do I have a case?

[bbarret2]

What is the name of your state? Washington.

Here's the story: My apartment is ground level and it flooded. This flood was due to rain. It wasn't a heavy or flood inducing rain by any measure, but the water pump located beside my apartment wasn't working. Instead of taking water down in to it, it did nothing. Do to the faulty water pump, my apartment flooded. The water reached about 2 inches high and covered every room in the apartment. Since I just moved there and I'm going to college, almost all of my stuff was on the floor. A lot of things were ruined or damaged. I don't have renter's insurance, at the time I had never even heard of it (I'm fresh out of high school). What I found interesting, was that the very same pump had flood my apartment three times before. The people who moved out before me had moved out because they were flooded from the same problem. The landlord says that because they spent money fixing it, they didn't have to tell us about it. Now, this was the very first rain since the water pump had been "fixed", at least to my knowledge. Shouldn't the landlord or the company that fixed the pump be responsible for either the damaged items or the time I had to take off from classes I paid for in order to my to a new apartment?

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state? Washington.

Here's the story: My apartment is ground level and it flooded. This flood was due to rain. It wasn't a heavy or flood inducing rain by any measure, but the water pump located beside my apartment wasn't working. Instead of taking water down in to it, it did nothing. Do to the faulty water pump, my apartment flooded. The water reached about 2 inches high and covered every room in the apartment. Since I just moved there and I'm going to college, almost all of my stuff was on the floor. A lot of things were ruined or damaged. I don't have renter's insurance, at the time I had never even heard of it (I'm fresh out of high school). What I found interesting, was that the very same pump had flood my apartment three times before. The people who moved out before me had moved out because they were flooded from the same problem. The landlord says that because they spent money fixing it, they didn't have to tell us about it. Now, this was the very first rain since the water pump had been "fixed", at least to my knowledge. Shouldn't the landlord or the company that fixed the pump be responsible for either the damaged items or the time I had to take off from classes I paid for in order to my to a new apartment?

**A: you have no case unless you can prove that L did not fix the pump.

 

[macktosh]

What is the name of your state? Washington.

Here's the story: My apartment is ground level and it flooded. I don't have renter's insurance, at the time I had never even heard of it

Now you will get some insurance, it really doesn't cost that much per year.

What I found interesting, was that the very same pump had flood my apartment three times before. The people who moved out before me had moved out because they were flooded from the same problem.

First call the housing/zoning department and see if a basement/ground level apartment is even legal, most are not. If the apartment is deemed illegal, then you would have grounds to sue the landlord for your damages. Since the landlord would have had no legal right to rent it out in the first place. And of course bring the previous tenants as witneses to court.

 

[HomeGuru]

Re: Re: do I have a case?

First call the housing/zoning department and see if a basement/ground level apartment is even legal, most are not. If the apartment is deemed illegal, then you would have grounds to sue the landlord for your damages. Since the landlord would have had no legal right to rent it out in the first place. And of course bring the previous tenants as witneses to court.

**A: please cite the WA state statute that supports your position.

 

[bbarret2]

I don't know the statute that would strengthen my case. I went to the TenantsUnion home page (a Washington based service that informs tenants of their rights) and checked out the responsibilities of the landlord. It said the apartment must be "weather-tight". I don't know if this is an actuall law or regulation, but would water being able to seep in to my apartment constitute that it wasn't "weather-tight"? It also said, according to the Landlord/Tenant act of WA, that the landlord is responsible for ensuring that all plumbing is in correct and working order. These are the only two things I have found that may or may not help me.

 

[annefan]

bbarret2

**A: please cite the WA state statute that supports your position.

Uh oh....

 

[JETX]

I think that Macktosh is McScrewed!!

It should be a felony for these idiots to post their imaginary 'laws'. Or at least they should be required to wear their 'tin foil hats' full-time!!!

 

[annefan]

I wrapped my tin foil hat around some rotten chicken bones and threw them out to the trash. I've learned my lesson, and I remain here to do just that...learn.

I still have teeth marks.

 

[macktosh]

People can sue each other over nothing.

So its a small fee in small claims court, and this is what you claim the landlord is doing, renting an illegal apartment, and have the judge make a decision. Its why we live in America.

 

[JETX]

Macktosh, are you avoiding the error in your earlier post when you said, "First call the housing/zoning department and see if a basement/ground level apartment is even legal, most are not."

Simply, that is NOT correct. In fact, at least half of all two story apartments are on the ground floor.

 

[Charleee]

LMAO!! HG & JETX...you two get me laughing so hard sometimes my pooch looks at me with worry. Y'all keep it up...you do a super job.

 

[bbarret2]

This forum is strange indeed. Thank you Macktosh for your advice.

 

[macktosh]

Simply, that is NOT correct. In fact, at least half of all two story apartments are on the ground floor.

Sorry Jetx ....the real answer is 1/2 of all apartments are on the FIRST floor, the ground floor is usually meant to be at ground or grass, or driveway level, or no steps into the apartment.

And many zoning codes do not allow you to build a legal aprtment on the same level as a sump pump, just for this reason: if the sump pump breaks or too much water comes in and the sump pump cannot discharge the water...well it floods.

 

[JETX]

MackJack.... don't tell me, you live in New York, don't you???
And have absolutely NO living experience out of the borrough you were raised in.

It is VERY common for apartments (at least outside New Yuk), to be on ground floors, with absolutely NO steps up into them. Though some do have steps.... to the second (or higher) floors. And guess what.... some of them even have 'things that move people up and down in little cars', called elevators.

We are all still waiting on your providing ANY proof that, in Washington, "and see if a basement/ground level apartment is even legal, most are not."

Still waiting patiently....


And waiting....


And waiting.....


And waiting......

BUZZ!! Times up.

Oh, and guess what... .not surprisingly, your latest post is also not correct:
"Sorry Jetx ....the real answer is 1/2 of all apartments are on the FIRST floor, the ground floor is usually meant to be at ground or grass, or driveway level, or no steps into the apartment."
*** What about apartments that have THREE floors, only 1/3 are on the ground floor. Or those with four floors, then only 1/4 are on the ground floor...

 

[HomeGuru]

Unfortunately, happyroach's (aka macktosh) level of intelligence is below ground floor.