For all you deadbolt and sturdy door enthusiasts

[slackmaster]

A decision from the California (state) 4th District Court of Appeals:

Court reinstates wrongful death lawsuit

Landlord found to have duty to repair broken front door

A wrongful death suit brought by a murder victim's family blaming their landlord for not repairing the front door of their apartment and allowing the killer easy access was reinstated by an appeals court yesterday.

In a 3-0 decision the 4th District Court of Appeal ruled the landlord had a responsibility to take the "minimal" steps to repair the front door of the San Ysidro apartment of Abigail Ramirez and her family.

While numerous cases over the years dealt with the legal duty of landlords in safely maintaining their properties, the decisions created an "amorphous" body of law, wrote Justice Alex McDonald.

In their decision the justices laid out a system for analyzing claims against landlords and balancing the burden of providing safe property against the likelihood that some damage or injury may occur....

<snip for copyright compliance>

The article explains that this decision does not assess blame but rather says the plaintiffs had provided sufficient evidence for the case to be tried. I found it rather interesting and hope you do too.

For full copyrighted article please see the San Diego Union-Tribune Web site at http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040505/news_7m5door.html

[truhavoc]

1. This is common practice with landlords

My fiance needed to have her lock fixed for about a week straight with constant calls to her landlord to no avail, when there was a serial rapist in the area! I went ahead and put a new lock on her door (cost me $20), when she moved out they tried to charge us $75 to put a new lock on and for taking the one we on off. I won that fight in small claims so it is no wonder this case went the way it did.

[slackmaster]

2. Glad you won your case

You were certainly in the right.

It's always important for both sides of a landlord-tenant relationship to keep detailed records of all transactions. Put every complaint to a landlord or a tenant in writing. I've been on both sides.

[Maurkov]

3. Maybe I'm selfish

I'd have put the broken one back on and taken my $20 dead bolt with me when I left.

[slackmaster]

4. Oops - Heat Wave Blamed for Home Burglaries

See http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040506/news_7m6ccrime1.html and scroll down a bit.

In coastal SoCal we don't get enough uncomfortably hot weather for most people, especially those of modest means like typical El Cajon apartment dwellers, to justify air conditioning. Also our electrical power rates are some of the highest in the nation.

Even the sturdiest solid-steel door doesn't stop crooks if you leave it open.

:eyes: