[Courses] [Spineful Living, lesson 2: When Nice = Rude]

[Jacinta Richardson]

Carla Schroder wrote:

> Share similar stories with the list. They don't have to involve you, but it 
> would be fun and helpful to have some different scenarios to discuss.

In the vein of similar stories to what we've had here...

A few years ago, back when I was renting, we moved into a house that needed some
work.  The property manager (we were renting via a real estate agent) assured us
that those few small tasks we identified would be fixed without a problem.  Well
time passed and there was always some excuse, and then the property manager
left, so we were assigned another one.

Now the tasks weren't that big and mostly we didn't care, but - as happens in
old houses - a few more tasks built up.  I notified the property manager (I
think we were on to number 3 now, but it might have been number 4) of these
tasks and he always said he'd talk to the landlord and get back to me.  Which he
never did.  This went on for about 2 months and then it was Christmas and I
finally had some free time.  So I checked my rights; downloaded a formal notice
of repairs and filled it in.  I took it straight over to the agent's office and
got them to sign that they received it.

Such a notice gives them 14 business days to do the repairs, or we can take them
to the tribunal (a housing issues specific court).  With Christmas and new years
holidays this was almost 4 weeks - ending on about the 8th Jan.  So come the 6th
or 7th of Jan, I called up the property manager and asked why I hadn't heard
from him and whether he was going to arrange the fixes for us.  Well!  He tore
into me, said it was totally unreasonable for me to expect them to do the
repairs so close to the holiday period, that he'd been arranging the repairs in
good faith before he got this, and now the landlords were unhappy.  That I could
take them to the tribunal if I wished, but it wouldn't get the repairs done any
faster; and the tribunal wouldn't choose in my favour because of my unreasonable
timeframe.  He also said the tasks we'd identified were our problem - because we
moved into the house knowing that those faults existed.  And on and on.  He then
demanded to be told then and there whether we'd be taking the issue to the
tribunal.  I mumbled something non-committal like: I haven't decided yet.

I hung up and burst into tears.  What I expected was something like: I'm sorry I
haven't spoken to the landlords, can you give me an extra week.  Or possibly a
request for when would it be good for the landlords to come around.  Not to be
attacked for standing up for myself.

Once I stopped crying I got angry.  Furious even.  I called up my housemate and
told him what had happened.  We both agreed that his behaviour was
unprofessional and completely uncalled for.  So when he got home, we wrote a
letter to the property manager's manager explaining that we were not willing to
work with ourproperty manager anymore because of how rude he had been.  It
covered our full rental history at the place (12 months), with all of our
property managers, the regular (but unfulfilled) assurances of getting the fixes
done and the new tasks that had risen.  My housemate took that letter in, and
had it signed for.

2 days later, I got a phone call from our new property manager explaining that
the landlord was available to come and do the repairs and asking if they could
come over right now!  I asked for 30 minutes (I'd just woken up) and they did
the tasks without a problem.

All the best,

	Jacinta

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