The electricity is off at my house GHETTORIFFIC!

[mdmc]

I have no electricity until my room mate pays the electric bill. I am off to the frugal living forum to get ideas to get through it.
I can get internet at the library. There is a 24 hr per day diner around the corner. I've got candles.
:shrug:
Ghetto!

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Well, at least it is not the dead of winter!!! brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[mdmc]

5. or the heat of summer

i guess i would prefer the heat of summer (although I am a winter kind of guy). peace...

[Xeric]

11. If that was my room mate....

He'd be sleeping outside tonight.

[mdmc]

14. i actually rent from him

:shrug:

[Xeric]

26. uh oh

I see, he's a deadbeat landlord. Threaten to take him to housing court. ;)
It's really a difficult situation. I used to be a property manager years ago and I'd see no end of tragedies and failed relationships because someone was irresponsible. Every few months some utilities guy would show up to shut somebody off. People don't realize just how dependent we are on all these things. Then the yelling would start. Sometimes violence.
The worst was when I'd have to go to eviction court. I hated that, but unfortunately when somebody doesn't pay the rent for months and months it hurts the other tenants because they wind up making up the difference.
Anyway sounds like all you can do is hope he can pay. Maybe think about making a change in the future.
Hope things work out.

[mdmc]

28. thanks

peace and low stress

[dysfunctional press]

38. it doesn't sound like he's the landlord-

i got the impression that they were roomates- but the other guy's name is on the lease.

[Xeric]

41. yeah I figured that

Hopefully the roommate's been paying the rent.
If nobody pays, everybody gets evicted. I always recommend everybody living in a rental property sign the lease for their own protection. Situations are different, but one guy can screw it up for everybody. I've seen that happen more than once.

[mdmc]

47. my roomie actually owns the house

i rent a bedroom from him

[OldLeftieLawyer]

2. Uh oh

Pay the bill. Quick. Before they charge you even more for restarting, crap like that.

Or, live off the land.

Poor baby ........

[mdmc]

6. we owe over 2 grand

(actually, I don't owe anything - this is all him).

I am living off the land, for the most part.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

7. HOW THE ?????????

Jesus, that's a LOT of $$$ for electricity!

You better start looking for new digs, eh?

[mdmc]

16. yeah

but i need a job first. as soon as i get a job. i am paying $750 per month, everything (well not everything, since the electricity is off :) ) included. I can get my own place for around that much.

[dsc]

12. How many months is that?

That is a huge bill.

[mdmc]

17. I think that my roomie was paying a small amount per month

but not enough to keep the service on.

[laruemtt]

3. why didn't your roommate pay?

is it too much, or just a habit of not paying.

[mdmc]

8. he is bad with money

he has trouble budgeting

[MissB]

33. "bad with money" = understatement

[stepnw1f]

4. Hey... I Live in a Ghetto

kidding... but ya never know...

[mdmc]

13. I live on the cusp of the ghetto

three blocks from the biggest open market drug spot on earth (First Street & Carpenter Ave).

[stepnw1f]

15. Grew Up in the City

and still live here in Boston. Aint goin no where... not yet anyway.

[mdmc]

18. you got a great town

love your sig too.

[stepnw1f]

22. Thanks

but right now our tax dollars are destroying civilization. Soon I hope that will change.

[AlienGirl]

9. Take tinfoil and make reflectors for the candles

You'll get better light that way.

Tucker

[mdmc]

19. thanks for the tip

I have a flashlight too...

[AlienGirl]

30. I prefer candles for ambient light and flashlights for specific tasks

Do you have a way to cook, or sufficient quantities of food that doesn't need cooking?

Living without electricity isn't so bad if you can assure yourself of light, food, and warmth.

Tucker

[mdmc]

37. well i have family in the area

so i have food. it is now warm in ny, so thats cool. It is just from 9pm to midnight that is tough. There is a 24 hour diner around the corner from my house. I have a car too.

Thanks for your posts. peace and low stress

[AlienGirl]

42. Do you have a radio and books?

Boredom is a pain, but after going without TV and computers for a couple of days, you'll find yourself slowing down and adjusting.

Tucker

[mdmc]

44. i have lots of books

i usually go home around 9 pm, smoke for a while, read a little, then go to bed. It hasn't been terrible at all.
I am currently reading a david sadaris book.:)

[tabasco]

51. Get one of those cheap little LED headlamps.

The batteries last forever and they are good for reading. I use them when I camp out. I got one for about five bucks.

Oh yeah - get your landlord/roomie to get his act together!

[mdmc]

59. I forgot about that!

I have a small one that i used to use for spelunking and camping... i think i still have it.

Thanks for the reminder:yourock:

ps- i actually have two - one for camping one for reading.

[BlooInBloo]

54. Nice tip.

[HockeyMom]

10. Where I live you pay upwards of $80 a month

in Fuel Surcharges just TO sit in the dark.

[mdmc]

21. where is seldon?

:kick:

[HockeyMom]

24. Long Island

[mdmc]

31. i've never been there

i've been to the island, but not to you town. :)

[savemefromdumbya]

20. Lecky is going up 72% in Maryland thanks to Repug Gov Erhlich!

[Blue_Tires]

56. Erhlich is a piece of shit

i never pass up a chance to mention that

[haele]

23. Time to look for a new roommate.

Hate to put it that way, but anyone who lets a monthly bill go that far along - and not tell you s/he hasn't been paying it on top of that, has more money and credit problems that will probably come up to bite you in the ass pretty soon. Like a subpoena from a creditor to go before a judge, or an unhappy visit from a loan shark. I had that problem with one of my rentmates; a former co-worker; I kept "being nice" and paying the utility bills she was supposed to be paying, she had insurance problems, she had been foreclosed on a few years prior and was still paying off bills, was three months behind on her half of the rent due to her partial payments of rent, etc, etc...and then, finally, the server came by; she owed over 10K and a couple bounced payment checks from a couple years past and they (the contract company she had done business with) finally decided to collect in court. She ended up kicked out of the Navy and in jail for grand theft; I packed up all her stuff and took it over to her aunt who lived in the area - her aunt agreed to it and I'm sure the woman and her family picked through Katie's things for choice items after I dropped the boxes off. Money and credit problems have a bad habit of ruining most careers and relationships.

Hopefully, the electric is not in your name and your roommate arrangements are written down as some sort of a contract. If the electric is in your name, my experience is that there's a 90% chance you'll never see the money from the room mate and you'll have to pay the bill off to get any electric service if you move anywhere else. You may still be liable for the bill if you move out and move in with someone else; you might want to check on that rather surreptitiously.

Good Luck

Haele

[mdmc]

27. thank you for your post

all the bills are in my roomies name. i am off the hook legally. peace!

[Gormy Cuss]

36. A word of warning.

You could have trouble getting utility accounts in your own name if the credit report shows your current address in arrears during the time you lived there. It may not happen, but the possibility is there. If it does happens, stand your ground. I went through something like this with Boston Edison and I was polite but insistent that their beef was with the name on the account. The other utilities didn't try to make it my problem, just Edison. Be careful of the language you use to describe the current arrangement. For example, describe your roomie as the owner or sole leaseholder or tenant of record, and then state you were subletting a room utilities included.

[mdmc]

39. thanks gormy cuss

i'll be all good once i get out on my own.:)

[Le Taz Hot]

25. Ah, memories of my childhood

Mummy dearest was not real good with money either. Never knew when I came home IF we were going to have electricity/phone/food. I can't count the times we had to move through a back window 'cause mummy dearest hadn't forked over the rent for like 3 months. Ah, sweet childhood memories . . . NOT! <shudder>

[mdmc]

29. that is awful le taz hot

i am very glad that i don't have any kids...

[Le Taz Hot]

32. Ah, I survived

and just think, I would have never become the short, loud-mouth pushy broad we all know and love (well, sometimes) I am today. :evilgrin: Besides, there's something to be said about being street-wise by the time you're 6.

[mdmc]

40. let me know when your runnin for office

i wanna be part of it. peace and low stress:patriot:

[Blue_Tires]

57. wow....where are you from?

[dogday]

34. Hurricane Lamps and Lamp Oil for light

get a cooler and some ice for drinks and food... Little baby bbq pit for cooking... that might help you out till your situation improves... Best of luck to you.....

[JVS]

61. How about just putting some dry ice in the fridge instead of buying...

a cooler

[wellstone dem]

35. Be careful that the electric company doesn't find out

you lived there. In some places you are considered a "customer" if you got the benefit of the electricity if you had the use of it. The electric company might try to stick you with the bill too.

[mdmc]

43. good night DU

off into the dark

[madokie]

45. if you park close enough to your car and have one buy yourself an inverter

and stay at home and enjoy. Your car battery will last a good 24 hours powering your computer and a small lamp and still have enough power to start the engine. I have the same setup to power our pellet stove in case of a power outage. just a thought.

[RebelOne]

46. I have two small electric power packs.

They last up to 3 hours and will power a small TV or a lamp or fan. Only problem is when they run out of power, you have to plug them into an electrical socket to recharge. But they have come in handy when there have been temporary power outages. Especially in the summer, when it is hot and I can run a fan.

[mdmc]

48. i have a car... interesting idea....

:kick:

[catzies]

49. What's an inverter & where do you buy one?

Sounds like a good thing to have in the earthquake kit.

[Tsiyu]

50. Here ya go

Cabela's has lots of goodies for when the power is out...


http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/index/index-display.jsp?id=cat20167&navAction=jump&navCount=1&parentId=cat20075&parentType=category&cmCat=MainCatcat20075

[catzies]

52. Awesome - thank you very much

DUers are the best!

[TheBaldyMan]

53. Dear mdmc, try and get your pet deadbeat to get in touch with the electric

company, ask them to reconnect with an arrangement to pay the bill and a little on top each month. Even if it takes 5 years to pay off (an extra $35 per month) it is worth it.

It is possible to keep your bills down but you have to watch every potential expense like a hawk. Sit down together and figure out how the bill is so large and figure out what you can cut out or cut down.Get energy saving bulbs, switch off anything you aren't using and don't run stuff if you don't need to or can do without.

I have had no end of money problems the past couple of years and would have been disconnected several times over if I hadn't been in touch with the utility companies. You name it water, gas, electricity, taxation, telephone - I have been pleading with them all.

[mdmc]

55. i am all caught up on my bills

my room mate / land lord owes the money. I think that he was on a flex payment system, but that he slipped in the payments.

I need to get a new place as soon as i get a j.o.b.

Thanks for the advice and support. It means a lot. Peace and low stress

[Blue_Tires]

58. PLEASE ditch your roommate before

he gets you into more trouble...

[JVS]

60. Candles are expensive, use rags and cooking oil to make oil lamps

[mdmc]

62. i tried to do that the first night and almost burned the house down

I have a great deal of candles, so i am using them right now. hopefully this situation will only last a couple of weeks, at most.

For the most part, it is not a big deal. It is only at night that this is really problematic.

peace, and thanks for the ideas..

[JVS]

63. Well the candles should last until you've figured out how to make a safe..

oil lamp

[AngelFactor]

64. I remember that years ago

I solved it permanently. Guess how? Got me a girlfriend, buddy, lover, wife person. No more roommates.

* * *

American Justice? Sure, so why is an attorney getting away with tampering with court documents even though three pages of emails detailing what was done were inadvertently filed with the court.

See for yourself: http://www.maximumadvocacy.com/Court_records.html look on pages 25-27 of document 64. It's quite obvious.

Unbelievable. Priceless. Hilarious, if it wasn’t so sad but true.

How’s your faith in the justice system?

Pray you never need it.

[mdmc]

65. welcome to du and yes, a wife is a great idea...

peace