How me understand this: Landlord's handy-man to check for the leak and said the Gas man was wrong.

[diabeticman]

Okay as some of you may remember We had our gas shut off. It was pay for gas or go another two weeks sleeping at Mother-in-law's house since we had no other bed except in our place. The only living room type sitting furniture we have is a love seat which is too small for my wife to lay sideways.


So I pay the gas and shut off fee to get it turned on. Gas man comes and says he can't turn on the gas there is a leak so he won't light the furnace.

THE HANDY MAN Shows up today instead of Friday like I requested because "He has some major repairs he'll need to do."

He takes the red tag and says the furnace doesn't need lite. That everything is fine and when it is cold out I can turn the gage upstairs and it will start.

No word on the leak. Wife is wondering IF the "New" Furnace is leaking is that the reason why we have a $200.00 bill each month.

Showed him once again all the issues. The wet wall where a pipe might be leaking behind. The smell in the back bedroom. He said we would have to get in touch with landlord and didn't say anything else.

My wife is going to send another letter with our check and if he ignores the letter she is going to code enforcement BUT she is pissed. She figure they give this guy "Good praise" just show Code enforcement doesn't get a bad rep for kicking us out of our place of 10 years at Christmas time.

[burnodo]

1. If the gas company red tags your gas system, you can't just turn it back on

Have a professional company check and repair the gas system for safety.

[ljm2002]

2. Do not turn the gas back on...

...if the gas company says there is a leak.

At this point, given the bad faith of your landlord, I would suggest you go to your local TV station to publicize your plight. You need to get the h*** out of there and get on with your life without this very distressing situation.

You can't reason with the landlord or his hench... er, handyman. Getting more involved with them just gives him control over your life and your state of mind.

Don't let petty a**holes like this continue to torment you. Get a lawyer, go to the TV station, walk away -- do whatever you have to do to get this over with. Don't worry about breaking the lease, your landlord has clearly already broken any provisions that require him to provide a living space that is up to at least minimal standards of habitability.

I know this sounds like a lecture but it pains me to hear this story, it has been going on now for months and it's ridiculous. Yes it's a hassle to move; get whatever help you can muster from friends and family to get out of there and put this behind you. Don't think of reasons why you can't or why it will be hard; instead think of the positive changes it will make in your life when you again have a decent place to live.

That's my advice.

[burnodo]

3. if a landlord bypasses a red tag

the landlord, in most states, can lose his license to rent and be subject to civil penalties

[diabeticman]

4. I understand what you are saying I don't want to sound like a whiner BUT we are pressed money

wise. The first move we had to ask for help--money wise on top of the money we withheld from scum bag number 1. We are so far behind with all our bills because they are so high. Money is extremely tight and we right now are trying to find something. My wife is trying to eat up as much overtime as she can. I'm trying to get my work schedule study so I can find a part time job.

Believe me we are trying but it is so easier said than done at this point. We would need at lease first month and security deposit which is like forking over a Month and a half of pay for us.

So we are trying. but we are like a rock and hard place now.

Last time we moved we got more help from strangers and friends who saved us money by moving us. Family basically disappeared.


My wife is looking every chance she get and is talking to people.

[ljm2002]

5. I understand...

...but I still think sometimes we limit our own choices by accepting the terms of engagement from psychotic assholes.

Take your stuff, sell anything you have that is not 100% essential, even prized possessions if need be, on craigslist -- it costs nothing to list them there.

Ask for even more help from your friends. They at least are on your side. You know you'll pay it back. This is a speed bump in the big picture; your job is to get over it and not get wrapped around the axle.

Get legal advice. Find a legal clinic where you can get some free advice. And again: do consider going to the media. Things like this get people outraged and can give you leverage where now you have none.

And as the other poster on this thread noted, if this fool had his handyman remove the red tag, you can get him in legal trouble too.

This guy needs a good bashing, metaphorically speaking. Stop letting him bash you. It's time to turn it around on him.

On edit: as for the money situation, and borrowing more from friends: There's an old saying, "Might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb." In other words -- Go for it. It's time to go all in.

[NYC_SKP]

6. In many jurisdictions, you can withhold rent until violations are cured.

Please avail yourself of every possibly public agency, nonprofit, media outlet, and the gas company itself who shares your interest in safety and functionality.

Also, you might be able to withhold your rent until things are right.

Good luck!

[Heddi]

7. I know people (incl me, I think) have asked you this before but I dont' remember your answer

You're in PA...have you looked into local tenant/landlord laws? (btw, I found all of these in less than .0005 seconds by googling "PA Landlord Tenant Law)

http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/uploadedFiles/Consumers/landlord_tenant_act.pdf

Have you called the Attorney General?
http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/consumers.aspx?id=405


If you have a problem or a dispute with a landlord or any other business, you can call the Attorney General?s Bureau of Consumer Protection at 1-800-441-2555, or you can also file an online complaint.

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/states/pennsylvania/renting/tenantrights

PA Legal Assistance http://www.palegalaid.net/resources/clients/legalhelpfinder

PA Tenant right to withhold rent or repair and deduct http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/pennsylvania-tenant-rights-withhold-rent-repair-deduct.html

PA Tenant Law Rights http://www.palawhelp.org/issues/housing-and-shelter/tenants-rights

http://tenant.net/Other_Areas/Penn/harris/pa-toc.html
http://www.nwls.org/landlord.htm

Philly laws: http://www.phila.gov/li/pages/tenantlandlord.aspx
Chester Co laws http://www.chesco.org/index.aspx?NID=923
Bucks Co http://www.buckscounty.org/government/departments/communityservices/consumerprotection/ConsumerTips/LandlordTenantLaw11-2009.pdf
Delaware Co http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/consumeraffairs/consumer.html
.....
----


You are getting nowhere with your landlord. Is this the same one that had the house where the roof blew off and soaked your shit?

Look, you're renting from a slumlord. You know that, he knows that.

I understand money being tight. I've been very very poor as well, but there are resources for you out there, you just have to use them. You have time to post on DU, then you have time to make a call or make an online complaint with the attorney general's office. http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/complaints.aspx?id=451

As others upthread have said, if the gas worker says there's a leak then for god's sake DON'T TURN ON OR USE THE GAS. You're worried about not being able to pay to move? That will be the utter least of your concerns if your house, and possibly whoever is beside you, goes up because of a gas leak.

[The Straight Story]

8. Been in a similar situation before:

My brother-in-law works for the gas company. I had some issues with the heater in the house and the gas company (not my bro-in-law) came out and basically red tagged the heater.

We were able to shut off the gas to it so we kept it on for cooking and the water heater. The fix for the furnace was minor (we, uh, fixed it ourselves with a work around), and that is when my brother-in-law came over one evening, checked it, and removed the tag for me.

You can keep the gas on IF you have a shut off valve to the device where the leak is (and, obviously, before where the leak begins).

In your case it sounds like the leak is further out than the shutoff for the one appliance. The smell in the back bedroom and the other pipe issue can be expensive if they have to tear out the wall. I don't know your setup (we had multiple places to cut the incoming gas line and knew where all the pipes were in the house).

Lastly, we didn't light the furnace (it was off for weeks until we figured out the issue and fixed it up).

Since this is a major safety issue I would contact a local attorney at the very least and get advice - and if the gas man said there was a leak did he specify where? I know they can pin point that pretty well (dave brought out his equipment as he repairs leaks, though he usually focuses on the bigger ones underground - the regular guy that came out only focused on the furnace but we knew already that is where the problem was, I wanted dave to double check the piping though from the point of turn off to junctions up to the furnace and was easily able to make sure that the furnace itself was the only problem).

Good luck either way and sorry you are having issues.