal cooking but I did do some and the key is to rinse pots and pans immediately, as soon as the food is out, hit em with the water before anything sticks. Come back after dinner and a little dishwash soap and a sponge and your done. Use a kitchen towel to lay em on, put em up before bed. It's all about the timing brother, timing!

[titan14]

I do NOT understand some of you guy's posts!!!!!!!

What if it was the heating system that didnt work?????

Go out and buy a heat pump and hope the landlord pays you back for it?????????

How about the roof????? if it leaks...pay a roofer to fix it and hope you get reimbursed?????

and before anyone throws the dagger.....YES...i AM a landlord!

[Rightwinger]

Based on what the OP said, the law won't support him in his effort to get this fixed. He's reduced to either living with it as is, seeking to negotiate compensation to buy one himself and getting a lower rent or buying his own and taking it with him.

Some folks will follow the letter of the law, especially when it is beneficial to them (see Kwik in the dingbat law dictionary) while others will go above and beyond what is the minimum required as decent and honorable members of society.

A situation was posited, thoughts and opinions rendered. You are now free to offer greater insight what the OP should do and state what you would do.

[titan14]

Based on what the OP said, the law won't support him in his effort to get this fixed. He's reduced to either living with it as is, seeking to negotiate compensation to buy one himself and getting a lower rent or buying his own and taking it with him.

Some folks will follow the letter of the law, especially when it is beneficial to them (see Kwik in the dingbat law dictionary) while others will go above and beyond what is the minimum required as decent and honorable members of society.

A situation was posited, thoughts and opinions rendered. You are now free to offer greater insight what the OP should do and state what you would do.

I do NOT need to state what i would do...i am in THIS business, both personally and professionally....

[Rightwinger]

Wow! I was hoping that someone in the business could render great assistance here.

Help/Suggestions/Feedback/Advice?

OP asked for us to help. The other posters and I tried to the best of our ability. Would have been nice had you contributed to the thread.

[titan14]

Wow! I was hoping that someone in the business could render great assistance here.

OP asked for us to help. The other posters and I tried to the best of our ability. Would have been nice had you contributed to the thread.

I didnt see the need to "air" this in public...OP and I have consulted privately...

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

I too would try to talk directly with the landlord. You were shown a property that included a dishwasher, since the ad said it included a dishwasher you would have every right to expect that it worked.

What is to stop them from saying YOU broke it when you leave and using that to keep your deposit?

I am no Lawyer nor landlord that is just what I would do, I may even go as far to claim breach of contract on the lease if the word dishwasher is included in it.....Like I said you would have every reason to expect that it works.

Good Luck.

And BTW the paper plates are much easier to get rid of than GF's or even some FWB's at times. Sometimes they dont fully understand the difference;)

Edited June 6, 2010 by Sgt. Joe
spalling

[titan14]

I too would try to talk directly with the landlord. You were shown a property that included a dishwasher, since the ad said it included a dishwasher you would have every right to expect that it worked.

What is to stop them from saying YOU broke it when you leave and using that to keep your deposit?

I am no Lawyer nor landlord that is just what I would do, I may even go as far to claim breach of contract on the lease if the word dishwaser is included in it.....Like I said you would have every reason to expect that it works.

EXACTLY!!!!....no judge in Hawkins County would see otherwise....it would just be the "pain in the ass" to take it to civil court.

Yes...the OP would win...yes...he would get reimbursed his deposit....

Would the landlord find a reason for eviction?....yes

Would the OP have to move?....yes

[kb4ns]

Yes...the OP would win...yes...he would get reimbursed his deposit....

Would the landlord find a reason for eviction?....yes

Would the OP have to move?....yes

Well now I'm just really baffled as to how he should handle it since "try to work a deal with your landlord" and "buy / keep your own dishwasher" were shot down.

[titan14]

Well now I'm just really baffled as to how he should handle it since "try to work a deal with your landlord" was shot down.

No No....im not saying to NOT try that first....im just saying that when the LL says "bite me"....take him to court....

And the "deal" should be that the LL fixes the dishwasher....period.

[kb4ns]

No No....im not saying to NOT try that first....im just saying that when the LL says "bite me"....take him to court....

And the "deal" should be that the LL fixes the dishwasher....period.

Gotcha. Had me confroozed for a minute there.

[Rightwinger]

I didnt see the need to "air" this in public...OP and I have consulted privately...

Could you just have said that in the post where you sort of pounded on the rest that were trying?

It might also help anyone else dealing with a landlord issue to know some of the basics, not the details you told the OP, on how to handle this. I'm very glad you talked to him though and have helped him with this issue.

[titan14]

Could you just have said that in the post where you sort of pounded on the rest that were trying?

It might also help anyone else dealing with a landlord issue to know some of the basics, not the details you told the OP, on how to handle this. I'm very glad you talked to him though and have helped him with this issue.

Didn't mean to "pound" anyone...im just thinking that if we/us/they "roll over"...no laws will ever be changed and these "slum lord" landlords will keep pulling their sh*t.

If it( dishwasher/pool/frig/stove/water/friendly neighbor;)) is advertised (public record)...it WILL be upheld in a court of law.

[Guest jmorriss]

Ask the landlord if he's willing to take a few bucks off the rent each month if you were to buy a dishwasher and put it in. If he/she agrees, find a cheap, used dishwasher somewhere like Craigslist.

Good suggestion.

Sounds like you need to get a girlfriend.

I have a fiancee'-she didn't get to travel up here to look at houses with me, but dishwasher was one of her requests

Whassat mean? Err, I meant "WSSTMN?"

As for the landlord, I'd try TDR's suggestion. If you can't work out some sort of deal, then see if you can just get out of the lease. I'd talk to the landlord, too, not just the maintenance guy. "He won't fix it" from the maintenance man might be code for "I don't want to put in a dishwasher."

Good luck!

I followed up with both the maintenance man and another owner representative when I paid my rent that day.

If the landlord has made any repairs, they should be needing to do all repairs. Not being a lawyer, take this however you wish, but I think if any kind of repair has been made, after that lease was signed, it might have just been implied that repairs will be made to the premises by the owner. Implied contract in lieu of an express contract. Implied contracts can be made by actions or verbal agreements, or at least they used to. I hope I said that right.

I also hope this works out for you.

Very true.

You could always go ahead and get you a dishwasher. Put the old one in storage if you have the room. Then when you move put the old one back in and take yours with you. Lot of trouble, but at least you would have a working dishwasher.

The garage/basement is the size of the house-I would have no problem in storage or ability to do this.

I assume that if you don't like dishes you probably don't do big home cooking projects right?

I don't mind doing pots and pans-just the plates. I routinely do jambalaya, vodka sauce, gumbo, large complicated meals-from scratch.

I do NOT understand some of you guy's posts!!!!!!!

What if it was the heating system that didnt work?????

Go out and buy a heat pump and hope the landlord pays you back for it?????????

How about the roof????? if it leaks...pay a roofer to fix it and hope you get reimbursed?????

and before anyone throws the dagger.....YES...i AM a landlord!

My thoughts exactly-my example was going to be the water heater as it is 10 years old and isn't looking too healthy on the outside.

I didnt see the need to "air" this in public...OP and I have consulted privately...

Didn't mean to "pound" anyone...im just thinking that if we/us/they "roll over"...no laws will ever be changed and these "slum lord" landlords will keep pulling their sh*t.

If it( dishwasher/pool/frig/stove/water/friendly neighbor;)) is advertised (public record)...it WILL be upheld in a court of law.

Too bad some idiot threw out the ad he had printed out and was using for notes-but one of the local libraries may have a copy of it........

Thanks for the thoughts guys and sorry for the response delay, had to pick up the lady from Knoxville Airport yesterday and finish doing the lawn so I passed out reaaaally early last night.