Where'm I gonna live?
Any area Dwellars need a roomie?
Including a 13 pound dog that will occasionally pee on the carpet?
My credit score is 25. Is that bad? But my mama's score is 500,000 and she'll co-sign... sometimes that will work for people...
All I need is a little cottage house in an area where I won't get killed. (And has high speed Internets) But all the official realtor listings under $900 are in areas where I will get killed. Should I get a teeny bit more spendy, to get into a place where the co-sign works? And then I'm in a plain brick building? Where it's hard to get the dog out every two hours? Will that be depressing? It's impossible to know.
You can come here. I have a three bedroom house with a full basement where you can jam. No garage, though, sorry.
totally. Move to Ohio. It's the Buckeye State!
rent here is ridiculously inexpensive (coz, you know, ohio sucks) and we have a lively local music scene. we really do! and Lexus Nexus. And Wright Pat AFB.
I'd let you live here for half the utilities and 200.00/month so long as you helped me with my computer issues (which are vast and many)
Oh, I have a fenced in yard, too. you can google street my house.
[SIZE="1"]Not to mention her mad [COLOR="White"]bj[/COLOR] skilz[/SIZE]
:bolt:
Gotta make the drive to Pottstown every week to rehearse though.
What's the line from As Good As It Gets... I think it's... "I'd be the luckiest man in the world if that would do it for me."
(said with a slight British accent)
Oh, very nice, Mr. Footfootfoot. I make a generous, plausible offer and you, you scoundrel, MOCK it! In a very offensive way towards my own person! A pox upon you!
(end British accent)
Gotta make the drive to Pottstown every week to rehearse though.
What's the line from As Good As It Gets... I think it's... "I'd be the luckiest man in the world if that would do it for me."
Oh, so no Ohio, then?
Actually, I don't blame you. It does sorta suck here. except for the cost of living.
Pottstown. And a bunch of clients who sometimes like to see me. Otherwise I would move anywhere.
/me silently withdraws her unseen offer.
Im on the verge of getting an apartment near cherry hill. I figure I will end yup with rent of $900 or there abouts. I just want to wait about a month to see what changes the new boss makes to my pay plan...
Oh, so no Ohio, then?
Actually, I don't blame you. It does sorta suck here. except for the cost of living.
See? You are the one who keeps bringing it up!
I don't have room for a roommate, despite my love for a dog that occasionally pees on the carpet. My apartment building, however, does have one bedroom units available, I think for about what you are willing to pay. And, if you lease from my recommendation, I get a chunk of money off my rent.
Im on the verge of getting an apartment near cherry hill. I figure I will end yup with rent of $900 or there abouts. I just want to wait about a month to see what changes the new boss makes to my pay plan...
I got about a month and a half to figure this out... if I matched your money imagine the place we could get. 1 year lease think about it
Yeah, if youre willing to live in nj.... We could probably get a really nice 2br for like $1500. I want a place to park my motorcycle and in unit laundry......
The timing might just work.
What about the turtle?
Doesn't he have his own house?
Yeah, if youre willing to live in nj.... We could probably get a really nice 2br for like $1500. I want a place to park my motorcycle and in unit laundry......
The timing might just work.
For that money, you could rent a whole block in Camden, but you'd have to build a wall around it to keep from getting killed.
You can rent a 3 bed, 1 bath, with garage, house in Maple Shade for $1600.
http://www.homes.com/rentals/NJ/City/MAPLE%20SHADE/The problem is still my credit though. The lessor will probably want to run the credit of all people living there, and I don't want to fuck up your situation with your hunt for stuff... (I would never do that money-wise; I would always be able to make rent)
But ha haaa, check out this place and where it's located.
Good God DAMN, private entrances, full bath on the first floor AND full bath on the second floor, and you could walk to work, and both of us could even take in women-folk what with the privacy and it would be all copasetic.
http://www.homes.com/listing/photo/172549533/210_W_Rudderow_Ave_MAPLE_SHADE_NJ_08052Good God DAMN there are ZERO human neighbors at that house. Public Storage, MAACO and Auto Max are the neighbors for this house.
Cool house! Only problem I see is that it is also for sale. Means potential for one year max before you have to leave. It takes me that long just to get settled in!
Ugh.
Yeah, well.... my credit is wrecked too. but I figure there are ways and ways of getting things done... cool house... I just can't do anything until I know if I still want to work in cherry hill.
that is a really cool house. AND if it's the last house on the left --- think of the possibilities!!
;)
PS My own house is the last house on the left so I know of what I speak.
You are all welcome to live with me. No rent, but it would be a long commute
...Living in a VAN down by the river... [/Matt Foley]
eta: UT, not BS
In 2014, I am planning to rent out my house and move to a nicer and larger place.
It is a single dwelling, with a fenced in yard, no close neighbors, nice yard, [will be] landscaped and utilities are fairly cheap. City water and sewer. Downsides, it gets HOT here, long way to to go Pottstown, and you will have to go outside with the dog because if you leave it outside, the hawks might take him away.
What about the turtle?
Doesn't he have his own house?
Limey for the win!
$1500 will get you you a damn nice pad in my neck of the woods.
'Course, you'll be in the woods...
Thanks, Grav!
Sent by thought transference
I think the time has come to further research the idea of a Cellar Commune.
Not some crazy drinkin' poison kind of commune, just a group of self-sufficient people who live on the same land and contribute their talents for the good of the community.
Those who can build, build. Those who can farm, farm. Those who can cook, cook. I volunteer to keep the books. Well, sure, I'd run the library but I'm also talking about the ledgers and stuff. I suppose we'll be able to sell some of produce and craftery to get needed items for the ranch.
I say no kids allowed. I like kids, sure, but this isn't that kind of commune. If you want that kind you can start one up or become a Mormon. I'm really only interested in non-breeding adults who have been downsized and outsized and undersized and oversized, who are sick of the rat race, who refuse to shuck and jive for the boss man.
Of course, we'll be off the grid but not completely: I for one would want interwebz.
It's just a rough sketch.
There is plenty of land out thisaway.
I know of one that is planned already. Not Cellar-specific, but still.
There is also a trans-specific
thingie in the planning stages. I am watching that project, but I don't have a lot of hope. It requires investment and money is something that transpeople are chronically short of.
I think the time has come to further research the idea of a Cellar Commune.
Not some crazy drinkin' poison kind of commune, just a group of self-sufficient people who live on the same land and contribute their talents for the good of the community.
Those who can build, build. Those who can farm, farm. Those who can cook, cook. I volunteer to keep the books. Well, sure, I'd run the library but I'm also talking about the ledgers and stuff. I suppose we'll be able to sell some of produce and craftery to get needed items for the ranch.
I say no kids allowed. I like kids, sure, but this isn't that kind of commune. If you want that kind you can start one up or become a Mormon. I'm really only interested in non-breeding adults who have been downsized and outsized and undersized and oversized, who are sick of the rat race, who refuse to shuck and jive for the boss man.
Of course, we'll be off the grid but not completely: I for one would want interwebz.
It's just a rough sketch.
It's communism, I tellz ya!
Well, I tried to get all of you to move down to the old sewage lagoon, but nooo....
...Living in a VAN down by the old sewage lagoon... [/Matt Foley]
With jokes like that you'll never get into MonkeyCom. :rolleyes:
This is where I'm staying right now. Plenty of room for all.
Oh man, you're living it up! All I ever got was the poncho hooch I carried in my pack.
I admit it isn't bad. My guys take care of me
I say no kids allowed. I like kids, sure, but this isn't that kind of commune.
I'd be the looker-afterer if you allowed kids. Maybe even the edjumacator.
'Side from that I can cook.
Can't clean worth a damn though, so don't believe me at the interview.
Can sing, but not harmonise.
Don't deal well with conflict.
Can live without TV but need books.
Will not eat bananas or peanuts. Well, perhaps if I am literally starving, but funnily enough I've never experienced that.
Cannot be trusted with the keys to the liquor cupboard.
Am I still being considered?
PS - Sarge, that looks cosy.
So. Where are you gonna live?
For reals?
Can you stay with mom until you figure it out?
Worst case scenario. There will be other, better options such as living in North Philly where I'm more likely to survive.
Sorry dude, don't let it eat you up. You'll figure it out.
Not joking - consider buying a used camper (they can go really cheap) and move into a state park or other campgrounds. Rates are discounted during the winter. In fact, the Army Corps of Engineers hires campground hosts. Many campgrounds have wifi.
It's not that bad yet. I just have to work at it and the time to actually call places is not nigh. I'm aiming for a Nov. 1 move-in date but it's strange -- with the short sale, I don't have to leave the house until the bank actually decides to accept it. This averages three months and so I could play chicken and wait until Dec. 1 to get out. But with limited choices overall, with a dog, with a turtle, with bad credit but a good co-signer, it gets scary.
I'm getting really good at searches though, and I've worked out a few ways to tell which Craigslist entries are scammers. (they take actual realtor listings for the pictures and addresses, and then try to get you to wire them deposit money)
What's also scary is all the shit in my crawl space which I have to throw away somehow. Wow, I probably have to contract for a dumpster to get that done. Shit.
I wish I could do something tangible to help you.
I feel your anxiety Toad. Hugs.
What's also scary is all the shit in my crawl space which I have to throw away somehow. Wow, I probably have to contract for a dumpster to get that done. Shit.
Freecycle it.
Mentally ill people will take it and hoard it. Whatever it is.
Just depends on what your time is worth, dealing with them.
Freecycle is awesome, and sad, but awesome.
It's mostly dead weight. Huge computer monitor from 1999. My old waterbed. Paperwork from pre-2003. Water-damaged VHS tapes. Christmas decorations that two women abandoned. That sort of thing.
especially if you put it on the curb with a sign that says "not free, please do not take, waiting for pick-up"
It's mostly dead weight. Huge computer monitor from 1999. My old waterbed. Paperwork from pre-2003. Water-damaged VHS tapes. Christmas decorations that two women abandoned. That sort of thing.
People will take everything except your paperwork. Maybe even that too, but you probably don't want mentally ill people to have it. A free waterbed? You're not thinking like a hoarder; you will have a dozen people bidding over who can come pick it up the soonest.
I gave away giant piles of rotted fencing and broken rocks. One old lady talked about how she was going to "build a doghouse" out of the fencing, and another was going to "make a path" in her garden. It was fucking construction debris!
It's only the frame of the waterbed
Right, so you just line it with heavy duty trashbags and fill it with water. The water will conform to bed shape. You'll have to sleep sitting up. And sandbags, you might want those. :lol:
People will take everything except your paperwork.
Just burn the paperwork.
Right, so you just line it with heavy duty trashbags and fill it with water. The water will conform to bed shape. You'll have to sleep sitting up. And sandbags, you might want those. :lol:
Styrofoam peanuts!
... But with limited choices overall, with a dog, with a turtle, with bad credit but a good co-signer, it gets scary.
I'm getting really good at searches though, and I've worked out a few ways to tell which Craigslist entries are scammers. (they take actual realtor listings for the pictures and addresses, and then try to get you to wire them deposit money)
Have you looked at trailer parks? DO you qualify for section 8 housing?
What's also scary is all the shit in my crawl space which I have to throw away somehow. Wow, I probably have to contract for a dumpster to get that done. Shit.
We just moved Mom out of her house and had to do the same thing, but is was 2 households of "stuff" accumulated over 60 years. There was a house in the area that always had something on the front lawn with a handmade "for sale" sign on it. Mom knocked on their door and told them they could have anything they wanted from her house, for free, if they took it all. They took it all.
Styrofoam peanuts + H20 + sand + sunlight ===> NEW life on earth :worm:
Styrofoam peanuts + H20 + sand + sunlight ===> NEW life on earth :worm:
Like Doodle God!
if anyone in philly wants my big ass double leaf dining room table and 6 excellent chairs, please contact me.
i also have a big ass cabinet for putting dining room shit into
all are of the same hard wood and staining. my ex got all this shit in 1995 and it's all still in good condition, as if there was never really much of a life led around them. she has excellent taste in furniture that would fit well in any nice home that someone would simply abandon at some point in the future.
It sounds like that furniture is CURSED
;)
We bought a bed on Craigslist for the boy. If you don't get any takers here, a couple pictures on craigslist might help them move. A young couple looking to furnish a new home will be checking out craigslist hoping they can get some nice furniture and be happy to see yours posted.
When we were getting rid of all my dad's fancy old furniture, we sent photos to a consignment store and they came to pick the stuff up themselves in their truck. Now they just send me a check when something sells.
This afternoon I looked at a little farmhouse, built in the 30s, that new development forgot to tear down and replace.
It sits on a hill with a partly-paved driveway you have to back down. The exterior is a ridiculous combination of filthy stucco, fake brick face, about ten feet of modern siding, and unfinished concrete.
Because it's a farmhouse, the interior layout is just ridiculous. Most floors are painted wood. Most floors are uneven. All rooms are tiny. Every replacement window is a different make. The roof is not shingled, it has some other type of covering that I don't know about.
It has a large back yard, and beautiful woods, including a secret path down to the nearby Perkiomen Trail. So it's awesome for walking exercise, and for the dog.
The damp unfinished basement is not good for anything but laundry and storage. It doesn't look like it takes on water, it was raining while I looked at it. There were no signs of flooding, but it is "farmhouse damp". A good-sized dehumidifier could change things, probably improve living conditions as well.
An alarm system is installed, so it would only be a call to the alarm company to set up security. It's not like I have anything worth stealing, but maybe the nearby college student housing is a problem. There were two recent Natural Light empties out front, and a bunch of glass shit some student threw down the hill instead of discarding in a proper bin. It would be a pain in the ass to have Natty Light-drinking students walking around my domicile, but at least nobody is going to be drunk on that shit.
How much for a place like that and how big is it UT?
Despite all the negs, I really hope I get it. It's a little farmhouse. I think that's cool.
Here you can see the Cellar Car, the awesome woods, and the ridiculous front of the farmhouse. You can see the dirty stucco, fake brickface, and around the front door you can see modern siding. Obviously this place has been maintained by somebody who just plain doesn't give a shit. I think that's funny. Anyone know WTF that roof is coated with?
As size, there are 3 rooms on the top floor, but one is more of a den because it doesn't have its own entrance. All the rooms are tiny - the dining room would not be big enough for my two-leaf dining room table.
Rent is $1050. That is about 2/3rds of what the same sized apartment goes for, around here.
They want an additional month's worth of security deposit for a pet, even though tiny little Pearl couldn't do that amount of damage in her lifetime.
looks like roll roofing. same material as asphalt shingles, but in roll form. I used it for my roofing (there's a thread around here somewhere). It's popular for low pitch rooves. Also, it may be the case that the roofing material, whatever it is (sure looks like some kind of rolled material) has been coated with some kind of sealant. lots of flat or near flat rooves are coated in silvery sealant as protection against water intrusion due to the slower pace of runoff with a lower slope.
I hope you get it too!
Tiny rooms can be cozy :). Slap some paint on the front and tie all that together. Good thing about the roofing material roof is that if you have a leak, you can just lay some tarpaper and sealant on it and you're (cheaply) good to go.
Wow that's a lot of rent. Does it include utilities?
I hope you get it too!
Tiny rooms can be cozy :). Slap some paint on the front and tie all that together. Good thing about the roofing material roof is that if you have a leak, you can just lay some tarpaper and sealant on it and you're (cheaply) good to go.
presuming you can find the leak. water is devious and occult.
I like it.
What kind of heat? I'm guessing oil, but only because it looks like an oil kind of place.
The rent doesn't include utilities. The heat is oil and the mystery compunds there, because there's an oil tank in the basement AND another one outside. The agent thought the one in the basement was the "active" one, even though the one outside looks newer. Also there is a propane tank outside even though nothing inside runs on gas. Obviously someone didn't give a shit. I think it's funny.
Such a propane tank, if usable, likely goes to an RV. I have one for mine.
looks like living there would be a fun adventure! think off all the neat stories you will be able to tell. i like it
Looks like fun! I hope you get it. :)
Well, the best properties make an impression. The impression I get from this one is 'serial killer'. Was the alarm to keep people out or the previous occupant in?
Strange. My impression is of a cute, funky place to bake pumpkin loaf in and maybe weave a blanket in the living room (loom with a view), and room in the yard to run around jumping in the piles of leaves you raked up for just that purpose. Oh, and heading down that trail with the dog.
I like funky. Any property damage in the turtle department?
I like it, although some features like tiny rooms might be a PITA to actually live with. It has character. Is that an old hand-pump by the wall?
With a bit of garden work, you could survive the collapse of civilisation there. Small windows prevent velociraptor entry. How secure do the doors seem against zombie hordes?
I have been OKd for the lease. This settles a family conflict that could have scuttled plans... we are cleared for approach and may sign next week if all goes well.
The turtle department is a tough situation. Turt and his crew should ideally move to a 75 gallon tank. He'll need a stand that spreads that weight out, and it'll have to be on a piece of floor that can hold the weight long-term. (The floors are uneven, but they seem firm.)
Even if the floors are a little iffy, you can just go to home depot and get them to cut a 2 foot by 4 foot (or whatever) sheet of half inch plywood, and flop that down on the floor to be a base to support the tank and stand. It will spread the weight out so the floor can hold it no problem.
Fabuloso. I wanna come to the house-warming party!
Cooool! Think of all the dead hobo storage that place must have!
Win-win... the dampness will help them decompose.
Just occurred to me, though, come the zombie apocalypse, a basement full of dead hobos is the last thing you want, if it turns out to be one of those re-animate-the-corpses type of zombie plagues, and not the more common bite-the-living plagues.
That's some good forward thinking, Zen. It's so obvious in hindsight, but I never would have made the connection until they were all banging on the basement door to get through to eat my brains.
The turtle department is a tough situation. Turt and his crew should ideally move to a 75 gallon tank. He'll need a stand that spreads that weight out, and it'll have to be on a piece of floor that can hold the weight long-term. (The floors are uneven, but they seem firm.)
I built a stand for my son's 75 gallon tank, and I don't have mad JimHelm skilz. Just screwed together 2X4s. I'll try to remember to take some pix.
Thx, if you can - it's gonna be a Craigslisp deal and only half of those come with stands.
I like it, you don't have to worry about keeping up appearances. Small rooms can be a lot cozier in cold or stormy weather. Even closing off rooms to make it easier to heat is an option. Heating oil is sky high this fall, is the heat water or air?
Air
I like the idea of closing off rooms.
The owner has graciously given me -- just out of the blue -- $600 in PECO (electricity) credit, and offered to pay the monthly bill for an alarm company.
OKAY!
Although that makes me believe there's a reason for the alarm system. Guess I'll find out. Maybe once Pearl goes I should get a bigger dog?
I LOVE it! it gives off a 'cabin in the woods' kind of vibe that might be charming or scary as hell depending on how you play it. I DO love funky old places. The McMansions they currently build around here are sickening and they all look exactly the same - huge monstrosities. If you came home drunk there is a very good chance you'd wind up in the wrong home thinking it was your own. I hate the same-ness of today's unimaginative architecture in which HUGE = BEST. I little little eases, cozy cottages. I love my own house even though I bitch about it. It's pretty much a three bedroom cottage, really. Needs work- but, hey, after Dec. 21st, who's gonna notice?
Air
I like the idea of closing off rooms.
That makes it much easier.
Although that makes me believe there's a reason for the alarm system. Guess I'll find out. Maybe once Pearl goes I should get a bigger dog?
Or a recording of one. It shouldn't be to hard/spendy to augment their system with better sensors... an air raid siren on the roof... and Claymores. :nuts:
Zombie hordes aint skeerd of no dawg.
I also have to air condition it in 7 months... probably
In this case I wish I could buy the ACs on Craigslist right now, because they are dang cheap for an awful lot... two portable units would probably do this entire place
Hopefully the people who procrastinated will decide to upgrade in the spring and be giving the old ones away. This gives you 7 months to decide which rooms you actually live in and see how large a harem you accumulate.
A lot late for my well wishes but not too late for a big 'ole congratulation. I little cozy place in the woods sounds ideal. I'm happy for you :)
Tony, since you're going to selfishly spend your money on luxuries like food and moving, I guess we'll have to pony up to keep the Cellar running for a couple months. :smack:
Tony, since you're going to selfishly spend your money on luxuries like food and moving, I guess we'll have to pony up to keep the Cellar running for a couple months. :smack:
Chuh. typical Tony!
I had a big ol' plate of spaghetti just last night!!
Already the boxes accumulate... and I'm sorting out my life with this, too; for the first time ever, my various cables and AC adapters are in marked plastic drawers. Book boxes are separated by books I care about and books that can perish in a flood.
I sold 95% of my vinyl records (400 of them, for $175). (Kept the 5% that are valuable) Great sentimental value, but I haven't played any of them in 10 years.
"I sold 95% of my vinyl records (400 of them, for $175). (Kept the 5% that are valuable) Great sentimental value, but I haven't played any of them in 10 years".
Naw couldn't do it my wife's been nagging me for years to dump my records but i just can't clear the space, fuck they can bin them when I'm dead but until they're mine too many memories
Your new place looks like it would be ok in summer, whats the snow like in the winter?, could be fun digging the car out.
All the best for your move hope everything goes ok
Yeah.. digging that driveway out in winter is going to be hell. But it's MY hell.
I'm excited for you. I think it is lovely. BTW, are you in an area you can hunt? Looks pretty wooded
Yeah.. digging that driveway out in winter is going to be hell. But it's MY hell.
Can you park at the top in winter?
Can't you just melt the snow with 5 gallons of diesel and a match?
I'm pretty sure I saw that house on True Crime Stories the other day...
I can park at the top, but there are a limited number of spots. There are spots on the college property, but I don't know what the college thinks about using them.
Sarge, the woods are 20 feet deep to the North, ending in student apartments; 100 feet deep to the West, ending in the local police station; 40 feet deep to the South, ending in modern big-ass housing; and 1000 feet deep to the East, ending in a creek.
So if the varmints are to the East I'm good to go.
And check the wind direction before smoking outside... or blame it on the college kids. :joint:
Oh and
Can't you just melt the snow with 5 gallons of diesel and a match?
The local fire department is across the street from the local police department. I think it would make them want a word with me.
yeah... the kinds that may be used against you in a court of law.
yikes.
Dang! I thought it was more isolated. I still think it is a great place
Well, it all depends. What's the bag limit on stoner college kids?
(Try not to hit Ibby, though!)
My wife went to college there. One time when we were in the area, she showed me around the old stomping grounds.
Maybe it's a little stalkerish of me, but I looked the place up on Bing's map based on your descriptions. It's right in the heart of town, but in the woods. I love it. I hope you get it.
It's right in the heart of town, but in the woods. I love it. I hope you get it.
I hope he gets it, too. But I want him to turn into a Dexter-like character and post to us about it.
is that wrong?
Yeah I didn't want to turn it into a Where Is This? but that's fine, I trust you guys, glatt most of all.
And I will have a free alarm system and be 100 feet from the cops.
Lease signing is tomorrow BTW. I'm getting it.
Hmmm...maybe it wasn't that place then... :)
It looks more woods-y on Google sat view BTW. It was winter when Bing got to it.
although... I guess it will be when I get to it as well
Yeah I didn't want to turn it into a Where Is This? but that's fine, I trust you guys, glatt most of all.
And I will have a free alarm system and be 100 feet from the cops.
dude, I already know
where to find you.
Lease signing is tomorrow BTW. I'm getting it.
When is the party?
oh, and do you want to come to Amandas costume party on the 27th?
Better hit the tip jar so he can afford it.
I kicked the tip jar right in the nuts last month.... All my extra money is going into my viking costume.
That wasn't addressed at you, just a general notification things are weak this particularly needy month.
I don't so much do either Halloween or parties, but if you guys want to get together elsewise I would be happy to do that!
ya'll can all come party down here! the theme would be "deliverance". let me see if i can find my banjo
Took delivery of the key today and went over and measured the place out.
Immediately started panicking. This will be my first move since 1993, and I spotted some mold on walls and ceilings that I hadn't noticed before.
I'm handy enough with a sponge and bleach but damn the place needs a dehumidifier
I don't understand how the old heat works; I thought it was air heat because there are registers, but they guy said it was water, could it be below floors? Are there actually two systems in the place? And do I know where the oil gauge is? No idea, or where the tank is refilled.
No water in the basement, just plenty of dampness
OMG are the doors wide enough to fit all my shit in? Didn't think to check that
And there are at least 11 windows needing "treatment" of some sort, you know, blinds and shit so people can't look in
I can't handle it, I'm freaking out.
Yes you can. Take a deep breath. One thing at a time.
First: window treatments...blinds or curtains. Don't want to sleep with any night windows gaping wide open.
Second: dehumidifier. Let it start working while you figure out what you can fit through each door.
Third: git up here and clean my house. That will take your mind off your place and result in mine being clean. Win-Win. ;)
UT - I wish I could ocme over to help you. Surely the landlord or agent will show you how the heating works? Are there curtain tracks/poles at the windows? If not putting something up is still pretty straightforward. You could prioritise the rooms you're likely to use after dark first.
In fact, the simple act of putting an electric light on the window sill obscures most of what's in the room behind it anyway, as far as I recall.
I missed the part where you found a place! I just went back and had a look. Really cute farmhouse UT!
A thought for immediate window treatments that'll give some privacy while you look for blinds etc. - get paper accordion horizontal blinds from a place like Home Depot or Lowe's. About $4-5 each and they last a long time. Gives you some breathing room.
Speaking of which, breathe. Bleach will help the mold situation. Dehumidifier, ditto. Your stuff will most likely fit through the doors unless you have a regulation snooker table. Compartmentalize, take one thing at a time. You can do this.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, don't worry about the window treatments right now. Just tape newspaper over them. Or even better, tissue paper, because that will let in some light. When you get settled in, you can pretty the place up at a pace that feels right.
The mold you know how to deal with, and get a dehumidifier in there as soon as you can get around to it. Yes. You can fit stuff through the doorways. May take some twisting and turning for the big stuff, but it will all get in.
You'll be just fine. Really. You will.
If you don't understand the heat, just ask the landlord to show you.
You can do this. You'll be fine.
~snip[~
If you don't understand the heat, just ask the landlord to show you.
If you don't understand the heat, get out of the kitchen. ;)
These sorts of things seem easy when you're looking back. Just do what you can when you can and don't think of it as a huge looming project!
It would be fun to have a Cellar Help With Tony's House Party.
Yeah, what glatt said.
I hate moving house. Always have. But the idea of it usually ends up being worse than the reality. It'll all work out.
Deep breathing.
One thing at a time.
First things first.
It WILL get done.
I moved ten times in seven years. it's always a bitch, but it IS doable and you are not alone nor are you expected to know each and every quirk of this house. ASK for help.
It will be okay. In two months, you'll be living just fine.
Are you moved in yet? Huh, huh? Are you, huh? Well?
;)
Let me know when the party starts! :)
No water in the basement, just plenty of dampness.
Dampness is probably due to no gutters. Winter heat means dampness will be reduced. But plan on a better solution by spring.
Helpful would be a shovel. Ground at the foundation has insufficient slope. Minor regrading from the foundation five feet out would help signficantly. Even better would be a some topsoil so that shade grass can grow. You probably do not want to buy soil. But even shade grass growing in sloping sand would help.
Many in that sandy region routinely operate a dehumidifier in their basement all year. Green slime on the foundation identifies dampness has been a long standing problem from insufficient grading and no gutter .
Standard exterior door and hallways is three feet. If that wide, then no problem.
Debbie Jellinik (homicidal black widow on the prowl) "These Addams men! Where do you find them?"
Morticia: "It has to be damp,"
:)
I'll be Tish if you'll be Gomez.
One option for windows is to cover them in bubble wrap.
It is insulation, it lets light in, but blurs the image for a bit of privacy.
And it gives you something to do with all that bubble wrap you just used when you moved house.
And if you feel the urge, you can go around popping the bubbles!
Do you want me to take a look at the heating system?
Appreciate it xoB, I am going to try to figure it out over this weekend, when I go in to to the mold work. If I can't figure out what's up I'll cry for desperate help. Surely there has to be a gauge for the oil and I should be able to trace how it operates, right?
I am just freaked out right now.
No, there's often no oil gage, and it's filled on a time basis if you're signed up for automatic deliveries. They play it safe and fill it before it's necessary, the first few times, then when they've got your usage figured out they have a computer program that takes the weather into account to schedule deliveries.
I have a gage on the tank but it's not worth a shit, so I generally knock on the side if I'm curious, as it will sound different above and below the oil level. Or if I'm really concerned, pull the plug on top and dipstick it.
Just tape newspaper over them.
Hmmm... will his landlord think he's making crank?
I like the bubblewrap idea.
The gauge should be on the tank. Is the tank inside or outside?
Inside, I haven't looked at it up close yet because I didn't have a flashlight.
The bank approved my house's short sale. As long as the buyers are still ready to buy, this completes this phase of the whole thing.
And they are giving me moving expense money - it seems people are so skint when they short-sale, that they can't even get out of dodge.
Keep on keepin' in. One step at a time. X
Sent by thought transference.
gettin' those ducks in a row!
Progress is good. Hang in there. Nice to have the moving expense allowance!
Inside, I haven't looked at it up close yet because I didn't have a flashlight.
I only ran out of oil on holidays. If it happens, go get some kerosene, and that will get you through until they can deliver.
gettin' those ducks in a row!
Fuck that, get 'em in the freezer. :lol:
Moving day is Dec. 5th. I booked professionals to take care of it, no help needed.
Great! Christmas in a new house. You will have to post some pics when you get settled
Great news! I highly recommend the experience of professional removers. Expensive maybe, but so SO worth it for making the stress more bearable.
Hiring movers is the best gift you can give yourself right now.
I hired the basketball team from where I used to work to help me move from my apartment in the sky!
All I can think about is the Seinfeld episode where Keith Hernandez (played by Keith Hernandez) wants Jerry to help him move. Jerry is freaking out about how he doesn't know him that well, it's awfully early in the relationship, etc. He tells Kramer about it and Kramer says "What? You barely KNOW him!"
Because friends will help you move, and better friends will hire people so they don't have to help! Seriously, moving is rough. Good for you re: the movers.
Four out of the five friends who offered to help me move are guitarists. I told them (on facebook) that they shouldn't be risking their hands and fingers on this. I have a lot of heavy shit I've accumulated over the last 19 years.
Friends are wonderful...but anytime you can get the professionals to do it, then do!
I need to hire someone to do a bunch of stuff at my place, but I can't even let myself let the neighbor guy who offered to buff out the scratched part of my car help me. It's a big issue with me: letting people help.
Then again, when you're paying someone it's win-win.
Great news! I highly recommend the experience of professional removers. Expensive maybe, but so SO worth it for making the stress more bearable.
Especially when you're moving to/from an island :rolleyes:
To my horror Verizon FIOS does not serve shitty little farmhouses
I am required to get *gasp* Comcast service
The process of just trying to order service has been horrible
Multiple chat sessions with semi-anonymous chat agents from around the world say that some sort of error prevents them from completing my order. It goes like this:
analyst Fahad has entered room
Fahad: Hello Undertoad, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Fahad. Please give me one moment to review your information.
Fahad: It's nice to have you on chat & serve you with the services of Comcast. How are you doing today?
Undertoad: excellent
Fahad: I am glad to hear that you are doing excellent.
Fahad: Welcome to the Comcast Family. I truly appreciate your interest in Comcast as your chosen service provider.
Fahad: As I am delighted that you would like to sign up for HD Preferred Plus XF Triple Play with 2-year agreement.
Undertoad: I look forward to the service
Fahad: Sure.
Fahad: I will now create an account for you. To create new accounts we require to run a credit check. I will appreciate if you allow me to run the Credit Check.
Fahad: To process a request for new service, it is our policy to verify identity through credit check to determine if a deposit is required.
Undertoad: During the order process I paid a deposit to bypass the credit check
Fahad: Okay, let me check.
Fahad: Undertoad, as I checked that Credit check is not done yet.
Fahad: And system didn't charge the deposit amount.
Fahad: And I will run the Credit Check and I will let you know the deposit amount.
Undertoad: OK
Fahad: Thank you
Fahad: Would you like to add the name of another person as an authorized user who will have the right to make the changes to the account?
Undertoad: no thank you
Fahad: Okay.
Fahad: As I checked that you need one HD Box for $9.25/month
Undertoad: OK
Fahad: I am working in your account so please bear with me.
Undertoad: no problem
Fahad: Thank you
Fahad: There is a one time installation fee which is $34.99 + additional box installation is $14.15 and for the Non published set up fee $15
Undertoad: OK
Fahad: And I would like to inform you that this package will cost you $129.99/month for 12 months and after 12 months it will cost you $159.99/month and after 24 months it will cost you $179.95/month
Undertoad: OK
Fahad: Undertoad, I am getting an error so I am trying it to resolve it, so please bear with me.
Fahad: While waiting, let me share with you one of our FREE services. DESKTOP DOCTOR. This free, downloadable application helps keep your computer and Internet connection running smoothly. If you ever lose Internet connectivity or your email stops working in the future, Desktop Doctor remembers your original settings and will get you back to surfing in no time. Here is the link: (link deleted)
Undertoad: This is the second time my order has gotten an error at this step.
Fahad: No problem!
Fahad: I am almost done with that error.
Undertoad: OK
Fahad: Please give me few minutes.
Anton: Take your time
Fahad: Thank you for the understanding.
Fahad: Undertoad, the error is that you can go with the Starter XF Triple Play for $99.00/month for 12 months with the 2 year agreement.
Fahad: HD Preferred Plus XF Triple Play with 2-year agreement this package is not in your area.
Fahad: So no worries, you can later upgrade the services.
Fahad: And we have the Starter XF Triple Play without agreement also.
Fahad: So shall I add the Starter XF Triple Play?
Undertoad: What level of Internet service is included with Starter XF Triple Play?
Fahad: In this you will get the speed up to 20 mbps.
Undertoad: Thank you. What is the price without the 2 year agreement?
Fahad: It is same price.
Fahad: And if you go without agreement, you can cancel it anytime.
Undertoad: Thank you. I would like to order the Starter XF Triple Play without the 2 year agreement.
Fahad: Sure.
Fahad: I am adding the package so please bear with me.
Undertoad: no problem
Fahad: Thank you
Fahad: Undertoad, I am still getting an error.
Fahad: Undertoad, now this error is showing that you need to visit our Local Service Center.
Fahad: And they will process your Order.
Fahad: I tried a lot but nothing happens, I am sorry for that.
Undertoad: Fahad, I am sorry that you have to work with Comcast. I know that it must be very trying and difficult. I hope for better days for you.
Fahad: I do understand your frustration.
(Comcast Live Chat Survey)
If there is anything else you would like to share about your online shopping or chat experience,
Please enter your comments below.
----------
I am... amused, at your company's inability to simply allow one to sign up for service. Hey, person reading this comment: I'm sorry that you have to endure the process of reading comments. Wow that must be a tough job. I guess what I'm here to say is, don't let the Comcast negativity here get you down in real life. Sure, people wind up in this inbox because they had a bad time, but in real life they may just be having a bad day and had to endure a 45 minute chat session that they expected to result in an error and did. If you are in Philadelphia I think you should enjoy a Tastykake and have a better day once you get off work.
----------
Submitting...
Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server error '80040e57'
String or binary data would be truncated.
/sdccommon/inc/db/dbcommon.inc, line 272
I'm unhappy with Fios (TV). We get boned either way
so, error on the comment as well.
how fitting.
I fired Comcast years ago and I've **NEVER** looked back. I have the greatest sympathy for you UT. Good luck.
Perhaps there are other options in your area (I know you know your stuff in this area) like Clearwire or the phone company for DSL? Pony express would be better than Comcast. Good luck man.
You said there was a student apartment building very close. You should drive by and sniff for unsecured wifi. Maybe you don't need to pay for anything at all.
Four days ago I used Verizon's online system to check for availability of FIOS. It told me there is no FIOS service to my new place. I clicked on the "notify me when service is available" button and sadly went off to attempt to get Comcast.
As you know, Comcast then completely whiffed on making me a customer with their horrible and repeated incompetence. But without any options, I was prepared to visit a Service Center on Friday and get my needs addressed.
Today I get an email.
And a song pops in my head.
Once in a while from out of nowhere
When you don't expect it, and you're unprepared
Somebody will come and lift you higher
And your burdens will be shared
Yes I do believe, if I hadn't met you
I might still be sinking fast
I've had a long streak of bad luck
But I'm praying it's gone at last
Gone, gone, gone at last
Gone at last, gone at last
I had a long streak of that bad luck
But I'm prayin' it's gone at last
-- Paul SimonSweet! You tell him, Paul. :)
I'd edit out that address.;)
thankfulness...we should have a day where we give thanks for blessings like this..
Oh that address is already faked.
Be nice to Verizon or there are consequences... :haha:
I have comcast (no other cable choice) where I live now ... everything you've heard is true *shudder*. I get better bandwidth at Starbucks or McD's. And I have a contract ... :mecry:
OMG its moving day and the job is half done and I am so beat I can barely move. This sucks. Never buy a lot of stuff and not throw it away. Now I have to bin 3 tons worth of shit and I am in deep pain.
Exactly, that's why I
kept the house.
Then after everything is moved, find a place in the clutter to make a nest where you can sleep. Get up tomorrow, racked with pain, and realize Pearl and life need attention, it's got to be organized. Sucks.
Do you have heat?
Ach. If I hadn't been up most of the night with a sinus headache, id a come a helpa.
You need any help friday afternoon?
Appreciate it, but that's one of the stressful bits: everything has to be out by Friday morning for the official settlement. There can theoretically be compromise on this but I don't want to risk it. The new folks wanted to get their contractor in even before I left... they are antsy because they want it remodeled and ready for a Christmas move-in. And there will be more to do than they think.
It's getting less stressful because the moving guys are excellent and they are really getting it done.
I was thrown a horrible curve because my friend is helping me move the turtle, his wife's MRI results came back with a brain lesion yesterday. Made my problem seem tiny in comparison.
And I do have heat, although I had to reboot the furnace.
I do believe this is the most tired I have been since the infamous cross-country ski weekend where they forced us at gunpoint to run trails all day and fed us only one meal of gruel. I'm 49, that weekend was when I was 19.
Tonight I have to move the turtle. Tomorrow I have to throw out everything left in the old place. Friday I have to go to settlement in the morning and probably stay there all day. Saturday I work the shop during the day and play Burning Bird at night. Sunday will be the first rest. I expect to sleep in.
Good luck tomorrow and Friday, UT. Sorry for your pain; every time I've moved, I've sworn I'll never do it again!
Hang in there and focus on how good sleeping in on Sunday will feel.
Hang in there Bro. You're almost home.
I actually feel your pain. Physically. It's concentrated in the knees and lower back.
Apart from narcotics, liquid Advil is da best. I take 4 200mg every day just to move. But I still hurt.
It'll get done. You'll settle in. It takes a good while no matter who you are or what you have. My thoughts are with you this thursday morning. and they will be more so on Friday. :flower: and XO
eta: I know from moving PITA. I moved 10 times in 7 years. When I got to this pixie hollow I swore: they're gonna take me outta here in a box.
Last night a friend helped move the turtle and cleared half the garage. I dtruly didn't realize how much work had to be done and how much dust it would generate in the process. Got back at 11:30, slept in this morning until 9:30! Now today I have to do it again and I'm renting an SUV so I can throw shit in there if I fill the dumpster!
GAH it's horrible! But the great news is, with my stuff in it, with the heat and dehumidifer going, the farmhouse is better than I thought. It's really "me" and also, my allergic cough seems to be improved overnight. Maybe the old house was more toxic than I thought. Now to shower, medicate Pearl and myself, and begin the long grueling final day.
It's great that you can already see that the new place is you (we knew it anyway!). You really are on the homeward stretch now!
Movin'
On a Thursday afternoon
Really couldn't get away too soon
Glad you're liking the place!
this new place---it IS hobbit worthy, right?
Pics or it never happened
You're doing great, hard work UT. Good man.
One more day and it'll all come together ...
Glad it's feeling right. Good sign. Good luck today!
UnderToad:
Youa gonna geta biggga box in the next week or whatevah.
It's not anything you can use but I want you to know right here, right now: it is NOT a bomb, okay? Or a toy car. But the box is the size of - well, it's huge. But only b/c I was too lazy and hot and tired and my fucking knees are killing me that I got such a big box for such a small thing. But it will be YOUR thing and I HOPE HOPE HOPE it makes you laugh at your home the way I laugh at mine.
But remembah- bigga box but no-a dangerous, K?
thank you lots! just checking in it is 115 and i am not done and walkthrough is 830 i have to return and get one more truckload fuck me this is horrible and if i survive i shall throw out everything worldly possessions are a fraud good night
Nearly there, mate. You're nearly there. X
Sent by thought transference.
One foot in front of the other til it's done, old bean.
*sending warm thoughts and a cup of something soothing*
ah, very poor timing on my part. I apologize. It's a small thing, it will make you laugh and you WILL come to treasure it, you hear me? YOU WILL!
;)
or you can chuck it. Either way.
PS: if the farm house doesn't work out you can probably LIVE in the box (j/k)
after thinking it over, Tony, I haven't sent it yet and iffen you don't want it-no problem. I can keep it. let me know after a bit how you're feeling on 'stuff' as George Carlin says.
Last day, UT. Good luck ... and after the paperwork's done, take a loonngg nap.
Hope all goes smoothly!
I'm gonna go look at an apartment 5 minutes away from my work today. 3 hours in the car each day is becoming intollerably annoying (8.5 years now). Money saved on gas, tolls and demo should all but pay my rent.
I have re-thought my position, Toad.
I'll just send the equivalent of the gift in what you can use:
$
It was just a framed Brian Froud print anyway (of a rock door opening into a hobbit hut) No biggie. I can keep it.
I'm gonna go look at an apartment 5 minutes away from my work today. 3 hours in the car each day is becoming intollerably annoying (8.5 years now). Money saved on gas, tolls and demo should all but pay my rent.
word.
My sister figures she spends 500/month on gas. And we don't have tolls.
Jim, if that works out, it will be a huge improvement to your quality of life. You won't know what to do with all your free time.
Let's see. 3 hours, times 5 days a week, times 50 weeks a year, times 8.5 years. That's 6,375 hours.
What's the saying? You need to spend 10,000 hours doing something to become an expert at it? Dude. Don't give up now!
I would love to not have the commute, but I won't live in this armpit that smells like a fat rendering plant.
i kid about the material posessions
it is done. i am no longer a homeowner
now moar sleep
Well done that Toad!
How's Pearl coping with the upheaval?
This place could work.
Bottom half of a big old house. Big front porch. Garage! Basement! The kitchen is nasty, but they are going to replace the counters.
Quiet, shady street. I could ride a bike to work, its so close.
Once I factor in utilities, tv, cable, insurance.... $1100/ month?
I spend $600/ mo on gas. That should drop to maybe $200.... I'll save $120 on tolls..... My demo allowance will be $400 Thats $920....
I think I will do this.
Probably .
How's Pearl coping with the upheaval?
As Griff said:
She'll have you and her bed, old dogs can be content with that.
Immediate contentment:
She had been having arrhythmia every day for four days. Now in the new place, nothing for the last two. And it's been nothing but change: new smells, boxes covering every spot of space, new layout... but it's the same old bed, same old owner, just figuring out where to pee.
She has labored breathing sometimes, which is new, but that's what the Lasix is for and extra doses of it keep her comfortable.
I'm really glad that at least she will have had at least a little time at the new place.
This place could work.
Bottom half of a big old house. Big front porch. Garage! Basement! The kitchen is nasty, but they are going to replace the counters.
Quiet, shady street. I could ride a bike to work, its so close.
Once I factor in utilities, tv, cable, insurance.... $1100/ month?
I spend $600/ mo on gas. That should drop to maybe $200.... I'll save $120 on tolls..... My demo allowance will be $400 Thats $920....
I think I will do this.
Probably .
those are the best kinds of apartments. All of my old places were in big old houses...3 of them being the old servants' quarters.
I can't imagine why anyone would live in an apartment complex...unless you were in the middle of a city or something.
Do it, jim...sounds awesome!
Glad Pearl is well, UT.
Ohhh look ather little face. She looks comfy and warm :)
So glad to hear she's settling in well. Showing you a good example!
Sent by thought transference.
I let her out thinking she had to poo, but instead she headed right down the hill to the trail in the woods.
Since she's deaf I can't call her. I have to follow her so she doesn't go too far.
She is loving this entirely new set of smells. Even all the floors are different. I wonder what she is learning.
hahahah nose to the ground as she goes. She looks like she is concentrating really hard.
That is so great!
Sent by thought transference.
So glad she's interested and exploring! Nice to see the pics. :) As long as she has you everything in her world is good. Hope you're also doing okay - at long last things are done, right?
I don't know if it's just the rebound from all the work I put in for the last few days, but tonight, I feel *great* about this.
Downsizing means my biggest problem now is trying to sort through the 50 boxes filling the 3 rooms on ground level. It really means I've done what I should have done years ago: find a little unique space and make it my own. I know you know what I mean!!
:)
I do.
Reminds me of a part in St Elmos's Fire, where the rich girl gets her own little apartment and says (paraphrase): i made a peanut butter sandwich, and it was my peanut butter, and my bread... (something like that.)
Pearl is doing doggy things...so cute.
I'm so glad things are better for the both of you and now you can relax and settle which is the fun part.
You and Pearl have both found your groove. Good stuff.
Happy for you Tony. Sounds like all the work has been worth it. The stress removal is probably incalculable. Good for you.
I have a two bedroom house, one bedroom for me, and one bedroom for stuff... and boy is it stuffed. :haha:
I have a one bedroomed house. With a single main room downstairs. Tiny rooms at that. Colloquially known as a 'one up one down'. It's also a 'back to back'. There's no back door. The back of my house is the back of another house facing in the opposite direction. I am surrounded (as in share walls with) on three sides by neighbours.
And my puppy has recently discovered the unparralleled joys of a fucking good bark.
Exactly, that's why I kept the house.
Then after everything is moved, find a place in the clutter to make a nest where you can sleep. Get up tomorrow, racked with pain, and realize Pearl and life need attention, it's got to be organized. Sucks.
Do you have heat?
I do have heat, although I had to reboot the furnace.
Update, ha ha no I don't have heat. Rebooting the furnace doesn't work any longer, and now I must call for service. Meanwhile, the space heater and the computer beat a 15A circuit. And it can pleasantly wait until tomorrow, because tomorrow it'll be 65 degrees F.
It will take a little while to learn the idiosyncrasies of the new (old) place. You're kinda like Pearl, checking stuff out, except you probably use your nose less. ;)
maybe don't pee on every damn thing either
Update, ha ha no I don't have heat. Rebooting the furnace doesn't work any longer, and now I must call for service. Meanwhile, the space heater and the computer beat a 15A circuit. And it can pleasantly wait until tomorrow, because tomorrow it'll be 65 degrees F.
When you push the reset button on the burner, does it try to start... like make all the clicks and whirrs but shuts down in less than a minute without firing?
You have fuel?
You may just need to bleed the fuel line. There is a little chrome bolt with a nipple somewhere.
Yep over 1/2 a tank. I did see a Youtuber on bleeding the line. I will give that a try first, that seems simple enough. (And yet they won't tell anyone to try it because it's fuel and 1 out of 100 will kill themselves.)
I must say I was very satisfied with the heat while it was on. It was hot.
If you haven't had a pro come out and service it, you should really do that. I always did it once a year. they need to clean the burner, and the chimney. If you have blockage in your exhaust, you could kill/injure yourself with the carbon monoxide. A service call should cost around $100. Wingard Oil was my local company in Elverson 610-286.5300 Tom is a nice guy. Sam was a good honest tech.
maybe give them a try if you don't have someone you trust near by.
Yes, get a CO detector. Probably saved my life in my finished basement in my house years ago.
And Sam's experiences are proof positive of the potential consequences of a slow non-lethal dose.
I wonder what she is learning.
"There was a mouse here in 1942. Yeah, a mouse. And a cat. Smells like the cat got the mouse. Over here I smell a possum, 1954 vintage, by the bouquet. I love possum, I wonder where it went. Imma pretend I have to pee, when I get outside Imma hunt possum. Or maybe squirrel."
I must say I was very satisfied with the heat while it was on. It was hot.
that's the good kind!
"There was a mouse here in 1942. Yeah, a mouse. And a cat. Smells like the cat got the mouse. Over here I smell a possum, 1954 vintage, by the bouquet. I love possum, I wonder where it went. Imma pretend I have to pee, when I get outside Imma hunt possum. Or maybe squirrel."
Brilliant! And accurate, too :)
Sent by thought transference.
I would like to freestyle a rap about Pearl.
First, I will go to rhymes dotcom and look up all that rhymes with Pearl
she's deaf so it really doesn't matter if it rhymes exact-like
It means he can do slant rhymes!!!
Yep over 1/2 a tank. I did see a Youtuber on bleeding the line. I will give that a try first, that seems simple enough. (And yet they won't tell anyone to try it because it's fuel and 1 out of 100 will kill themselves.)
That's a good place to start. If your getting oil and it doesn't fire it's probably the igniter. If it fires but shuts down, it's probably the electric eye that shuts it down if it doesn't see a flame.
It means he can do slant rhymes!!!
Nononono.
Any time anyone mentions hearing, you say, "what?"
It's a thing.
I bled the fuckin thing. Now I have heating oil all over my hands, shoes, the floor of the basement, the empty Wawa cup which could not be placed correctly and the monkey wrench that served as a 3/8" wrench until it loosened as it always does because it is a ridiculous tool. AS AM I.
And no actual fucking heat, same symptom.
I AM THE ONE THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT TRYING TO FIX THE FURNACE BY THEMSELVES
That laughing you hear far, far away? It's me. In hell.
Sorry. *stiflestiflestifle*
[COLOR="Red"]
eta--laughing at your post, not at your situation.[/COLOR]
UT, have a cigarette to calm you down. With all that oil about, it might solve your heating problem too. Possibly permanently. ;)
Srsly, sorry about this PITA. I'd try to help, but I don't know squat about heaters.
I bled the fuckin thing. Now I have heating oil all over my hands, shoes, the floor of the basement, the empty Wawa cup which could not be placed correctly and the monkey wrench that served as a 3/8" wrench until it loosened as it always does because it is a ridiculous tool. AS AM I.
And no actual fucking heat, same symptom.
I AM THE ONE THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT TRYING TO FIX THE FURNACE BY THEMSELVES
Remember what I said about the shallow box or pan with cat litter?
Why isn't the Landlord fixing this?
I thought heat was pretty standard when you rented a place.
xoB of course not! I had a billion things to think about for the last two weeks...
Tril I only started pursuing them yesterday at 3:30. If they don't call me today I shall take action on my own and bill them for it, that's how I normally roll.
I bled the fuckin thing. Now I have heating oil all over my hands, shoes, the floor of the basement, the empty Wawa cup which could not be placed correctly and the monkey wrench that served as a 3/8" wrench until it loosened as it always does because it is a ridiculous tool. AS AM I.
And no actual fucking heat, same symptom.
I AM THE ONE THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT TRYING TO FIX THE FURNACE BY THEMSELVES
Fuck. That blows.
Nononono.
Any time anyone mentions hearing, you say, "what?"
It's a thing.
What?
HE SAID "PENNY/DIME TENSIONS NEARING ZOO PLAY SMUT"
Pay attention! ;)
xoB of course not! I had a billion things to think about for the last two weeks...
Tril I only started pursuing them yesterday at 3:30. If they don't call me today I shall take action on my own and bill them for it, that's how I normally roll.
Do it in writing, and send it by 1st class mail, and give them 3 business days to respond... unless the weather is/turns cold.
Otherwise, your landlord may be able to put the bill back onto you.
It's below freezing at night and the place can't be dehumidified when it's cold, that's emergency conditions enough for me.
OK, I wasn't aware it was already so cold in your area.
HUD and most state laws put responsibility for adequate heat/water/sewage on the landlord.
But timely written notice and proper delivery are necessary in most situations.
It means he can do slant rhymes!!!
Racist.
It's below freezing at night and the place can't be dehumidified when it's cold, that's emergency conditions enough for me.
I wish I had the tools, and access to parts, to help you out. :(
Racist.
it can't be helped. I was brought up that way. My mother indoctrinated me.
she extremely involved in Robert Louis Stevenson, Emily Dickinson, Louisa May Alcott---all those racists. ;)
It's OK xoB... the residents have figured out where there is heat... in front of any space heater!
And the real service guy is due here at 12:12.
Getting the heat turned on ... it's a good way to observe 12/12/12/12/12! :)
Such a cute picture of Pearl!
The dude thinks there is water in the oil tank. I am glad I can share this minutia of my life with y'all
Yeah, I didn't catch it all but he's headed back to the shop for some sort of putty, which sounds like maybe a dry gas kind of thing?
minutia IS life, baby.
Pearl looks happy.
The dude found water. He is getting the water out and changing the filter and a bunch of other stuff. Cain't be long now...
Dude is the man.
Where would any of us be without Dude?
I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there, the Dude, takin' her easy for all us sinners. Shoosh. I sure hope he makes The finals. Well, that about does her, wraps her all up. Things seem to have worked out pretty good for the Dude and Walter, and it was a pretty good story, don't ya think? Made me laugh to beat the band. Parts, anyway. I didn't like seein' Donny go. But then, I happen to know that there's a little Lebowski on the way. I guess that's the way the whole darned human comedy keeps perpetuatin' it-self, down through the generations, westward the wagons, across the sands a time until we-- aw, look at me, I'm ramblin' again. Wal, uh hope you folks enjoyed yourselves.
I don't know, he's starting on hour 3 here and he's on the phone with people trying to figure stuff out. I think I mighta gotten a less skilled dude.
He's gone and the heat's on
He says he got the water out, replaced the strainer, the filter, and the nozzle. He says if water got into the tank it could stop the heat from working again. He says the huge amount of moss growing on the intake pipe is a bad sign.
He's gonna tell the real estate company that they should change out the exhaust, because although it works now, it's decrepit and could block easily. I doubt they will do that, so I am getting a CO detector, or maybe several.
If the exhaust is prone to getting blocked with snow, or having little critters crawl into it (both of these things have happened in houses I've lived in), you can put an elbow on the exhaust pipe (keep the opening from being exposed to the wind, or from pointing upward) and a mesh over the opening. Although you guys probably thought of that stuff already.
And, CO detectors. What Trilby said: GREAT idea, one on each floor, minimum.
Yeah, a CO detector saved my life in my old house. I think i'm repeating myself...but i am all about the CO detector. I was laying on the sectional sofa, listening to surround sound watching big screen tv. Lazy day, tired anyway. Detector went off and i evacuated me and my cats and fixed the problem. I could have just fallen asleep.
My oil dude came today, 203.2 gallons, $735.58. :right:
Oh, he left me a new calender.
My oil dude came today, 203.2 gallons, $735.58. :right:
Oh, he left me a new calender.
Oh, well, then; NOW I understand your bill.
It was 35.58 for the oil and 700.00 for the calendar.
My oil dude came today, 203.2 gallons, $735.58. :right:
Oh, he left me a new calender.
Ouch.
Too bad you can't get it in NJ. 30¢ cheaper over here.
Sounds about my rate, except mine was watered down.
My oil dude came today, 203.2 gallons, $735.58. :right:
Oh, he left me a new calender.
Cheap. OUrs is 3.89/gal
I have gas. Must've been the broccoli I ate last night.
He's gonna tell the real estate company that they should change out the exhaust, because although it works now, it's decrepit and could block easily. I doubt they will do that, so I am getting a CO detector, or maybe several.
Rather than waste your money on a bunch of CO detectors, couldn't you just leave the windows open?? Cross ventilation should remove the carbon monoxide
CO detectors are probably cheaper than trying to heat the outside.
Rather than waste your money on a bunch of CO detectors, couldn't you just leave the windows open?? Cross ventilation should remove the carbon monoxide
You'd think so, but unfortunately it doesn't. CO concentrations can (i.e. have been shown to) rise to lethal levels in spite of major passive and/or cross-ventilation... much better to use a CO detector and be sure.
OK last night I discovered two new things about the place
One is the washer hookup does not drain, or does not drain fast enough, which left about a washer's full of wash and rinse water on the basement floor.
Two is the dishwasher was never actually hooked up to water.
I won't mention to the management company that hot and cold is reversed on two out of the three places it is dispensed. I find that part funny. But certainly it was some plumber's amateur hour out here, and damage has been done.
My dad's washer did that for two decades, though it leaked somewhat less water than that. His solution was that we were always to put a bunch of towels on the floor whenever we did laundry. I recommend you don't go that route, your kids will think you're cheap and lazy.
Hmmm but that makes me think... if I need to, I could drain the washer into a greywater holding tank of some fashion, and then siphon it outside. Or even carry it outside. This is only possible because it's a newfangled high efficiency washer which uses less water. Bosch, you know the Germans make good stuff.
On the dishwasher, I notice that the parts to actually hook it up are sitting under the sink. :D I also notice that it was never bolted in. Amateur hour.
Time to freak out on the management company.
Yeah. Better to complain about a laundry list of items now than a slow drip of problems over time. (See what I did there?) If you wait, then they will think you broke the stuff after living with everything being fine initially.
I don't freak out on anybody!
[YOUTUBE]s4G4mcYOXMA[/YOUTUBE]
Oh, it's not just the washer drain having a hard time draining... it's the entire house! After blocking off the washer drain, the morning shower overfilled the kitchen sink.
It would take an amateur a lot longer than an hour to fuck up the plumbing to this degree. I think you're dealing with a serious DIYer.
As a dedicated DIYer, you have my sympathies.
I also agree that you should make a list of these major items and present them earlier rather than later, and press for some kind of inspection/baseline/checklist etc.
Good luck man.
Does the toilet flush into the kitchen sink too?
Sounds like there might be roots growing into the sewer pipe outside. A good plumber will be able to identify the problem. It may require a visit from roto-rooter.
I also agree that you should make a list of these major items and present them earlier rather than later, and press for some kind of inspection/baseline/checklist etc.
Good luck man.
Speaking as someone who has never owned a house in her life, and for whom renting is the norm: totally do this. It is an absolute must do. The fact that the management company hasn't already done this with you is quite poor practice, but some are hotter on that stuff than others. If you don't then it is your word against theirs should any of this stuff prove awkward.
Does the toilet flush into the kitchen sink too?
Sounds like there might be roots growing into the sewer pipe outside. A good plumber will be able to identify the problem. It may require a visit from roto-rooter.
I thought of this too, and it was the source of the trouble for my house when I had some sewage backup. Fucking gross beyond words, not to mention seriously unsanitary. The answer was to bring in one of those BFG commercial rooters the size of a generator with mileage markers on the snake that went up to triple digits. He galumphed that monster down my basement stairs and setup at my main cleanout, just inches from the floor drain in the basement on the main waste stack. He fired it up and fed the snake down the pipe. rrrrRRRRRrrrrrrRRRRRrrrrrRRRRR... he kept this up for a while, frequently withdrawing the snake for inspection/etc. He brought it up and there was some foul witches' hair in a giant gross mass. Not hair, *roots*. Very fine, very many, growing through the concrete pipe laid down at construction time (70 plus years ago). He was waaaay waaaaaaaay past where my longest snake could ever have reached, and his cutting head was sized for the six inch pipe.
There was a happy ending (not that kind) and I haven't had any sewer backup problems since--zero.
UT mentioned a greywater holding tank, that sounds like he's on a septic system, something I know less about since my main experience is on city sewers. But he absolutely has, at a minimum, a problem with his sewer/septic line drains. This, in my opinion, is the responsibility of the property owner to fix.
No it's on the public water, I was thinking that *I* could do a greywater solution as a temporary fix to my laundry.
I hope that the toilet didn't flush into the kitchen sink, it's a 1.6 gallon and the place does slowly drain.... ermagherd I'm gonna have to test that though
Sounds like there might be roots growing into the sewer pipe outside.
This is what I was about to say before glatt kindly said it first. If the whole house is draining slowly, the main sewer pipe needs professional (de)rooting.
Well it is in fact raw sewage draining into my kitchen sink and my basement, and the management company's plumber did not call me today.
Can the health dept help you? That is disgusting!
Raw sewage is much better for you than that processed shit.
This is a vent to outgoing pipe. The plumber found that the system is 100% blocked and the blockage appears to be
concrete or something exactly like it.
Will the farmhouse be condemned? I'm suggesting they deliver me a chemical toilet and I can shower at a friend's every two days.
Yikes! Who pours concrete in to the pipes? And how did the landlord not know about this?
WTF?
Did the previous tenant leave on Bad Terms? 'cause as a way to screw your landlord, concrete in the sewer drain is a kicker.
No need to move if they fix it. It will be expensive for the landlord, but the landlord doesn't really have a choice. Get a backhoe in there, dig a trench, and drop a new line in. Could be done in a day if they can line someone up that fast.
This looks like a job for ....
SHITMEN!!!!
Like I said... put it in writing and mail it 1st class.
State and HUD regs deal with this, and if the place is un-liveable,
the landlord just might be financially responsible for moving you into,
and paying your rent for, another place.
Seriously... heat, water, sewage are essential services... everywhere in the US.
<< Real Estate Pro here. Put the problem(s) in writing, take photos, and mail it certified, return receipt requested. Ask for immediate resolution. Check online for legal notice periods for tenants and landlords (they vary by state). Give him that period of time before you start threatening legal stuff.
Before I got to this last picture, I was guessing blocked sewer vent. If that sucker is blocked, for whatever reason (and I also mean the one out the roof), it can fubar your entire drainage system. I had a 90 year old house (lots of DIY repairs by previous owners) and the underground sewer pipes were full of roots and they sort of neglected to put in an air vent for the added on bathroom downstairs. Oh the heartache, backache and headache figuring that out gave me. The picture and your plumber confirmed my thoughts.
WTF?
Did the previous tenant leave on Bad Terms? 'cause as a way to screw your landlord, concrete in the sewer drain is a kicker.
Gotta be what happened.
Previous tenant was family of the owner.
was he in the ready-mix business?
Suppose you were feeding hobos through some kind of mincer/grinder, but the fat congealed as it got colder down the pipe .... hmmmm ....
The way I operate is people get a chance to fix things first and I don't have to do anything until they don't fix it. The property management lady is now on top of it, has a sense of urgency (she was working it after hours last night), and has a plan in place where we try to dig it out with a power tool on Friday morning. That is reasonable. Nobody has to get all legal or panicky until it isn't or can't be fixed.
I generally get things by being super nice and understanding. I made the property management love me already, by having an emotional breakdown in their offices at lease signing, over my then just dying dog. I expressed to them that my mom was an investment property landlord, and I know what good and bad tenants are. They permanently know and remember me in that office and at the moment I benefit from a little goodwill. If I get all hardass now I lose that.
I still want to live here. They didn't know this condition existed. It was impossible to test for.
I think you're handling it perfectly. They know that they have to fix it.
UT, I understand and agree with your approach.
But, giving proper written notice does not make you a s-o-b.
It is just the fairest legal way for tenants and landlords to deal with one another.
It establishes the tenant's rights, which are necessary to avoid possible future
events such as law suits for unpaid/past due rent, eviction, and/or retaliation by the landlord.
If tenants are in a lease or month-to-month agreement, they cannot just walk away,
and certainly can not make repairs or alterations on their own
- usually unless they have (usually) written consent of the landlord.
Each state may be different in how written notices are to be delivered.
First class mail is the default manner, but you need to know what is required in your state.
In Oregon, others forms, such as registered, certified, return notice mailings, are not legally valid notices.
Lastly remember, all Property Managers, like Real Estate agents (by whatever title),
have a fiduciary responsibility to the property owner... not to the tenant.
Friendliness does go a long way ... right up to the point that $ is involved.
Sure, but the owner didn't have to give me hundreds of dollars in electricity credits or agree to pay for the alarm system. On good faith and money for nothing, they are well ahead of me. And if they correct the problems there is nothing to document. I'm not making work for me and everyone.
It sounds like the management company is getting right to work on the issue, and I agree, UT - keeping established goodwill is gold. Things can always get formal but hopefully they won't have to.
I'm not making work for me and everyone.
I always try this first.
Sure, but the owner didn't have to give me hundreds of dollars in electricity credits or agree to pay for the alarm system. On good faith and money for nothing, they are well ahead of me. And if they correct the problems there is nothing to document. I'm not making work for me and everyone.
ok, so you never said anything about any of this shit before. you tell us you've got raw sewage backing up in your new place, and that you'll go shower at a friends, and shit in a porta potty.
and then when we say DO SOMETHING, you get all cool.
wtf dude.
ok, so you never said anything about any of this shit before
Yeah i did, in this thread[ QUOTE ] [ url = ok, so you never said anything about any of this shit before.] Yeah i did, in this thread [ / url ] [ / QUOTE ]
Yeah i did, in this thread
fine.
so what do you have to say about acting all cool? hmmm???
Not sure I get this. I wasn't looking for advice on how to act, I was relating a new difficulty in my ridiculous life that occurred the same day as my dog dying.
Ok, I'll explain myself, and then I'll stop offering advice on this topic, as I clearly don't grok your situ.
My first post (#325) was me being frustrated at you because I perceived that you were moving into a fucked up unsanitary place with water in the oil, and shitty water backing into your kitchen sink, and you were apparently just bending over and taking it. That's how it seemed to me. Perhaps you underplayed the reaction of the management company. Perhaps I didn't read for comprehension. I clearly missed post #94.
Anyway, It seemed like you were telling us that you were getting fucked over, and then turning around and defending the fuckors. meh.
The 2nd post, was me backpedaling and trying to be funny.
I didn't say anything about your friend Pearl dying. Not in this thread at least.
SO, I Hope it all works out quickly and cleanly, and that your relationship with your landlord survives unscathed.
srsly.
OK well to clarify, I'm not getting fucked over; I'm inconvenienced by circumstances, which actually are not that bad. As you've noted, roofers shit in buckets. I could do that too. I have no pride, no shame, and no matter how horribly I treat myself I will be in better hygienic condition than my customers.
In fact, many people enjoy replicating my conditions, by going camping in tents. I have it better than they do. They have to shit in the woods. I could comfortably shit inside and then carry it to the woods. I have it great!
My life has become insanely surreal, mostly by my choice. That is what I'm documenting.
When you decide to move to a fucked up little farmhouse, this is part of the deal you strike. Things are going to be unpredictable. The place was built in the 1930s and halfway retrofitted for modern anything. It should have been bulldozed years ago, except that it was too close to student housing and too much on a hill for modern McMansion comforts.
It's fucked up. But that's also what I like about it. I could choose predictable plumbing, modern heating systems with central air, super modern appliances, and wall to wall carpeting instead of painted wood floors. But I'd also have to pay $500 more a month and have neighbors connected directly to my house. Most people prefer that, but I like this.
The RE management company couldn't have predicted the drainage problem, there's no way to test for it. They might have tested the furnace; since it worked for three days to begin with, they wouldn't have discovered anything. They did a lot of work getting it into a state where somebody could move in and I don't know what they discovered that I wasn't aware of.
jim, consider yourself buttƒucked in the mouth
AND on report
flint,
consider my balls.
Kindest sir,
I consider them a disgrace.
Yours truly,
P.S. Warmest regards,
P.S.S. "Happy Holidays"
Everything drains.
Fhew crisis somehow averted
Good, plus they don't hate you.
tony- I was going to say things can ONLY get better from here but I'm too old to fall for that trick and I suppose you are, too.
However, I am sorry and my heart hurts that this has all happened to you within a week or so of Pearl passing and I'm sorry about the drains and alll----I hate plumbing, car problems and lost money. but you've got a great attitude and I wish you the best.
PS--my cellar has water in it (a little or a lot depending on rainfall) every fucking time it rains. I know. I have roto rooter every 18 moths. No matter what.
Good, plus they don't hate you.
Oh yeah, and that. That, you know, lasting thing that continues to effect every single that happens for the duration of the relationship. That probably is important, right?
car problems
Last night I lost my keys while at the pawn shop. Probably dropped them in the street while I was getting lunch.
Yeeeeeeah. FML once again. When your life is in disarray, you don't operate normally. You don't put your keys in the same coat pocket, and put them down on the same desk every night. And so you lose them. I just gave myself a lot of pain and chores -- and car rental fees, to solve this problem until I can solve this problem.
This one isn't about the house, except that, pre-locksmith, I was able to break in so easily. Sammy at work suggested that the plumbing problem, the free alarm system, and the weak bolt on the basement door all say "Students broke into this house when it was vacant, and partied here, and threw shit down the toilet that they weren't supposed to." This theory is excellent.
He haveth wisdom of the fuckethed up.
There's book smarts, there's street smarts, then there's ghetto-pawnshop-broker smarts.
The other option is meth lab. You DID check for that, didn't you?
What evidence should I look for?
Bringin' this one back,
For the last few weeks there has been raw sewage draining into my back yard. I figured this out when one section of grass was MUCH MUCH greener and thicker than the rest of the yard.
I reported this to the RE management, and they sent a dude out who handed me a bottle of something and told me to pour the stuff in the shitter and flush twice.
It turns out that this is a septic system, and septic systems require maintenance. I never had one before. It turns out the emergency septic treatment liquid is a bunch of bacteria and enzymes that eat sewage sludge. The stuff goes down there and converts your black waste ooze into something more... drainable?
These bacteria literally eat shit and die.
Anyway, the treatment didn't work and there is still sewage in my backyard, so I just went and bought a bottle of the stuff myself. It says flush twice, but then don't flush again, and try not to drain any water for 24 hours. The dude didn't tell me that, so I'm guessing that I inadvertently messed up the first treatment.
24 hours began after the morning duke. Wish me luck.
Septic tanks need to be pumped out every few years ,
Shitty Job , but some body has to do it
I've been told that the box o' bacterium is bull. You just have to pump it every few years and don't flush anything that kills bacteria, so heavy use of chlorine (bleach etc.) is a no no.
I can't begin to tell you how pleased I am that you refer to your feces as Duke
We've never had our septic cleaned out. In fact, I've been told specifically not to have this done because it upsets the balance of the septic system.
We get our grease trap cleaned out every few months. That separates the grey water from the sludge and stuff that goes down the drains in the form of dirt and (obviously) grease.
Maybe you guys don't have grease traps over there and that's why they have to be cleaned out?
That's exactly why. The Great State of Pennsylvania, in its infinite wisdom, insists that grey water go into the septic system. Toad has an old timey leach field and may actually have a separate grey water route. My thoroughly modern super duper PA code version has a three chamber tank with pump to feed the great sand mound. All of which may eventually fail because we need to send all soap and grease into the dookie tank.
Grease and oil does Not go down the drain !!!!!!
We have a tank and leech field(put in by the now county judge ),
Problem is the ground around here don, t perk (absorb liguid ) for shit ,
And there is a few damp spots, so i fully expect a neighbor to nark us out again to the health dept , again
We have (I had--w00t) a cesspit, c.1850. Just a big dome of dry stacked shale about 8 feet deep and 15 feet in diameter. Gets pumped out about every year now since it is failing, when we get really heavy rains it fills with ground water and takes a few days to drain back down. Most of our neighbors' cesspits have failed in the past few years and they've replaced them. Costs about 5-7 grand. At $200 a pump out, you could do two a year and it would still take you 12 to 15 years to break even.
The yeast/bacteria stuff sort of works. The guys who pump your tank will tell you it's BS. Yeast and some fungi will eat oil and grease, probably some bacteria too. What happens with the cesspits is the dry stack stone gets packed in with solids and won't percolate the liquid through.
A neighbor has 2 55 gallon drums and a pipe into the woods , ssssssssss not many folks know
I think your definition of neighbor differs from mine.
A tank collects solids. Then liquids flow out to the leach field. Bacteria will decompose only some solids. Eventually the tank must be cleaned out.
Bacteria is to increase the decomposition. But once tank or field water is observed on the surface, then nothing short of digging can fix it.
In some cases, it might be a broken or blocked pipe from the tank to the field. In worst cases, the leach field must be dug up and reconstructed. Once water appears, then no 'magic bottle' will fix it. Especially with so little rain. And when earth in that venue is sand - soil that perks quite well.
There is still water on the surface, but no water at the top of the vent pipe, so I'm hopeful. It's one week so far, supposed to wait two weeks to prove it's better or not better.
In the meantime, don't walk barefoot on the squishy part of the lawn.
It's helpfully marked in black goo.
you need a gong farmer
ha new term, cool
or a rice paddy
There is still water on the surface, but no water at the top of the vent pipe
Is that water atop the leach field, where a pipe connects the tank to the leach field, or the pipe that goes from the basement to the tank?
Black goo means texas tea. Ask to purchase the mineral rights.
It is two feet around the pipe in the field. Nothing is in the basement. Yet.
It is two feet around the pipe in the field. Nothing is in the basement. Yet.
Never said anything about fluids in the basement. A basement reference was about where to look for a pipe (outside) that connects to the tank.
Likely is a clogged or broken pipe that flows into the leach field. Nothing short of digging will find or fix this type of problem.
Your ground perks so well that nothing short of a blocked pipe can result in surface fluids. Management is apparently trying to ignore or avoid the inevitable.
Any signs in your neighborhood that say, "Do not dig. Buckeye Partners."?
Well the first thing ya know old Toad's a millionaire...
Maybe start building a fertilizer factory. Raw materials already available.
Cannot say from pictures where the tank is located. Sometimes a tank is so close to the surface that grass above tends to die. So that the field is lower than the tank.
Septic systems typically have no vent. That 'vent' may be a cleanout installed because this has occurred previously. But again, what does the cleanout connect to? Pipe from basement to tank? Or pipe from tank to leach field.
Critical is for vents to exist instead on the roof (ie above bathrooms and kitchen).
Bacteria would not solve anything. A clog of some kind clearly exists. That water would be the daily useage by one person emptying onto sandy (good perking) soil. Virtually all sewage is empyting on the lawn. Nothing less (short of digging it up for inspection/repair) will solve it.
A cheap landlord wants to cut costs - ie bacteria. A landlord who saves money would have called a plumber immediately. With that cleanout, a problem might have been elininated in only one hour.
Rather surprised. In a location that urban, sewers would have long been required by the State of NJ. Your example is why so many towns had to eliminate septic systems. Too many cheatskates wanted to cut costs; refused to fix the actual problem. Caused too many health problems and polluted waterways.
Possible that problem has always existed. That fixing a leach field means he must connect to city sewers. So he just kept sending a guy out with bacteria - to cut costs and ignore an actual defect. To avoid having to connect to city sewers. Do sewers (ie manholes) exist?
Detail, plumber sent out earlier in thread was able to clear complete blockage overnight and establish drainage that lasted 4 months. Previous complete blockage had led to sewage backup into house.
RE company uses several different plumbers of generally low quality.
Female owns RE company, her daughter is the agent I work with.
Prefer to stay at this location, do not want to move again
Any area Dwellars need a roomie?
My credit score is 25. Is that bad?
All I need is a little cottage house in an area where I won't get killed. (And has high speed Internets)
*sigh* There's a good chance I have to bolt, because this place has met its match. It's an ex-dwelling, it has ceased to be livable.
Last summer they cleared up the septic issue that this thread detailed. That was good, because I was going to have to leave. At the same time, there appeared a leak in the roof. I forget if I told y'all that part.
The leak was pretty minor and I knew the owner did not have any money, so I told them, between the two issues, fix the septic first, because it's actually illegal. And in the mean time, I have never used the room where the leak is and don't intend to. I set up a tarp that drained all the leak water into a 5 gallon bucket.
So they never addressed the leak and now, as leaks always always do, it has gotten worse; until now there are multiple leaks, the room is a disaster area, my tarps can no longer hold, and the leaks fill a 5 gallon bucket in 8 hours.
Last week they sent a roofer out to look at the situation and he was appalled. On Tuesday I informed them that the situation had gotten worse with the last rain. They have not gotten back to me. It looks like I will have to move in a hurry, in the middle of winter, to a more expensive place.
This place is a shithole. But I don't want to leave. It's cheap for the area. Moving is a pain in the ass. There is a small chance they will figure out how to get the roof patched soon enough. I hope that happens.
Aw crap, sorry to hear that, if the roof is that bad a heavy snow could spell disaster. Unfortunately that damp location requires dedicated constant maintenance. Not something it's likely to get from a tenant who's passing through, property management company trying to keep costs down, or an absentee landlord.
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but if I were the landlord, I'd fix the damn roof. Sister any rotten rafters and nail a new deck down. Shingle over that. Hiring it out would cost a few thousand, but it's money well worth it if he can keep a low maintenance tenant.
If they lose you and then fix the roof so they can rent it out again, they won't be able to find anyone as accommodating who can also pay rent.
I would rather not wait until the disaster to leave -- unless I am going to get a check out of it, in which case, let the damn thing fall, it will be exciting.
Can't afford much else. I should really start moving things into a storage unit but what if they decide to patch?
How long a commute can you stand?
Do you have a hovercraft or flying car?
I'm not in a good mood today. A cow orker put dirty water into the coffee maker and I about took his head clean off. Sawed about 2/3rds of the way through and realized, they will confuse me for a terrorist, so I stopped.
dirty fucking water in the fucking coffee maker?!?!?!?
GIVE ME the saw; I'll finish the job just on general principles. fucking fuck.
...
I would welcome another roomie. I've got one at the moment and two bedrooms to spare. the commute might be a factor, unless the message you deleted was "yes, as a matter of fact, I *do* have a flying car. why do you ask?".
sorry to hear about the fucking living arrangements, man. I commiserate at a distance. I, too, have a (small, but persistent and circuitous) leak in my roof. grrrrr.
Move to lovely East Cornflake and live with me. Jobs are scarce unless you do IT and shit like that.
Research tenants rights in your jurisdiction. Have you been communicating in writing/email/text? At the very least, document your situation and (if you legally can) stop paying rent.
It's all documented and photographed and emailed to them over time.
I can see no advantage to playing legal. It's all very complicated, all the possible plays, but what I believe it comes down to is this: I have a lot of rights, but using them to preserve my status in a shithole is a waste of energy.
OK what I should do is rent a storage place, if I can find a cheap one further out of town, and start moving shit out right now. If they patch the roof I could stay, but eventually I'll have to go, so it's not a waste of time. They say storage rental is for losers, but it's actually cheaper than a dumpster. And I don't even think they can put a dumpster on this property. Does anyone in the area want my big awesome dining room table? Didn't I already ask this in this thread?
Fucking tag sale dude. Think of what it will cost to store the shit for a year and what it is actually worth as in cost to replace.
Toss anything that isn't worth the sq. ft. cost of the space it occupies.
I made that mistake once.
I'm gonna have to use a sawzall to get rid of this dining room table. And it's beautiful. It's always been an amazing table. Just so big.
Wow three ceiling level bookshelves full of books and it's kindling?
IDK It's your call. Are they built in? Books are sacred, I get that. I don't know if you are a pack rat or not. I was storing hardwoods and furniture plywood and a bandsaw and shit. At the end of the year I figured I spent about two grand to store $800 worth of shit. I could have given it all away and been ahead of the game.
You have lots of experience selling stuff. You could sell the table if it's as nice as you say. It would be a shame to destroy it when it could make somebody else happy and give you a little cash in your pocket.
Not ebay, but I bet you could sell it fairly easily on craigslist if you priced it correctly.
Is there a hole in the roof? And if so, are you sure there isn't just a guy peeing into it to see what will happen? ;)
I think you should talk to the landlord. Or is that who hasn't gotten back to you? I originally thought you meant the roofer.....
I hope they get back to you. What a horrible situation. I have no experience of renting in the US. Is there anything you can do about your credit score? is it worse now than when you started this rental? Doesn't the new, real job help?
....and apparently I'm tailposting as I missed the last page of posts. sorry. I hope you get resolution soon
I have a bit of room in my basement. Why don't you come over tomorrow night and have a look. I can't take in a roommate, but if you need a place to stay for a few days, you know I got your back. I'll have the kids over this weekend, but then I have two weeks with an extra bedroom if your roof falls in on you.
It's all documented and photographed and emailed to them over time.
I can see no advantage to playing legal. It's all very complicated, all the possible plays, but what I believe it comes down to is this: I have a lot of rights, but using them to preserve my status in a shithole is a waste of energy.
Yeah, if it's truly a shithole don't fight for it. I'm just saying: don't keep paying for it either.
It's true, if you just didn't pay rent, what's the landlord realistically going to do about it? As long as the rest of the house is livable, you could keep squatting for a good while longer.
I'm liking this approach.... it can't make your credit any worse, right?
....but do you need references for the next place and if so is this one you will need?
LJ that is a marvelous thing of you to offer and you, as always, remain the man. (Footer is currently mah man but being the man is also very important. Look at all the people who the man is keeping down.) My main emergency home is, I hope, with J. I didn't ask her but you know.
I think if this ended OK they would be an OK reference for me. With no credit and no reference I do expect to find another shithole to live in. And in theory there is a security deposit, and obviously there is no chance that I have damaged this place worse than they have.
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/pennsylvania-tenant-rights-withhold-rent-repair-deduct.html
http://tenant.net/Other_Areas/Penn/harris/pa-part2.html
Recent new law in Pennsylvania now allows the tenant to stop paying some or all rent if the landlord does not make necessary repairs. A tenant who withholds rent when a landlord has failed to make necessary repairs may have a good defense it the landlord decides to sue for back rent or eviction, if s/he can prove that the house or apartment is worth only the smaller amount of rent. This new law is called "implied warranty of habitability" and gives tenants more rights than the old law did.
...
Under the new "implied warranty of habitability" law, the tenant's obligation to pay rent and the landlord's obligation to maintain habitable (safe, sanitary and fit) premises depend upon each other. If the landlord breaks his obligation to keep the premises in a reasonable fit condition, this may relieve the tenant from his obligation to pay part or all of his rent until the landlord makes all necessary repairs. The landlord must be given notice of defects and a reasonable opportunity to make repairs, but he does not have to promise to repair before the tenant withholds rent. The warranty of habitability is required by law in all leases (oral and written). The repair need not be necessary to prevent further in jury to the property to justify the use of the warranty; generally, substantial housing code violations are sufficient. [...]
It is important that the tenant inform the landlord in writing of his/her intention to stop paying all or part of the rent if necessary repairs are not made in a reasonable amount of time. The tenant should keep a copy of the letter and copies of all receipts for repairs. If the landlord decides to sue the tenant for that portion of the rent which was withheld, the tenant will need these records as part of his/her defense.
I am not a lawyer, I'm just some insomniac sending you words thru a series of tubes.
I appreciate it
I believe what happens in those cases is I don't pay rent, I put the money into an escrow account... which they can then totally have, if they take up repairs. In the past, I have just asked them to take a sector of rent off, which worked out way better for me, because I didn't have to pay the whole thing and I didn't have to set it aside in escrow.
That may be an option if they can only patch, and not repair; I'd be happy to pay half the rent for a few months until I could get my shit together again.
Anything I can do to help, I'll gladly do, brother. The offer to crash stands. Or if you need to pull a trailer, my jeep is equipped for that. Good luck, anyway. Just remember.... It's not what you know. It's who you know.
Tony, have you investigated
Section 8, or
other options?
I'm not that familiar with Montgomery county, but
here's a list of "inexpensive housing" in Montco.
Whoa man, I'm not THAT bad off.
Or, really, to be more specific, if I'm gonna live in a dump, I prefer a private dump.
I don't mind shitting in a 5 gallon bucket, but I don't think it works out if we all do.
And like most Americans, I have immense sympathy for the poor, a charitable heart for the downtrodden, and I will do anything in my power not to interact with them.
I'm gonna eventually wind up in some sort of cottage house situation, perhaps in the West Chester area; which I think I would enjoy very much, if the roof doesn't leak.
Ugh sewage just died, it's not even freezing out, I think that's probably all she wrote on this ex-dwelling.
Backed up or overflowing outside?
welling up with emotion? Oh the septic... ick
Whoa man, I'm not THAT bad off.
Or, really, to be more specific, if I'm gonna live in a dump, I prefer a private dump.
I don't mind shitting in a 5 gallon bucket, but I don't think it works out if we all do.
And like most Americans, I have immense sympathy for the poor, a charitable heart for the downtrodden, and I will do anything in my power not to interact with them.
I'm gonna eventually wind up in some sort of cottage house situation, perhaps in the West Chester area; which I think I would enjoy very much, if the roof doesn't leak.
Sorry, it sounded desperate.
I've been told that there's section 8 housing that are twin homes in the 'burbs. Hope you find something suitable for a low price.
Based on what came out after my morning shower, my back of the envelope calculations say I have about 4 gallons of play in this system. It is very slowly draining. At this time, I can manage to stay here, under wretched conditions, while I get a new place. No need to panic.
Except for the slight potential of a massive snow storm coming this weekend. Well it's just a potential.
fuuuuuuuck.
I'm pulling for you UT.
For now, I'll resist trying to troubleshoot your pluming and roofing woes from this great distance, but I do wish to help. Please send me a message of any kind if there's something I can do for you.
Guess I should move the snow blower to the front of the garage. Don't want to be trying to get it past the motorcycle after it snows.
UT, consider doing what I did. Get a camper and live in that.
The rent is cheap and it's shelter until you can save up and find a better place. Neighbors in an RV park are surprisingly nice and friendly. I live right near Dallas and pay $255/mo plus electric. Water and sewer are included in rent.
I chose this route since I am only home four days a month and I cannot see my way clear to renting an apt for $800 a month when I will so rarely be there. Houses are even more around here. My camper is very comfortable with the a/c or heat on. I installed a 20 gal water heater so I can enjoy my showers longer than two minutes and replaced the mattress. I recently put in a 100 gal propane tank and can now get by with refilling it every three months or so for about $70.
RV living takes a bit of getting used to, but it's nice once you do.
Pam
"Get a camper," she said. Just get one.
No can do. Where there isn't so much cheap land, RV parks are not so plentiful. All of them within 45 minutes are seasonal and close down during the winter.
what town is work in again?
Trooper, they call it
My extensive craigslist research is turning up several cottage slash bungalow type situations. Some even slightly cheaper than what I pay now. A few apartments that seem interesting.
I don't think the search will be too bad. It's just hard to know the best way to move ahead. I should be calling some of these places right now. For some reason I just can't start it tonight.
do it from work tomorrow on a break. you will feel more worky. and that does sound like work to me.
I hope you get as lucky as I did. I still love my place and my neighbors are awesome.
Come on down to West Chester. You'll be 20 mins from here. Dan & I will have you over for dinner.
OK things are looking less bleak as, by midweek, the landlord contracted a bad contractor (IME, all her contractors are bad) to handle the septic system. He didn't fix it on the first try, but should be able to clear the problem on Monday.
I don't have to get out fast. I can try to be out March 1. I don't have to take the first place I find. Conditions are bad and the roof may fail, but I won't have to pay rent. There are fine places out there, better than this and not that much more expensive either.
Panic falling.
but not too deeply in case you inhale that mold or poop fumes.... ;)
Hope it all works out for you
Hooray for semi-good news!
Sounds like a notable improvement. Good.
Sent by thought transference
Good to hear UT.
The dinner invite stands. Oh, and we have a new bird feeder arrangement now. Come check it out anyway.
I looked at a place in King of Prussia today and realized how I am old
It had everything - everything! except two things were missing
One, no dishwasher.
Two, no insulation in the attic. Not one single roll.
In my 20s, 30s, and 40s, #1 was a deal-breaker
In my 50s #2 is far worse
In my 20s I would not have looked in the attic.
In my 30s and 40s I would looked and not noticed what was missing.
The owners bought the place in November and they are early-30s.
Now I look and I say, WTF you young people, with your investment property, you've put in all this attention to detail, you are at least pretending to be so anal about this place and yet you forgot about this. Because you are 30-somethings and you don't even know!
If this remains my favorite place, I will go back to them, and tell them to spend a few hundred and address that shit, because they want me as a tenant. Because I am fucking awesome as a tenant.
Wow...we had a dishwasher when I was growing up because my grandpa worked for kitchenaid...but this one right here is the first one I've had in my many dwellings since I left home. And I never use it. But I'm like Ms Bohemian.
Awesome tenants are awesome. I've also been accused of being one. There are so many nightmare tenants out there.
Glad you like the place!
I remember pretending to be a grown-up in my 30's. Grown-ups are mostly in their 70's and 80's now.
It's all over but the signing; I will be living in
King of Prussia.
Now I have to figure out a title.
Earl of Prussia.
Baron of Prussia.
Viscount of Prussia.
Dauphin of Prussia.
Duke of Prussia.
Admiral of Prussia.
Marquess of Prussia.
Sultan of Prussia.
Emir of Prussia.
Shah of Prussia.
Sieur de Prussia.
What is best, friends?
Now I have to figure out a title.
I thought everyone in King Of Prussia had an Imperial attitude. You could be something unique, honored, and special: Peasant.
Go the other way. Serf of Prussia. That's good, I like that.
Go the other way. Serf of Prussia. That's good, I like that.
When they say "Surfs Up", is that a complement?
Serf of Prussia is nice. You live in the kingdom, you work the land, and on your wedding night the King gets to bang your fiancee first. A man can be proud of that.
It's all over but the signing; I will be living in King of Prussia.
Now I have to figure out a title.
Earl of Prussia.
Baron of Prussia.
Viscount of Prussia.
Dauphin of Prussia.
Duke of Prussia.
Admiral of Prussia.
Marquess of Prussia.
Sultan of Prussia.
Emir of Prussia.
Shah of Prussia.
Sieur de Prussia.
What is best, friends?
Take a gamble on any of them. Prussian Roulette, you could call it. :)
If you were le Dauphin of Prussia, some wag would no doubt insist you were a shark.
Serf of Prussia is nice. You live in the kingdom, you work the land, and on your wedding night the King gets to bang your fiancee first. A man can be proud of that.
Ha!
Dwellar of Prussia
Sir Toad, of Prussia
Serf of Prussia is nice. You live in the kingdom, you work the land, and on your wedding night the King gets to bang your fiancee first. A man can be proud of that.
From Prussia with love?
Anyway, what about Lord Protector of the Realm of Prussia?
Write a song for your band: I Got the Prussian Blues
Baron Friedrich VonSteubenToad
of Prussia
Go the other way. Serf of Prussia. That's good, I like that.
Risky business, you could have Putin invading at 3 AM. :unsure:
The signing is over! I now have a residence with a roof that doesn't leak, a sewage system that drains to the outside, heat that doesn't smell like a truck stop, no known infestations, and a driveway that is not on a hill and is not full of potholes and mud.
And most of all, a landlord that seems highly engaged and helpful.
Now all I have to do is move my stuff to it.
Excellent, I'm glad the new base of operations is making life smoother.
It looks bigger than it is because of that big blue umbrella. Bing dot. Also there's this weird cutout roof area on the back quarter, which is roof over nothing in particular.
Obviously, do not stalk me. Do not do such a thing it is unhealthy
the rest is unremarkable right now as it is plain grey carpet and plain white walls. But that's what you want
And the toilets don't flush into the sink!
That is definitely what you want.
Ah crap, now you're gonna get soft and spoiled. :haha:
And the toilets don't flush into the sink!
Picky picky.
That's a great front door. Think you can shoot a staple into the lock? :p:
It turns out a little 50s renovated rancher like this rents for the same price as a 2BR condo in a building. I believe that rents for apartment buildings and rental townhouses has risen in this area due to H1B visas. Dey took er jobs!! And den dey took er condos!!
Oh OK
The office room (the "not really a 3rd bedroom" room) has the dumb built-in cabinet, but then they've put in this really funky light fixture.
I love this fixture more and more each time I see it. I'm going to ask them if they chose this one. It's hard to find a commercial/residential light fixture like this. The picture doesn't really show its compleat awesomeness.
That dumb built in cabinet will prove to be very useful.
The property management lady (my now ex-landlord) APOLOGIZED!
I understand your leaving. It has been virtually unbearable for you and I am sorry. You can go ahead and take the washer and dryer.* The owner is not sure what she is going to do with the house at this point. She may try to sell it. Let me know your forwarding address when you get it. Thanks for being so understanding over the course of your lease. If you need a reference just let me know. I would be happy to give you one.
* I was offering to sell them the W/D because the new place has them. Anyone in the area need a W/D? Does anyone have muscle, a large vehicle, and a hand truck powerful enough to haul a front-load washer up a soggy hillside? Want to scrap them for the money?
so, after aaaaallll that shit, literal and figurative, what **FINALLY** got their attention was the change in their cash flow.
I'm shocked, shocked I tell you.
/sarcasm
Moving.
Everything is so uncertain. Everything is worry. So I wind up Project Managing it like it was my job.
My idea was to move the light stuff myself and with a few friends, and to hire pros to move the heavy stuff.
I mean, part of it is, my friends are getting old. They can't move stuff any more! You figure you have friends that might help you move, but... you don't figure how everyone is now out of shape, partly ill, or has serious injuries.
Moving Company: So it's four rooms to move?
UT: I can give you a complete list of items to move.
MC: Oh! Uh, OK, go ahead.
UT: Upstairs: king size mattress, split box spring, steel frame, heavy headboard, 4 foot wide 3 foot tall hard wood dresser, 4 foot tall 3 foot wide hardwood dresser, average hardwood side table, small wooden file cabinet. First floor: standard non-sleeper sofa, standard loveseat, two foot side table, 75 pound combo bass amplifier*, four 7-foot tall bookshelves, two heavy duty office desks, one with a return, and 20 11x14 boxes. Pre-packaged, taped, labeled, and staged fifteen feet from the truck's landing zone.
MC: Um. Wow. Wow. Uh, okay, our standard package comes at $105 an hour and a two bedroom move is generally four to six hours.
UT: Two hours at the old place would be ideal. My Verizon install window at the new place starts at 1PM.
I was prepared to go another round with her, too (imaginary):
MC: Okay, all this is weather permitting.
UT: The latest models show we'll be a little warmer than last night's news thought. It'll all be rain early in the week. We're fine. I won't even have to load in another bag of salt.
You might figure (very imaginary):
UT: I'll be proving snacks for the movers.
MC: You don't have to --
UT: Yes, M&Ms.
MC: That's very nice of you.
UT: With all the brown ones picked out.
*Normally I would move the bass amp myself, and I did move all the rest of the music gear already. But then I picked up this heavy old beast of an amp, and I thought, for once... for once... let the roadies handle it.
Moving companies are definitely the way to go. I can't believe it took me as many years as it did to realize not just the value of moving companies, but the fact that you could buy boxes for almost no money, instead of trying to harass the grocery store every day for mismatched produce boxes before they broke them down for recycling.
Moving companies are definitely the way to go. I can't believe it took me as many years as it did to realize not just the value of moving companies, but the fact that you could buy boxes for almost no money, instead of trying to harass the grocery store every day for mismatched produce boxes before they broke them down for recycling.
So true! lol.
Funny how some things are the same on both sides of the pond.
It's done; or really the 95% of it that matters is done.
J was such a huge help, you can't believe it, I can't believe it...
And right before the cold snap, where it might not go above freezing for the next 10 days or so. These were the worst of times, in past winters. Now, I left the tank with almost no oil and the thermostat set for 40 F (4 C), and I think it will run out on Sunday night. Let the bugger freeze.
I still have like 5 carloads of stuff to get out. And I should go tonight. Hell maybe I will. This last bit is going to be a huge pain in the ass. But now I've figured out that I had to move, and gotten moved, in less than a month. That counts for something.
And it's a huge improvement. When the -4 F (-20 C) and 50 MPH winds hit Sunday night, I'll be in a place with gas heat and a new roof. No more whining, I have officially rejoined the middle class.
So good to hear this. X
Sent by thought transference
But now I've figured out that I had to move, and gotten moved, in less than a month. That counts for something.
That counts for a lot. Shit only gets done in this world by people who can make themselves show up. The fact that it was eating you up inside just makes it more impressive, because you came through with flying colors.
Fantastic! This storm and cold snap is/going to be a bugger. Very glad you'll be snug in a house with real heat.
The sigh of relief is one of the best sounds on the planet! :)
I actually thought of you as the wind woke me up last night, rustling our house. Glad you are in a real structure today.
Yesterday morning I thought one of the dogs up the street was howling, but, the dogs around here only howl to sirens, and I could hear no siren.
"Twas the wind, and nothing more."
It's done; or really the 95% of it that matters is done.
So the movers performed as expected?
Uh, make that as hoped? :D
They did, in fact the amount I asked them to do was so small that I accidentally left myself an additional week of work! Only 4% left now... but the job is put off for a while, as the snow melts. For once I ain't going down that driveway.
I have officially rejoined the middle class.
Sweeeet!
It been a long time coming. :3eye:
So far, so good...
There are downsides to living right next to the Mall though, and that is sirens are as lively as they are in the city. With three major highways coming together in this one spot, there are helicopters too. And a ton of traffic just rolls down my street because it's a short cut for some people on some routes.
Which is why it's cheaper. No family can live here. There are no sidewalks. Nobody should be walking anywhere past the end of the driveway. The big, dangerous road is 200 feet away and it's big, loud and very dangerous.
Still! Went back to the old place last night, where I still have about three carloads of crap to haul out. With no heat and no light, the place was miserable. And then I heard the sound of water... it was a pipe joint, failing in the freeze and putting an inch of water into one side of the basement. I was able to get down there and turn off the incoming water at the first valve into the property.
~ they should give me a medal ~
I wonder if at this point they're just hoping for a disaster they can file an insurance claim on. Glad you're in a better situation, highway or no.
Prop management company claimed they were "winterizing" it... they did drain the outbound water. I think someone just didn't realize which valve was the right one to close. Dummies! I even took a picture of that valve and put it up here a year ago. Along with the pictures of the first drywall fall with the roof leak.
I have a suggestion from many years of traveling and hearing road noises -ear plugs!
~ they should give me a medal ~
[ATTACH]50521[/ATTACH]
:comfort:
There is absolutely no ground on any outlet in this place, including those outlets that are three-prong.
~ now i'm into first-world problems and that's good ~
I worked on a house like that once for Rebuilding Together. In that instance, the outlet boxes were grounded, but for some reason, they never ran the ground to the actual outlets. I just pigtailed a short wire to the box and used that to ground the outlet. The wiring might also have a metal armor that can be used as ground, but that is a pain in the ass because making good electrical connections to the armor is pretty difficult.
If you are worried about this, and there is no ground present anywhere in the wiring, you can replace the first outlet of each circuit with a GFCI outlet and feed the downstream outlets off that protected outlet. Then the whole circuit will be GFCI protected, which meets code. There are little stickers in the GFCI package that say "no ground - GFCI protected" and you stick those on the outlets down stream so that it's clear there is no ground.
Half the outlets in my house have no ground, and I've replaced most of them with GFCI outlets.
I personally wouldn't worry about it though. Ground is a good idea, but not necessary.
Thanks. I think I will do that.
There are a few places where I'm more concerned... one, Turt's huge aquarium, which is heated by two heaters that run line voltage right into an inch above water level. And two, the bass amp is noisy, and that's completely unacceptable.
I don't think a GCFI outlet will help the amp, but maybe you will get lucky and there is ground in the wiring that was never connected to the outlet.
For the turtle: is the aquarium made of anything but glass? I'm pretty sure the turtle itself will be fine if the water becomes electrified, since there wouldn't be any current flowing anyway; the risk would be if the water had a potential to ground, and you completed the circuit. If this happened, you could preempt the problem by tripping a circuit breaker if, say, the aquarium had a metal enclosure that were grounded. Which is to say, it's probably not a big deal.
For the amp: Get a $3 cheater plug (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheater_plug) and run a wire (basically anything will do, even bare wire, altho you probably want >14 AWG to be arbitrarily kosher in this one narrow aspect) from the ring part to the nearest ground source, such as a copper pipe feeding a sink, etc.
It's come to this: I have one carload of stuff left to haul out of the old place, and one trip to get rid of the washer/dryer. There's probably half a dumpster's worth of crap I'm leaving behind.
The storm last night set down a good 10" of snow, in record low temps. But the warming is now on, and by Saturday we'll begin 6 days of almost entirely above-freezing temps. This was exactly the sort of thing I feared when I was there, and realized that I had to escape, fast.
And so I will make the last two trips out there in the middle of next week, and you know what - I'm secretly hoping that the roof has failed.
Some of the beams have been rotting for about a year. But I don't think it will fall. It has one thing going for it: the house is no longer heated. And that side of the house faces north. That means there probably won't be ice damming, and the melt might drain off to the sides, instead of directly into the house.
If I was still there, I'd be heating it, and the lack of insulation in that room would cause the thaw to happen exactly in the wrong places.
There's no question that, if we had a winter like last winter, it would have completely failed. What a great thread that would have made this! As it is, we can only hope that I've escaped disaster by a hair. That would still make it a good story, if it can't be a great one.
What it is is a great move by you, no pun intended, great story notwithstanding. Good job man, guts plus initiative equals success. I'm happy for you. :)
I just realized that, for the last two weeks, this thread has been a report on the number of carloads I have left. :D
Reminds me of the abandoned building with a hole in its roof right near my office. That hole has been in the roof for years, and I keep expecting to see the whole thing collapse inside its brick outer shell, but it's still standing. I think wood takes a long time to rot to the point of failure under its own weight or the weight of snow. But there's no doubt that water pours inside that building with every rain and snow melt. You wouldn't want to live in there or have your stuff in there.
[ATTACH]50555[/ATTACH]
That looks like a picture billboard, but in reality those balloons are really what is holding that building up.
You wouldn't want to live in there or have your stuff in there.
Beats a bridge.
[SIZE="1"]Til it falls in.[/SIZE]
I have a suggestion from many years of traveling and hearing road noises -ear plugs!
Missed this at the time -
Katkeeper! nice to see you :)
That looks like a picture billboard, but in reality those balloons are really what is holding that building up.
Well, to be fair, hot air is holding up a lot of things in DC...
Well, to be fair, hot air is holding up a lot of things in DC...
:D
Dear Undertoad,
Please be advised that your security deposit is being kept by the owner for payment of February 2015 rent. I can be reached at the phone number above with any question. Thank you.
Property Manager
~
*fume* *fume* *fume*
Dentists in Blue Bell have felt my rage over less.
FINE. LET'S DO THIS.
Dear Borough of Collegeville, Property Inspector:
I have rented, and have now vacated the property at 60 E 5th Avenue. (It's about 500 feet away from the Borough building; the last driveway on the right before the apartments, down at the bottom of the hill.)
This property is in unlivable conditions, and it is likely to deteriorate further, creating unhealthful or dangerous conditions.
I know that Trappe Borough has a process of inspection that happens during any change in tenancy. At the very least, this property should be inspected before anyone else attempts to live there. But it should be done sooner. Here's why.
Septic issues. At several points during my tenancy, the septic system completely failed, leading to raw sewage running into the back yard, and into the basement when that route became frozen or clogged. This went on for many months. Evidence is in the back yard of the property. It's not exactly soil back there. It's not exactly sewage either, but some of it was, last year. The septic system itself was partly exposed in its "repair" and, I think, partly covered up by an old wooden door.
The entire septic system and back yard should be investigated for unhealthful or out-of-code conditions before the property is authorized for any kind of use.
Infrastructure issues. During last year's unusual snowfalls, the poorly-sealed roof developed ice dams and then a very bad leak. For the last year of my time there, the leak slowly worsened until the entire interior of one room was collapsing. The property manager was notified, but seemed uninterested in solving the problem, even after getting repeated pictures of falling drywall from the ceiling.
During my time there I took some steps to alleviate the problem. But now that I've left, the continuing leak will continue to weaken the roof support, until it eventually collapses.
Also: the property manager attempted to "winterize" the place during my departure... but chose the wrong valve to close for the incoming water. This led to an inch of water in the basement when a joint near the actual first valve failed. I found it while clearing out the last few boxes of my stuff, and shut it off at the proper valve. You may want to turn off the incoming water line to this property.
One reason why this is important: in the past, when this house was vacant, it attracted college students who broke in. Students walk past it every day, going down the hill to the path through the hollow. At one point there was an alarm system installed, but it has not been active for quite some time.
The Property Management company is ABC Realty Corp at 38 Ridge Pike. If you have any questions, you can reach me at 123-123-1234.
Undertoad
OH LAWDY IT'S ON.
Definitely keep us updated.
Did you give the appropriate notice to leave or that you wouldn't pay more rent until the problems were fixed? if so, can't you refer the rental agency to this communication and demand that they return your deposit rather than give it to the owner/instruct the owner to return it?
No, I told them on Feb 1 that I'd be out by Feb 15th, but on the basis that conditions had become unbearable, not that they could fix everything and suddenly we'd be all cool again. They knew it was unlivable conditions. The lease was over. This is just coming up with any flimsy pretense to keep the money and assuming I'm not going to do anything. And they're right, I'm not interested in legal action or we'd be deep in it already.
So I'll just make sure I'm the last one to live there, and that she has no option to rent to anyone else, and possibly that her property is condemned and she is forced to sell for demolishment before she was actually interested in doing so.
Bluff that shit bro. Send the landlord one of your nicely written letters requesting immediate payment of your security deposit on the grounds that the house was totally unlivable. Copy and paste some shit from this thread, end with a note about how if you do not receive payment by some-date-about-a-week-from-now-maybe-ten-days, that you'll be taking them to small claims court for reimbursement of all the damages you suffered during your tenancy. Give them a quick optimistic-but-fact-based rundown of all this -- all the repairs you made out of pocket over the years, all the stuff you lost due to damage, etc. The max amount in small claims court in PA is $8k.
When the time comes to take them to small claims court, maybe you'll go, maybe you won't. But you're articulate and the evidence is on your side. Them avoiding it by cutting you a check for your security deposit would be a smart investment on their end. And arguing for it is only, at most, an hour or two of your time. Probably works out to a pretty good hourly rate.
Sounds like it is, indeed, on like a pot of neck bones, now.
Bluff that shit bro. Send the landlord one of your nicely written letters requesting immediate payment of your security deposit on the grounds that the house was totally unlivable. Copy and paste some shit from this thread, end with a note about how if you do not receive payment by some-date-about-a-week-from-now-maybe-ten-days, that you'll be taking them to small claims court for reimbursement of all the damages you suffered during your tenancy. Give them a quick optimistic-but-fact-based rundown of all this -- all the repairs you made out of pocket over the years, all the stuff you lost due to damage, etc. The max amount in small claims court in PA is $8k.
When the time comes to take them to small claims court, maybe you'll go, maybe you won't. But you're articulate and the evidence is on your side. Them avoiding it by cutting you a check for your security deposit would be a smart investment on their end. And arguing for it is only, at most, an hour or two of your time. Probably works out to a pretty good hourly rate.
At a minimum ask them to please eat a dick.
See, if the borough or county takes activity on behalf of the homeowner, they will put a lien on her house. Any work having to be done to condemn it will come out of that lien before anything else happens.
Usually security deposits have to be held in escrow by a third party. It's not like the landlord gets an interest-free loan. I'm not certain about PA.
Are there two entities, the homeowner and the rental company? If so, maybe the rental co is dicking you just to get their cut of February, knowing that the house is a ship that has sunk.
Still sounds like some fairly cut & dried small claims court shit. Especially if your lease was with the rental co, since any lien on a house owned by someone else wouldn't really effect your ability to extract compensation from the rental co. They presumably have other assets, and we're talking about chump change in the context of real estate.
Right, there is the home owner and then there is the property management company.
The property management company tends to like me, knew what I went through and said they'd recommend me to any future landlord. And I did a website for them, for a HOA, that I continue to host. So they are putting it on the homeowner. No way to know for sure.
If the lease was over, I'd say it's worth telling the management company that you expect them to return your deposit, on the grounds you stated. Then call in the council to condemn. Your letter to them will carry more weight if you're not a pissed off tenant who just learned they lost their deposit /2c.
plus it's bonus cash :)
...in the past, when this house was vacant, it attracted college students who broke in...
If it comes to vengeance/revenge, buy a pony keg, leave it in the living room, with signs in the windows, "Kegger, here, now!", or "Free BEER!!".
Instant condemnation.
Well, I wouldn't do that without leaving unlocked the $200 worth of marine-grade front door combination deadbolt that Katkeeper bought and had installed.
If I remember correctly you were renting on a monthly basis rather than a long term lease. Even though the house became what we consider uninhabitable, through no fault of your own, you notified them on the first but didn't vacate until the fifteenth. Is this their basis for keeping your security deposit, or are they just used to dealing with college kids who move away and can't fight it?
Right, that's the basis. The lease was over; but even when it wasn't, they weren't upholding their end of it by providing livable conditions. During the last 14 months of my time there, I could have stopped paying rent at any time on the basis of the roof leak.
But not so much stopped, as put it into an escrow account that they would eventually, possibly, recover if they proved there had been repairs. Which would then gotten weird because, as it proved out, they never had any intention of making repairs. I kind of figured that would be where it would lead, if they had no money and I stopped giving them any. I don't know where the laws go, at that point.
At some point it would have forced me to get out of Dodge and I didn't have the money to do that either.
In view of the circumstances (i.e. mid-month departure secondary to uninhabitable premises), it would be reasonable to call the property manager and ask why you're not getting half the security deposit back. The door for questions was left open. It comes at no cost to you and you may gain insight into how they may respond to your proposed retaliation from the tone of the conversation.
No drainage from the bathroom at Cottage of Prussia! :greenface
Why does this keep happening to me
First round of plumbers is vexed by weird hookup and now they need to go in via the roof!
It turns out no sewage system can endure my foul output
at least now the landlord is responsive and apologetic
The roof? What the hell are your pipes doing in the roof of a one-story home?
If the air vents are blocked, there is a vacuum effect that will prevent drainage.
Exactly, quite often houses , especially if they're on a slab, have no access big enough to get a snake or auger through without pulling the toilet. But the vent through the roof is a clean shot into the system and usually full sized.
UT, do you have a garbage disposal, or putting food down the sink, or using blue toilet paper?
No garbage disposal, and actually the line from the kitchen is clear. They ran two different lines for this house because it's old and built before the modern world came around. If only I could pee into the kitchen sink
It turns out no sewage system can endure my foul output
I can't offer the same expertise and advice that other Dwellars can, but you have my sympathy.
I have the same issue with shoes, and no third party involved. My foot-stank is so corrosive it actually eats shoes. Add that to the tissue thin skin which makes breaking in new shoes a chafing horror, and my new-acquired ability to bleed like a stuck pig... Came home with my boots full of blood AGAIN on Monday after meeting an old friend. And I wear those boots on a weekly basis.
Sometimes life seems to be on a shitty loop.
No offense intended (as unlike me, I'm sure your sewage problems are simply coincidental).
We've got a bad sewer line at work so Imma sit home...
No garbage disposal, and actually the line from the kitchen is clear. They ran two different lines for this house because it's old and built before the modern world came around. If only I could pee into the kitchen sink
It started when masons installed a new concrete stairway with a landing that contained a plastic drain. An already cracked plastic pipe fell into the pipe. Part of that plastic eventually lodged deep down in the sewer line. With shit, food, and tissue paper, it formed a restriction; then a dam.
They tried a power snake from many directions including the roof. No solution. Then a fiber optic camera. It identified the blockage. They tried a high pressure water jet. That cleaned the plastic enough that a fiber optic camera could identify the plastic.
Next came a jack hammer to rip up the concrete floor to install a new sewer pipe. That was $2500 just for the plumber alone. Actually a bargain.
Now think about what you have flushed down there. And who pays for the plumber.
*fingersnap*
*fingersnap*
*fingersnap*
*fingersnap**fingersnap*
*fingersnap**fingersnap*
*fingersnap*
*fingersnap*
*fingersnap**fingersnap*
*fingersnap**fingersnap*
For the record: blockage was 30 feet down, camera found it was cast iron flaking off the outgoing pipes.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
OK, so your poop's not blocky, just corrosive. :haha:
OK, so your poop's not blocky, just corrosive.
Perhaps you live upstream on the Flint River?
I wonder if the water crisis is really fucking with Flint's vanity searches? :lol:
I wonder if the water crisis is really fucking with Flint's vanity searches? :lol:
For the record: I was totally cool with
August 4th, 2015: The Hindsgavl Dagger.
Another year down, another lease deadline passes, looks like I'm in for at least 13 more months.
~
In September they started demolition to build a big furniture store on the main road, two houses away from me. Demolition, site prep and construction has gone on 6 days a week, starting at 7am.
Despite having pretty good replacement windows, it's that deadly backup-beep sound which carries, and travels through every surface and into every bone of your body. Everyone actually on a job site, who might need to hear this sound, is now 100% immune to it. The rest of us can only suffer.
~
Armed robbery at the ATM up the street? Across from the one I normally use?! *shudder*
Agree, those backup beepers suck.
You never get used to it.
Another year down, another lease deadline passes, looks like I'm in for at least 13 more months.
~
In September they started demolition to build a big furniture store on the main road, two houses away from me. Demolition, site prep and construction has gone on 6 days a week, starting at 7am.
Despite having pretty good replacement windows, it's that deadly backup-beep sound which carries, and travels through every surface and into every bone of your body. Everyone actually on a job site, who might need to hear this sound, is now 100% immune to it. The rest of us can only suffer.
~
Armed robbery at the ATM up the street? Across from the one I normally use?! *shudder*
switch to that other one. They won't hit it twice. Yours is next
And, like I tell Momdigr all the time, when you use an ATM, look around for God's sake...:eyeball::eyeball:
Always be aware of your surroundings.
and for God's sake, let the butt of your .44 magnum (the most powerful handgun in the world, according to Det. Harry Callahan, since updated ;) ) peek out from under your cover garment. I never got robbed while carrying.
I tell Momdigr not to let anyone know she's packing til they're receiving lead. Treat the gun like the trigger. Don't touch it unless your pulling it. Don't pull it unless you're killing somebody.
and for God's sake, let the butt of your .44 magnum (the most powerful handgun in the world, according to Det. Harry Callahan, since updated ;) ) peek out from under your cover garment. I never got robbed while carrying.
Did you ever get robbed while you weren't carrying?
Nope. Came close once, but I was carrying a snub nosed .38 under my smock.
