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Renter's Rights

2,299 Views | 11 Replies | Last: 2 mo ago by one MEEN Ag
aggierandie
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AG
I apologize for the long post. TIA!

Will someone please advise on the best route that a friend of mine can take? She is a single mother of two that signed a lease in Bryan on 7/29/24. She was in a bad situation and needed a place to move in asap. She was forced to make a decision based on need rather than being able to take her time and research and vet potential locations. She made a very poor choice to put it lightly. The place is a dump for lack of a better description.

She filled out the necessary move-in paperwork and noted various "minor" issues that have not been rectified. After a three weeks of living there, she found that the place is infested with wood borer beetles and carpenter ants. When brought to the complexes attention, they said that it is the tenant's responsibility to provide pest control even though the problem was obviously pre-existing. Her kitchen faucet is faulty and sprays sideways at you in addition to the normal downward spray. She found that both bowls of her sink leak from the basket strainers. She has to cook and wash dishes with empty bowls to catch the water. She placed the work order request and confirmed times on two different occasions requiring her to take off of work to be there for the repairs. The maintenance tech was a no-call/no-show both times costing her time and money.

While visiting, I noticed that a safety flood light is burned out that would light up her otherwise dark rear of the complex. She has multiple outlets that don't work and are installed upside down. Her kitchen smoke detector is without batteries and placed on top of her refrigerator. And to top it all off, today the complex had her car towed that was clearly parked in her designated spot. The towing company was called and they stated that she was towed due to not having a parking permit. There is no mention of a parking permit in the lease or any of the move-in paperwork. She reached out to the management company and they apologized and said that they would drop off a permit today. They also stated that they would call the towing company to pay for her car to be released. This has caused her to miss most of her work day and now they are telling her that the towing company will not take payment over the phone and asked if she could go up there and pay and just take if off this month's rent.

She has already lost money because of the taking off multiple times for the maintenance "window." Now she has lost at least a half-day of work because of her vehicle mistakenly being towed. This is now to the point of being ridiculous. I feel like they are just taking advantage of her. She would be better off being let out of her lease and have her deposits returned. Is there any way that could happen? What if any actions can be taken? She has documented everything.
Sea Speed
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AG
I'm no help here, but I feel like if this is the way this place operates, that deposit will never be seen again.
Martin Q. Blank
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Quote:

She has multiple outlets that don't work and are installed upside down.
Are the electrons falling out??
Aggiemike96
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AG
Did she tour the unit before moving in? Were there posted signs about towing enforcement?

Though the things you listed are frustrating, Texas law is landlord-friendly (assuming she's in Texas). Also, not everything is critical. For example, a smoke alarm in the kitchen is not a law. If you had a smoke alarm in your kitchen, you'd remove the batteries, too.

I suggest she create a bullet list of the items and be specific. Then, she can meet with the property manager and figure it out. I wish her luck.
aggierandie
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AG
She did tour it and most certainly must take some blame, but they should still be somewhat accountable. Nothing posted at all about towing.
Ryan the Temp
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AG
Martin Q. Blank said:


Quote:

She has multiple outlets that don't work and are installed upside down.
Are the electrons falling out??
It is not uncommon for receptacles that are activated using a wall switch to be installed upside-down to indicate they are switched.


Quote:

She would be better off being let out of her lease and have her deposits returned. Is there any way that could happen? What if any actions can be taken? She has documented everything.
The Texas Property Code is actually fairly tenant-friendly. She needs to read it ASAP. It is pretty specific as to what her remedies are for failure to correct problems. Some things can cause default by the landlord and she may be entitled to damages.
aggierandie
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AG
Thank you. I appreciate the replies.
Martin Q. Blank
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Ryan the Temp said:

Martin Q. Blank said:


Quote:

She has multiple outlets that don't work and are installed upside down.
Are the electrons falling out??
It is not uncommon for receptacles that are activated using a wall switch to be installed upside-down to indicate they are switched.
Maybe that's why they don't work. They're switched off.
Troglodyte
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AG
House or apartment? Professionally managed or mom and pop?
aggierandie
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AG
aggierandie
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AG
Townhome. Professionally managed.
one MEEN Ag
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AG
Look, sorry to hear all of these problems your friend is taking. Shooting from the hip, your friend has about a few hundred dollars worth of handyman level projects to fix. Its going to come down to what is it worth to fight and stay, what is worth to pay for yourself, and what is it worth to move and fight for the deposit back.

Is there someone in bryan college station y'all know and trust to be handy enough to fix about 90% of these problems?
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