Wednesday, May 8, 2019

So I had another chat...

with my landlord on Monday.  I expressed my desire to have the window work finished.  Actually, what I said was that I was just plain done.  We talked about the pictures I had taken of the condition of my living room with furniture now taking up most of the floor space and the shelving unit moved in front of my sewing table and left there for two weeks with my sewing machine open to the dust and the fact that I couldn't get at it to clean it.  Or use it.  We discussed the notion that an attorney perhaps might consider that obstacle course a bit dangerous for an elderly lady who is tethered to an oxygen machine and who has mobility issues. 

He called me back ten minutes later, telling me the window guys would arrive this morning to finish the job.

My landlord stopped by about 10:30 this morning to see how the work was progressing.  It wasn't.  They were nowhere to be seen.  I swear, I could see steam coming out his ears when he left. 

Half an hour later there was some serious sawing of boards and nailing of trim around the windows going on.  They will be back here in the morning to do some touch-up painting and to restore my living room to its original condition.  They know about the pictures.

I don't like confrontation or yelling or unpleasantness.  Peace and serenity make me much happier.  But sometimes a person just has to stand up for themselves.  It has been nearly four months since this project began. 
My patience is gone.

My landlord surprised me by volunteering to deduct a goodly amount of money from my next month's rent for every month I have been inconvenienced.  I didn't ask for that nor did I expect it.  But I'll take it.

And now I need to order curtains to cover my lovely, new, finished windows.  :)

22 comments:

  1. Sadly, if you let people walk on you, most will.

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    1. Gorges...Yes, they will. I guess I just had enough.

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  2. Vicky

    Has the city building inspector signed off on the work for the permit? The Window guys should not be paid in full until the inspector signs off that the work was properly completed.

    Red

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    1. Red...I have no idea unless an inspector comes knocking at my door to look at the windows. The contractor was responsible for the permit and I expect they will know about inspections as will the landlord. I don't think they have been paid in full as yet, or they might not have showed up so quickly when my landlord went after them.

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  3. You were much more patient than most people so...unfortunately they took advantage of the situation. I am glad your landlord took the proper action and also offered the rent reduction. It was a nice way to say he was sorry for the inconvenience you had to endure. Sure hope you are able to see some sunshine through those new windows soon. Have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. Take care, CW

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    1. CW...I really try to give folks the benefit of the doubt - right up to the time they take advantage. But it seems to me that if the window guys were having problems, they could have explained why it was taking so long. I understand those things. I have been in a bad place a time or two myself. But they just didn't show up and that's when I finally had about enough of that foolishness.

      I'm tickled about the rent reduction. It all helps. He is a good guy and a good landlord. I think he dislikes confrontation more than I do and it took me getting mad (not at him) to do what needed to be done.

      Wishing you a lovely Mother's Day weekend as well.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. That's what I get for trying to write a comment while sporting a semi-nasty headache...had to delete and start over.

      Anyway, tell me that you didn't sit there watching them work while holding that 44 mag and grinning the whole time...

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    2. Matt...No. No, I didn't. The shotgun was a better choice. :)
      Hope your headache goes away and you feel better soon.

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  5. You took it a hell of a lot longer than I would have, Vicki! Good for you!

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    1. Pete...Sometimes people are having problems of their own that we know nothing about and that interfere with what they should be doing. So I try to be patient. But finding out they were just working on other jobs, leaving me to deal with a trashed living room, well, I'm afraid that's when my temper got the better of me. :)

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  6. So glad you hear your windows are done.

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  7. Good for you - you go get'um girl.
    And it sounds like your landlord is a stand up guy as well.
    This week has felt like summer with sunshine and warm for us temperatures. Rain is back in the forecast for next week and cooler weather but this was a nice preview. Also keeping me busy was an unscheduled trip to the dentist. Love my dentist and she knows if I call in 'need', she gets me into the office right away.
    Cheers, SJ

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    1. SJ...Sometimes a person just has to go all crazy granny on them. But the job is done. My shelving unit is back in place and I can walk through my living room without tripping over anything.
      It was cold here all day. Some parts of the state got snow. I was busy with my grocery order and putting my apartment back in order, so I didn't see if any flakes fell here. I think maybe I didn't want to know!
      Hope the dentist visit wasn't anything too terribly serious. Take care.

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    2. Good you're cozy nest is back in order.

      The dentist was a good news/maybe bad news thing. A tooth suddenly went temperature sensitive on Tuesday. Enough to get me in right away. No decay, just sensitive nerves. But the xrays showed there could be a problem with the root developing. My dentist is taking a wait and see approach and not jumping right to 'root canal'. She also took off a few high spots on the effected tooth thinking perhaps I had been grinding my teeth in my sleep and that's what set this off. Even with a mouth guard, I had done some damage.
      Today life is good and I could drink my coffee pain free. woot-woot.
      SJ

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    3. SJ...Glad to hear it wasn't anything major with the dentist. And that you can again drink coffee, pain free! That is most important. :)

      My little nest isn't quite back in order yet. I sort of overdid it yesterday, so today is a quiet day of reading and resting. I'll be back at it, straightening up, answering email, etc. in a day or two. At least the snow missed us and the sun is shining. Life is indeed good.

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  8. One word that strikes fear into business people....LAWYERS. Those guys could lose their contractors license. Most people or other companies won't do business with anyone who doesn't. Talk with your landlord about filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, maybe even Scott County

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    1. P.S. Facebook has a marketplace section you could check that out, to see if they post looking for work Our community has a FB page, so many folks ask for recommendations, Real Life in Dassel Cokato.

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    2. Rob...I didn't hire them, so it is up to my landlord if he wants to do anything. The work here is done and that is all I care about.

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  9. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Good for you.

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    1. BW...I don't like being that 'squeaky wheel,' but sometimes it is necessary.

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