There's nothing wrong with the refrigerator. (Warning: rant!)

[AirmensMom]

:rant: Mr. Fix-it just left. No leak in the water line. Drip pan was dry ... but extremely dirty. WE should've cleaned it -- like anyone has EVER cleaned the damned thing before? So I told him I would hose it off if he tossed it over the deck, but I wasn't touching the damned thing. OK, so he ended up hosing it off. As far as the leak, he can't do anything unless/until we get another flood. Something's apparently going on during the defrost cycle. He called it condensation, but there was at least 1/2" of water in the kitchen on an area roughly 3'x7'! Condensation my ass! x(

Oh, and we've been waiting since June 3 to get the bathroom exhaust fan that WE bought installed. The guy's too busy ... even though he could have installed it today in the time it would take to drive back out here.

I hate renting! I hate "property managers" who don't maintain the properties. And why is harleydad always gone when this shit happens? :cry:

OK, end of rant. Go back to what you were doing. I'm just in a pissy mood today. Broken shit will do that to a person. :P

[In_The_Wind]

1. The truly sucky thing is you're gonna have another wet floor.

[AirmensMom]

4. You're probably right about that.

:cry:

[Zomby Woof]

2. #&*#(@)!$(*

:argh:

Lying sacks of crap!

:hug: for you.

[AirmensMom]

5. Thanks, Woof.

:hug: I just want my house to get built. :cry: Just six more months till it's done. *sniff*

[billyskank]

3. Like when I took my car to the garage a year ago

for a broken wheel bearing. Nothing wrong with the wheel bearings, they say, must be tyre noise. Um, tyre noise does not sound like a fucking WHINE that increases and decreases in pitch with my speed!

Oh, does that have anything to do with the fact that the car was still JUST within warranty this time last year?

:nuke:

And :hug:

[AirmensMom]

7. Yep, like that.

x( Did you ever get rid of the whine?

Thanks, billy. :loveya: :hug: :*

[billyskank]

11. Nope, still there

but worse now than before. It's coming up for a service in about 3000 miles and also its government roadworthiness inspection in December, which will probably coincide, so I'll get it all done at the same time. (Less bother).

[China_cat]

6. It's not just landlords and property managers.

Took my husband 15 YEARS to put up a tub surround. Three years after we bought it, Hugo hit. The outside of our house was ok but, for some reason, it loosened the tile in the bathroom. Full tile, not just facing. Which managed to fall off. His 'repairs' consisted of duct taping garbage bags over the wall.

It's been almost 7 years since he bought the garbage disposal. I'm still waiting for it to be put in.

[AirmensMom]

8. Guess you're right about that.

Harleydad is good at fixing things when it's our own home. But we moved into a mess and have spent a lot of time and our own money getting it to a point where we could stand it. And harleydad just left yesterday. :(

I hope you get your garbage disposal put in. And that sucks about your tub surround. :hug:

[China_cat]

9. Whenever my husband gets in handyman mode

I document it and start a pool as to how long it'll take him to finish it.

[AirmensMom]

10. Absolutely!

:rofl: I found out that the best two ways of getting things done are 1) Put the house on the market, and 2) Invite the relatives for a week. His pride makes him get it all done. :D

[Callalily]

12. You've got a right

to rant! And that stuff always happens when the men are away. Us weak wymen are always left to take care of all.:rofl:

Here's what you should do. Remove all your stuff from future potential water damage area, because you know it'll happen again. When the floods returns, do not, and I repeat do not mop the water, leave it as is, then make your repair call. Let them clean it up. Bet it'd only take one time for them cleaning up the mess and I'm sure they'd find the problem.

[Gormy Cuss]

13. Advice from an experienced renter, I see.

I figured out that this was the best way to get an effective response from the males who thought that girls couldn't possibly know what was wrong.

[AirmensMom]

25. What a great idea!

If only I wasn't worried about it going through the floor and ruining the stuff in the basement. x(

[LeftyMom]

14. Have you sent over a written request?

Try that, and if that doesn't work send a second certified mail. Remind them that the bathroom fan is very important to prevent mold, landlords jump at the mention of mold these days because it's the cause of a lot of really expensive lawsuits.

[AirmensMom]

21. No.

Guess I should do that ... just been so busy with everything that I didn't even think about it. Thanks.

[Blue Diadem]

15. I'm betting you were right that it's the ice maker..and here's why

We had the exact same thing happen to us with our old fridge. It didn't leak all the time, nor did it leak every day..but every once in a while we'd have a mini flood. DH ended up replacing tubing after searching under the front of the fridge and finding a tiny crack in the supply line. He found it when he moved a section and water sprayed. That worked for a few years, then it happened again..but toward the back. He found another section of tubing that ran close to the motor and it was leaking there periodically.

Sorry you have to go through that. Sounds like the fix-it guy doesn't like to fix things..

[grasswire]

16. we have floods from the fridge and no ice maker

I have no idea what's causing it.

[Blue Diadem]

19. Have you checked the drip tray..they can overflow or be out of

alignment with the defrost tube.

[AirmensMom]

26. Hah! The fix-it man is busy painting condos.

And the owners don't want to pay for any repairs.

You describe it perfectly -- mini flood. It's perfectly dry now. I will have harleydad check the supply line. I also wondered if some kind of blockage just inside could make it spray when it's wanting to fill the ice maker with water. The fix-it guy says the ice maker is brand new. Yeah, right.

I have a towel beside it for tonight, just in case.

[flvegan]

17. Is this an apt or house? If an apt, what floor do you live on?

If it's not the first, and you have a tenant below you, I'd let them know that at some point in the future, they'll likely have water coming through their roof or down their walls, maybe in a closet. Tell them all about Mr. Fix-it. I bet you 20 bucks they're calling the "property manager" within an hour giving them all kinds of hell.

Regardless, make sure you document everything. Should something get damaged, and you need to call your insurance company, they'll be interested in subrogating with the insurance company for the errant property owner.

[AirmensMom]

22. It's a house.

We're concerned about our new family room furniture that's just below the kitchen.

Did I mention I HATE renting? I'm so used to just telling harleydad and he fixes stuff ... faster if it's important like this and slower if it's not so important. Guess it's time to start documenting. :(

[wildhorses]

18. sorry to hear about your problems...guess what happened to

me today!!?! as soon as I finished my good morning post to Joani and MissH in your thread...well...
MY POWER WENT OFF!!! I had another job interview so I went to it...that was an all day ordeal considering the driving distance. Got home, still...NO POWER!!!

Called the power company and they were out here and had it fixed in a couple of hours. A squirrel!!

how come Mondays always suck:shrug:

just wanted to say :hi: and let you know why you haven't seen me on here anymore today.

Love to you both:hug::hug:

wh

[AirmensMom]

23. NOOOOOOOO!

:cry: Mondays sure do suck. And they suck more after such a WONDERFUL weekend! x( I'm assuming your power is back on if your posting?

We ended up going to Knoxville after all. Glad we did b/c I don't like the brick/stone combination that we chose. Think we're going to 86 the stone and use stucco in those places. BTW, you should see the concrete block today!!!!! :wow:

Love to you, too, from both of us. :hug: :hug:

[Whoa_Nelly]

20. Give me some more info, and will run it by my son

He owns a home appliance repair biz, and knows his stuff.

Brand? Age of 'fridge? Size? (17, 20, 22 cubic ft.?) top freezer?

Where do you see the water mostly...behind, in front, all around the perimter of it?

[AirmensMom]

24. I don't know a lot.

It's a rental and the fridge came with it. Piece of shit, though. It's a Hotpoint Side by Side. No label ... can't find any other info about it and can't pull it out. It has an ice maker in it that's supposedly new. The water comes out of the door like modern refrigerators, but the ice maker has a big pull-down door in the freezer that lets you get to the ice. It's some pukey beige/green color (if that tells anything about the age). It's pretty small, but I don't have a clue how many cubic ft. FWIW, the back of the fride freezes everything and the front lets it get warm enough to spoil pretty fast. The shelves in the door are wired with picture wire so stuff doesn't fall out. :rofl: Have I mentioned it's a piece of shit?

The water was on the left side of it, by the freezer. None in the front. Seemed to come from the supply line, which sticks out the right side of the back. Seemed to be about enough water to fill an ice maker.

Thanks. Sorry it took so long for me to reply. Been out all day. Anyway, thanks. :hug:

[Whoa_Nelly]

27. Have sent the info and prob to my son

Will see what he says, and will PM you with what he writes back

[AirmensMom]

28. Thank you.

I'm afraid to go to bed for fear of finding another "mini flood" in the morning. OK, so all that Merlot sort of made me want to stay up, too. That's entirely beside the point. :P

Please tell him to say, "the refrigerator is way too far gone to save ... must replace the whole damn thing" and I'll be sure to forward it to the property "manager" (that's in quotes for a reason).:D

[Whoa_Nelly]

29. Check your PMs

And as far as "way too gone"....sorry, I emailed him before Iread your reply. However, the way to get it fixed is that un der Landlord/Tenant Law, you are to have the place you rented, and that includes the appliances in working order. I would definetly look into your legal rights as a tenant.

Also, if the cost to fix it is HUGH!!!1!, the appeal could be that it's better for the fridge to be replaced instead of fixing problems time and again, not to mention the water damage to the property due to the current problem.

[Whoa_Nelly]

30. Want to add this re: Tennessee Landlord Tenant law

http://www.federalrealestate.net/laws/tnstatelaw.html

66-28-304. Maintenance by landlord.
(a) The landlord shall:
(1) Comply with requirements of applicable building and housing codes materially affecting health and
safety;
(2) Make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable
condition;


This means that to NOT have a working refrigerator that was part and parcel aof the rental agreement/taking possession of the property, the landlord is affecting your health and safety because your food is spoiling. you rented a place where you could keep food and cook. The landlord has to continue that provision without delay.

[Whoa_Nelly]

31. And if you need it, here's the TN Consumer Affairs addy and phone numbers

Department of Commerce and Insurance

Division of Consumer Affairs

500 James Robertson PKWY 5th Fl.

Nashville TN 37243

[phone]

[phone]

[AirmensMom]

32. So how do you enforce this stuff without a lawyer?

Fortunately, we'll only be here for 6 more months. I would hate to have to fight the entire time. Shit, we already had to put a lot of time and money into making the place habitable.x( Unfortunately, a lot of people have an opinion that renters are all deadbeats and don't deserve to have anything too nice. We even have to pay higher insurance on the motorcycle because we're renting now, even though we OWN the land we're building on and the 10% of the house that's built at this point. That's more than many homeowners own when they close on their homes. We started getting treated like second-class citizens as soon as we changed from homeowners to renters. Something's wrong with this picture, if you ask me.

[Whoa_Nelly]

33. No lawyer needed

(Also check your PMs again :) )


It's a Small Claims Court issue. However, first ask for remedy (repair of fridge) again verbally, document the date/time of call and transcribe the conversation. Record if you legally can...this differs from state to state; Some states allow for recording of a phone conversation as long as one of the parties is aware they are being recorded. Other states require that both parties agree to be recorded. Do make sure you have documented what has happened to date...just the facts, no emotions.

Then, if that doesn't get a response within 24 hours, ask for remedy in writing, dated, signed, and sent Certified Return mail, and you have a copy of the original document, signed and dated.

Should he not respond in a timely manner, such as by the time you receive the return receipt, you can hire someone to come in and do the job, get the receipt for that repair, file in small claims court, and ask for the following:

1) The cost of all the spoiled food
2) The cost of all meals that had to be eaten out because you couldn't keep food to cook and eat (keep all receipts)
3) The cost of the repair company to come into the place to get the job done
4) The cost of filing in Small Claims Court (standard to ask this)

[AirmensMom]

34. OK.

I think I'll start by calling again. I wonder if I should wait for another flood? I will definitely keep this thread bookmarked so I can refer to your reply. Thank you so much. BTW, I checked my PM and answered. :hug:

[Whoa_Nelly]

35. The flood already happened, the food is going bad.

You are not being unreasonable to push to get it fixed.

Make note of your food, the days this has been spoiling, when you called the first time. Take pics of refrigerator when it does leak again (shine a light for good reflection of the water on the floor).

It happened once, and if my son is right about the problem, (and am sure he is), it will happen again.

Renting sucks, but you do have rights and recourse. Call that Consumer Affairs number, too, and ask about your rights in this situation. Can't hurt to ask. Document that call as well...FULL name of person you speak with, date, time, your questions, their answers, and ask if there is a number/extension you can call should you need to call about this problem again in the near future.

For you, AirmensMom :hug: :hug: :hug:

[AirmensMom]

38. Damn, but you come up with good ideas!

WHY didn't I take a pic? x( I'm sure it will happen again, too. Intermittent problems can be a pain in the butt to track down. The guy who came is a general self-taught jack of all trades, NOT a refrigerator repair man. I know it's the property manager's job to protect the owners. But it shouldn't be detrimental to the renters. (I know ... I'm preaching to the choir. :blush:)

I'm a little nervous about making too much noise b/c we have a 10-month lease agreement and month-by-month after that until the house is built. This builder is usually not late, but I would sure hate to be put out before we're ready by pissing off the property manager. But I will definitely start documenting everything, just in case we can't get it resolved.

Thanks for all your help ... and for the :hug:s. Here are some back. :hug: :hug: :hug:

[Kajsa]

36. Airmen'sMom, if there is no outside window/air outlet in your bathroom,

That fan must be installed.

Having the damn thing is in all the building codes I know of.
It's also your property manager's responsibility, not yours!!

Get tough, I know it can be difficult, I rent, too.
Just let them know that you know that by law, there needs to
be an exhaust fan in the bathroom.

Good luck!

:hi:

[AirmensMom]

37. Thanks, Kajsa.

We even BOUGHT the damned thing. But there's no way harleydad is going to crawl into that maybe-bat-infested attic to install it ... and you're right. It's not our responsibility. We've been showering with the doors open, but that's not an option when we have guests.

Yes, it's time to get tough. If I only had the energy to do so. :cry: I know I'm an independent woman and all, but some things are a bit difficult for me when harleydad is away.

[Kajsa]

39. I know it's hard.

If you can, wait till harleydad gets back
and have him talk to the property manager.

Hang in there!
I know exactly how it feels to
have negligent landlords/ property managers.

:hug:

[AirmensMom]

40. I'll do that.

He's a lot more diplomatic than I am ... once I get to the stressed-out point.

Thanks. :hug:

[Whoa_Nelly]

41. THe house maintenance falls to the landlord

In no way should you or HarleyDad have to place yourself in physical danger, or otherwise exert yoursleves to do homeownership duties. You are renters, not owners.

Don't let the landlord bully you, even if it is in a passive-aggressive way...that's against the law in Tennessee as stated in the Landlord Tenent Statutes

:hug: Check your PMs