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Posted by Dawn on December 30, 2000 at 10:58:24:

I live near Buffalo NY in a two-family home (it's probably at least 100 yrs old) and have no lease. I live in the upstairs apartment (the landlord lives downstairs) and the pipes and drain to my kitchen sink have frozen. The sink is in the part of the kitchen that over-hangs the back porch. I went without water for 7 days. When it returned it would not go down the drain because it's now frozen.

The landlord told me it freezes every year and she tried to insulate the pipes but it didn't work very well. This is my third winter here and the water line only froze once before and thawed by the end of the day.
I feel the situation has become worse because the insulation is damaged. There was a broken drain (from my sink) in the wall that leaked for several months before it was repaired and I feel this has damaged the insulation. The landlord agreed that it probably did, but will not investigate the possiblity before it gets warmer outside. She asked her neighbor to replace the insulation when he repaired the drain in July but he told her another day and now it has come to this. The landlord put a heater in the basement for a few hours trying to thaw the drain but never checked back to see if it worked (which it didn't).

I feel I shouldn't have to pay a full month's rent given all the circumstances. I understand the landlord can't control the weather but she could better insulate the wall that the pipes travel. She will not call a professional to do any repairs, instead, she tries to find somebody she knows that would be willing to do them.

Can somebody please advise me on what, if any, rights I have in this situation?

Thank you.

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: I live near Buffalo NY in a two-family home (it's probably at least 100 yrs old) and have no lease. I live in the upstairs apartment (the landlord lives downstairs) and the pipes and drain to my kitchen sink have frozen.  The sink is in the part of the kitchen that over-hangs the back porch.  I went without water for 7 days.  When it returned it would not go down the drain because it's now frozen. 
:  
: The landlord told me it freezes every year and she tried to insulate the pipes but it didn't work very well.  This is my third winter here and the water line only froze once before and thawed by the end of the day.  
: I feel the situation has become worse because the insulation is damaged.  There was a broken drain (from my sink) in the wall that leaked for several months before it was repaired and I feel this has damaged the insulation.  The landlord agreed that it probably did, but will not investigate the possiblity before it gets warmer outside.  She asked her neighbor to replace the insulation when he repaired the drain in July but he told her another day and now it has come to this.  The landlord put a heater in the basement for a few hours trying to thaw the drain but never checked back to see if it worked (which it didn't).

: I feel I shouldn't have to pay a full month's rent given all the circumstances.  I understand the landlord can't control the weather but she could better insulate the wall that the pipes travel.  She will not call a professional to do any repairs, instead, she tries to find somebody she knows that would be willing to do them.

: Can somebody please advise me on what, if any, rights I have in this situation?

: Thank you.


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