Current Events > So There is a Line at my Apartment Front Office - They Charged 6 months of Water

(+) Yeah! (+)

TheBrainbuster posted...

Sorry, I'm at my 100-post-per-24 hour limit and cannot go on with this Jerry dude and this DipDipDiver dude trolling to get a rise out of me, unfortunately.

I will never -ever- agree with this freakshow mindset of "Well it's your fault for not counting your finances and realizing you've been undercharged" -- this is the weirdest corporate bootlicking I have seen in weeks.

Corporations are always gonna corporation. It is up to you as the consumer to defend yourself and have a spine and take the time-of-day to call and let them know they are not getting away with it.

If you just move on with your day and don't call to fight things, then you will be taken advantage of and nickle-and-dimed at every turn in your life. Part of being an adult is protecting your money and not just letting corporations fuck you over.

Yeah, go ahead and stop with this "protecting your money" horseshit when you have no idea what your rent is.

You making errors and typos in an email or an Excel spreadsheet are not the same as $113 of people's fucking money after 6 months of sitting on your hands and doing nothing.

It's arbitrary for one
For two, I just plain don't know if it's a true story or not.

Then pull a water bill for fucks sake. Get it together.

For three, your landlord could just wake up one month and bill you $50 extra and give you some random story about whatever-the-fuck and apparently you'd just defend them and be like "That's life"

Except no, Im not an idiot, and there are degrees to this shit. Id ASK FOR MORE INFORMATION. OH WOW, HOLY SHIT. WHAT A THOUGHT.

For four, shut the hell up

Stop posting and pay your rent.

DipDipDiver posted...

I'm sorry you see it as trolling, I thought we just disagreed about the topic

It's cool. :O

Unsuprised_Pika posted...

You can't know what to pay if they don't send it.

Water and electric usually are usage based rather then a fixed amount. And depending on how they are billed/how the lease is worded this may be deceptive or illegal.

Certainly such short notice under threat of eviction is completely unjustifiable regardless of whether they should be paid or not. 3 days notice for a backbill or you are evicted almost certainly violates laws on renting.

I agree with the last paragraph wholly.

But TC's making a weird picture. He said the portal charged an extra $80/mo as one lump sum in addition to the rent. However, yes, it's usually based on usage. Maybe it's cheaper for ownership to just round up based on averages and charge a flat fee and re-assess every renewal, that's possible.

But he's lived there six years.

At some point around December 2021 the finances in his portal changed for the better (he was paying less).

It's very unclear what the whole picture is here, which is why I'm curious as to what the actual lease says:

PatrickMahomes posted...

What does your lease say? Be specific. Spell out everything it says that is related to what you pay.

TheBrainbuster posted...

It's cool. :O

I know you're just venting man
But I do think your landlord went about this in the shittiest way

It's also funny when people make these things out to be "corporate bootlicking". I'm not pro-corporation, I'm pro-contract law. Why? Because if I work a 60 hour work week but forget to fill out and submit my timesheet, I still expect to get reimbursed for my 60 hour work week despite making an administrative mistake. If I'm a contract carpenter who just spent 2 weeks and 2,000 dollars in material building some new cabinets for a building, I still want to get paid for my work even if I forget to send the invoice out when I get back to my home office for a month. Contract law protects me in these cases.

This, however, also means when people who charge me for goods and services make a mistake, I must be willing to still fucking pay them because I can't have it both ways. That's part of being a grown ass adult--Looking at the impact things have beyond "They're taking my money! Reee!".

My Rent is $995 a month, @ Jerry. I'm very aware of what my rent is.

I found out today when I went onsite to complain that after 5 years of my Washer/Dryer unit (which is a small space-saver unit in my closet) being free, they started charging $50/mth.

I've lived here since 2016 and I've never been charged for my washer and dryer unit Seperately from my Rent. Like what the fuck is that?

Don't give someone a contract for Rent, have them sign said contract, then after the contract is signed add on a bunch of fees for 1) Pest Control, 2) Trash Control, 3) washer/Dryer unit

I'm moving out once my lease is up. I'm done with this place.

EDIT: I said earlier my rent is $995 but I have been paying $1075 a month, and it is all one Lump/Gross Sum on the website that I pay - it is not itemized. Well, turns out it was not water charges/gas charges I have been paying that $80 for a month - it was fucking tacked on shit that they added in the last few months:

1) Trash fee
2) Pest Control fee
3) Washer/Dryer unit

This only added to my anger. My washer/dryer is INSIDE my apartment and should be a part of my RENT. Not some fucking hidden fee that is randomly tacked on $50 a month after 5 years of living here. I gave them a written notice today that I will not be renewing my lease. They can nickle-and-dime someone else going forward.

...they can't just up and decide to start charging you $50/mo more than your written lease indicates mid-lease. the whole point of a lease is to lock you into a rate for a set period of time that neither you nor the apartment can change (barring damage and shit or whatever)

PatrickMahomes posted...

...they can't just up and decide to start charging you $50/mo more than your written lease indicates mid-lease. the whole point of a lease is to lock you into a rate for a set period of time that neither you nor the apartment can change (barring damage and shit or whatever)

Apparently they can. Oh, my rent has stayed $995 as bound by contract - but I have a buncha fees now each month.

Like I said, I did not know this becaues the website just has a gross amount you pay each month - which I thought I was paying for water/gas/sewage.

Turns out they showed me an itemized thing today when I went in to complain and it's been Trash Fee, Pest Control fee, and Washer/Dryer unit.

The rent is still $995, but I'm paying a buncha fees.

Pogo_Marimo posted...

My favorite thing is when these people pretend like they would just "let this stuff go and eat the cost" if they were in the same shoes as the landlord.

The agreement that you made with the landlord wasn't "I'll pay for my water bill but only if you charge me correctly every month!"

The agreement you made with the landlord was, "I'll pay my water bill to you, and you will pay the utility company with it". The servicing of the billing is merely a means to an end to fulfill the leasing agreement, and not the agreement itself. Common Law stipulates that reasonable accommodations must be made to fulfill financial contracts that were disrupted through human error and not malice. There is no malice in the act of forgetting to bill you, it is a normal act of human error. You make errors all the time. I make errors. Computers make errors. The legal system already provides an inordinate amount of protections for errors you might make when renting a property that you don't even realize or think about. Likewise, landlords are given protections as well.

You made a financial commitment to your landlord and you will have to fulfill it. That's life. Sorry.

3 days notice under threat of heavy penalty isn't reasonable though.

TheBrainbuster posted...

Mother fucker this is customer service and I have lived here 6 years, don't you DARE roll your fucking eyes at me.

How about not being a twit over something they obviously cannot use to evict you

Unsuprised_Pika posted...

3 days notice under threat of heavy penalty isn't reasonable though.

Don't quote me if you aren't even going to read literally my first post in the topic.

TheBrainbuster posted...

My Rent is $995 a month, @ Jerry. I'm very aware of what my rent is.

I found out today when I went onsite to complain that after 5 years of my Washer/Dryer unit (which is a small space-saver unit in my closet) being free, they started charging $50/mth.

I've lived here since 2016 and I've never been charged for my washer and dryer unit Seperately from my Rent. Like what the fuck is that?

Don't give someone a contract for Rent, have them sign said contract, then after the contract is signed add on a bunch of fees for 1) Pest Control, 2) Trash Control, 3) washer/Dryer unit

I'm moving out once my lease is up. I'm done with this place.

EDIT: I said earlier my rent is $995 but I have been paying $1075 a month, and it is all one Lump/Gross Sum on the website that I pay - it is not itemized. Well, turns out it was not water charges/gas charges I have been paying that $80 for a month - it was fucking tacked on shit that they added in the last few months:

1) Trash fee
2) Pest Control fee
3) Washer/Dryer unit

This only added to my anger. My washer/dryer is INSIDE my apartment and should be a part of my RENT. Not some fucking hidden fee that is randomly tacked on $50 a month after 5 years of living here. I gave them a written notice today that I will not be renewing my lease. They can nickle-and-dime someone else going forward.

So when you renewed your lease it would have shown along with you paying more what that would be for, probably buried somewhere in the contract. In regards to you moving out, PLEASE make sure you actually look at what renting costs are in your area first. You are going to look like an idiot if your anger got the best of you and you will move into a smaller area for $300-$500 more. That doesn't include movers fees and the headache that is moving in general.

From what you describe it sounds like you live in an apartment complex, and most likely because you have been there for 6 years you are paying far less than what someone new moving in would pay. That's most likely why the front office doesn't give a shit if you guys pay for your water bill or not, they can just raise the rent for new renters needing to move in.

Again, I understand your anger. But it's $114, do the research first to make sure your principals aren't getting the best of you.

monkeysRfunny posted...

What. CE hates landlords.

But CE loves to argue for the sake of not agreeing with TCs. It's a conflict of interests

TheBrainbuster posted...

Apparently they can. Oh, my rent has stayed $995 as bound by contract - but I have a buncha fees now each month.

Like I said, I did not know this becaues the website just has a gross amount you pay each month - which I thought I was paying for water/gas/sewage.

Turns out they showed me an itemized thing today when I went in to complain and it's been Trash Fee, Pest Control fee, and Washer/Dryer unit.

The rent is still $995, but I'm paying a buncha fees.

I reeeeeaaallllly want to see this lease.

Show/write up where in the lease it calls out anything related to fees and what you're expected to pay. Be specific. Spell out everything it says that is related to what you pay.

Jiggy101011 posted...

So when you renewed your lease it would have shown along with you paying more what that would be for, probably buried somewhere in the contract. In regards to you moving out, PLEASE make sure you actually look at what renting costs are in your area first. You are going to look like an idiot if your anger got the best of you and you will move into a smaller area for $300-$500 more. That doesn't include movers fees and the headache that is moving in general.

From what you describe it sounds like you live in an apartment complex, and most likely because you have been there for 6 years you are paying far less than what someone new moving in would pay. That's most likely why the front office doesn't give a shit if you guys pay for your water bill or not, they can just raise the rent for new renters needing to move in.

Again, I understand your anger. But it's $114, do the research first to make sure your principals aren't getting the best of you.

I just spoke to my girlfriend and she said I'm welcome to move into her house in December when my lease is up. I probably will, as long as we are kosher in 5 months.

I'm starting to think there's something you're not telling us.

Show/write up where in the lease it calls out anything related to fees and what you're expected to pay. Be specific. Spell out everything it says that is related to what you pay.

TheBrainbuster posted...

It's not my problem as a tenant to correct their mistakes, and yes that is exactly what they should do - eat the cost and suck my dick. Times are tough and gas prices are high, don't give me this "Well water was not being paid"

I have no idea if water was or was not being paid. You're telling me some arbitrary story - the fuck do I care if it was or was not?

oof, this entitlement is not a good look, my dude

yes, like others said, they should be willing to make reasonable accommodations here, but it also sounds like you need to grow the fuck up. you dont get a free pass here. its a bill that needs to be paid. its on you for not knowing what your full bill each month entailed. that should have been one of the first things you asked after getting your first rent invoice.