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LL Dispute Security Issues HELP POLICE!

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LL Dispute Security Issues HELP POLICE!

Postby crutch » Mon Feb 02, 2004 4:21 pm

Hello everyone,

We have a serious issue with our LL. Our LL is showing signs that he is not all there mentally. We have had the police on-site twice in the last two days and we are concerned that our rights as tenants are not being observed.

Story Synopsis:

My wife and I have been living in our apartment for three years and have signed a new lease with specific riders to said lease each year. (No Pets - Including Fish, No Candles, No "roommates" using the Laundry, I'm responsible for half of all repairs for any appliances belonging to LL in apartment, etc...) I admit I probably should not have agreed to all these terms, but our relationship with our LL was generally peaceful. "You guys are the best tenants I have ever had." His words, but since our lease is up in May, we were asked to sit with our LL and discuss our plans for the future as it pertains to renewing our lease or if we were planning on moving. We agreed to meet on Sunday morning before the Super Bowl. We never did discuss the new lease. From the minute we sat down I could tell that our LL was looking for the upper hand. He tends to make himself out to be a victim so we agree to his terms and then he is satisfied and we end up signing on the dotted line. Well, this time we were prepared to stand our ground and make a few requests of our own. This did not bode well with our LL. After repeated verbal attacks by our LL, (10 minutes worth of "You can't run an eBay business in the apartment since I don't have commercial zoning for your apartment." "It cost me $85 for the plummer" (Once) "You drilled holes in my roof." (Satellite TV) "I take offense to your comments about the neighborhood, this neighborhood is on the rise." (Fat Cats taking advantage of a cute, starving artist neighborhood), we closed our documents up and told him that the meeting was over and we would not discuss the terms of any new lease unless we had a mediator involved. I mostly said this so that he would think that we were still interested in disussing the new lease at all. He responded with "Then Your Out!" and proceeded to follow us back up the stairs to our apartment. My wife headed back into our apartment and I stayed at the doorway with the LL. He would not let me shut the door and insisted that this was his building and he had the right to enter our apartment at anytime he felt necessary. He mostly refers to these entrances as emergency precautions. Well, you can imagine that we are sick of it! Since the LL would not remove himself from our doorway, and the yelling match between us was escalating, my wife called the Police. The Police arrived and noticed that our LL was not handling himself well. The Police officer we spoke with told us that we were dealing with a "Mental Health Issue" and that maybe we should investigate having him "commited." I do not agree with everything I am told and would not like to have to go down that path, but I am concerned about our safety now and I do not feel that we can truly be secure until we leave. In the meantime, I would like to secure the door of our apartment with some type of dead bolt or something that will allow me to sleep at night. I know that we should leave as soon as possible and we have made arrangements to move, but we want to protect our belongings and ourselves while we are still in the apartment. The door to our apartment is too thin for a dead bolt, and has frosted windows panes and is nowhere near secure enough for us at the moment not to mention that the LL has the key and he can enter at any moment.

Last night I placed a bicycle at the top of the stairs from the apartment door landing. I tied a string to the door and to the bike so that if anyone tried to enter the apartment, they would potentialy pull the bike down on top of them. This morning at 9:30am (I work from home) the bike went crashing down the stairs and immediatley after we heard our LL at the bottom of the stairs calling out "What just happened?" "What is this bike doing here?" We came to the top of the stairs and looked down to see our LL and the bottom of the stairs looking up at us. We told him that he was trying to get in and that the bike was there to alert us if the door was opened. He replied "You can't do that!" "You broke the lock on the door!" and "I'm taking the door off!" We yelled back that he had no right and that we were going to get a new lock on the door so he could not come in while we are at home. He responded with "You guys have known me for years." "No one has ever called the Police on me." We told him that we don't trust him and that he has been acting strangely. He said "I'm calling the Police."

The Police showed up and after telling me that it is unwise to set up a situation where I may be sued because of injury to others by the careening bike, we got the same advice. Get a dead bolt and get out as soon as we can. They also told us that we may want to seek having him "committed." I am beginning to wonder if we should. Christ, I will still pay the rent, but if we don't have to worry and feel like "victims waiting to happen" then why not?

Later this afternoon the Lock Smith showed and I showed him the door that I wanted a dead bolt installed. We were interupted by the LL (did I forget to mention that he lives in the same building?). Well, the Lock Smith listened and rolled his eyes at the LL and his nonsensicle spewing and then looked at me and said "Good luck buddy." and started walking out. Guess what? When I walked the Lock Smith our he gave me the same advice with a twist. "Get away from that guy, cause his happiness is all that matters to him."

Calling 911 - Is anybody out there who can assist me in my struggle to secure a non-secure apartment door?
crutch
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2004 2:01 am
Location: Philadelphia

Re: LL Dispute Security Issues HELP POLICE!

Postby Anna » Mon Feb 02, 2004 6:16 pm

There is only one door to your apt and it is at the bottom of a flight of stairs? There isn't a second door upstairs?

I don't know the laws in Phily (fire code, L&T, etc) but can't you install a surface-mounted sliding bolt on that door? It can only be used when you are home, but.. better than nothing.

Can't you change the door's lock yourself? it is really easy to do: search the internet, ask the hardware store or locksmith for instructions.

A third suggestion: install a chain-guard with a key on the inside of the door: this can be laocked from the outside. Fourth: go to a travel or luggage store, buy a travel lock: again, works only while you're home (some hardware/houseware stores might carry them).

ps: don't do the bycicle thing again: if someone gets hurt, it's your problem...

pps: is there something similar to our Crime Victims Bureau? search the net or ask the police community liaison.
Anna
 
Posts: 2538
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Manhattan


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