[ SECRET POST #3438 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3438 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 11 secrets from Secret Submission Post #491.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Re: Vent thread

[diet_poison]

It's bed bugs. It's impossible to determine whose responsibility the infestation is (I'm not even sure myself); they can come from anywhere and move through walls.

And yeah, I have been thinking about getting my own pest control and not paying the full fee for the one they're using, because they're super incompetent, keep missing major things and are about to spray for a fourth time even though my landlords were insistent that three would be more than enough, and that's going to cost me a bunch of extra money. (In Indiana, landlords are not legally required to pay for bed bug extermination - and it's a small wonder they aren't highly incentivized to clear it out effectively if they're not the ones footing the bill...)

Re: Vent thread

[(Anonymous)]

That definitely puts you in a bind, because it sounds like they can claim that they're going above and beyond by bringing in an exterminator at all, and yet their exterminator isn't getting the job done while you're left footing the bill.

Can you bring in your own exterminator and deduct the fee for their useless one from the rent--maybe putting the funds in escrow? And of course, send them a certified letter detailing exactly what you're doing, why you're doing it, how they've fallen down on the job, and how you've brought the problem to their attention repeatedly and been ignored.

You're a student, right? Does your school have a legal advice office? Alternatively, is there some kind of tenants' rights ombudsperson for your town? If there is, maybe you could send a copy to them as well, just to make sure that there's a substantial paper trail and your landlord can't claim that you haven't kept them abreast of everything.

Re: Vent thread

[diet_poison]

Well, it's in the contract. They definitely are required to bring in an exterminator, they're just also allowed to make me pay for it.

It's really, really stupid because I'm required to report bed bugs as soon as I know or suspect that I have them (which I did), but I'm afraid that some people will drag their feet on reporting because they'll immediately be stuck with a bill, and while I'm not high income by any means, I still have more wiggle room than a lot of people. (If this had happened before the raise I got at the end of 2015...I don't even know.) People will try to self-treat before reporting, and that's not very effective and in some cases can even be harmful to people and/or make the problem worse (such as using over-the-counter pesticides, which bed bugs are largely resistant to). And of course, bed bugs are a community problem, especially when you're sharing walls with people, so setting up the law to discourage people from reporting their problem and getting professional treatment makes it worse for everybody. Honestly, it just really makes me angry. Seriously, Indiana? I'd say I expected better from you, but lately you've lowered the bar so much...I guess I'm not surprised.

I just informed them this morning actually that I'm planning on seeking help from another exterminator (chosen by me) if this fourth spray doesn't do the job. Seriously, yesterday I treated (in a bed bug oven) a piece of furniture with multiple nests and 60+ eggs, which these guys should have checked. Most of my furniture isn't small enough to fit into the oven. They need to do their fucking job.

Nope, not a student. Haven't been for nearly two years. (Curious why you thought I was though) Honestly, as much as I hated college, I am 100% sure that my landlords in the apartments I was in up there - which was owned and operated by the university, so essentially, my school was also my landlord - would have dealt with this problem MUCH more quickly and effectively. Universities have a lot more to lose from a bad rep. (You can rest assured though that once I move out of this place I'm in now I'll warn everyone I know not to live there.)

Re: Vent thread

[(Anonymous)]

I wonder if you could get away with breaking your lease on the ground that the unit is uninhabitable and staying there is inflicting some major stress on you. (FFS, bedbugs were actually used as a means of torture in the Gulag.) At the very least, I should think you'd be within your rights to repair-and-deduct, because while they may be able to stick you with the bill, you shouldn't have to pay twice. That's ridiculous.

I think I just remembered that you used to be in school a while back, and forgot how long it's been!

Re: Vent thread

[diet_poison]

haha, fair :) sometimes it amazes me how long it's been too.

Yeah, I've thought of that as well, but honestly, moving would create more stress, and there aren't that many places to live that are affordable and safe. But I am considering it.

FFS, bedbugs were actually used as a means of torture in the Gulag.

o_____O do I want to know?

Re: Vent thread

[(Anonymous)]

I read The Gulag Archipelago a really long time ago, but IIRC, Solzhenitsyn said it entailed a coffin-sized box that was infested with bedbugs.

Re: Vent thread

[diet_poison]

holy shit. I had to Google that. why did I do that

Re: Vent thread

[(Anonymous)]

Also, good luck! With a foot-dragging landlord, I think you'll need it.

Re: Vent thread

[diet_poison]

Thank you. <3 It's been a very stressful month and a half so far.