A Very Difficult Week
This has been a very difficult week. I haven’t had hot water since Sunday.
The maintenance man kept adding parts to the hot water heater. But it wasn’t the hot water heater.
Apparently it’s the plumbing and today they’re in there jack-hammering up my hallway.
I kept explaining how there would be hot water for maybe 30-60 seconds, then it would go cold. The maintenance guy here didn’t stick his hand under it long enough to figure that out. He just kept replacing parts on the water heater.
So management kept saying I had hot water and I kept telling them I didn’t. I guess they thought I was making it up.
Now there are hard feelings all around. And I don’t think I’ll ever trust them after this.
They finally sent a guy from another property who was able to diagnose the problem. There’s apparently a hole in the pipes somewhere. Again.
Many of you will remember I went through this right after ankle surgery in 2022 in my kitchen. They had to jackhammer that floor too. It was a colossal mess.
I told them that this place had gone straight downhill since the manager who was here when I moved here left. She was older and worked here about a decade. But she had to retire to take care of an ailing husband and mother.
We’ve had two managers since then, both in their twenties.
The children they’ve allowed to move here are unsupervised. They get into the water features/pond. Intrude into people’s yards even if they’re fenced, and generally run wild.
I’m afraid they’re going to mow a senior down, or one of them could get run over in the parking lot.
This place isn’t what it was when I moved here. I’m very disappointed because I have friends here now. They’re not happy either.
I’ll go into more detail later. I’m exhausted and haven’t been sleeping well. I can barely eat because my stomach is so upset.
As you can imagine, I’m very disillusioned by all this. By how seniors are treated. And that there are just a few senior apartments most of us could afford to move to. Of course they have long waiting lists, just like they did here. I waited several years.
My two daughters had the sad task of cleaning out their dad’s apartment at the assisted living facility yesterday. They buried him a week ago today.
Just checking in
Oh gosh Brenda, so sorry to hear that! I can’t even imagine. Rent has gotten ridiculous these days and I cringe to think of what will happen if I ever have to leave my mobile home I have been renting the past 15 years. I don’t think I could handle an apartment. I am over 55 with growing health issues and where I live not a whole lot of options for 55 plus folks. Please take care of yourself and hang in there, hope they get the mess fixed and cleaned up soon!
Renting is filled with many perils. I live in Austin, TX, where affordable housing is being replaced with vertical mixed use buildings (retail on bottom, apartments on top). I will soon be moving for the 2nd time due to gentrification (old affordable housing stock remodeled or replaced). Because I am in my 60s now I can’t just keep moving! I need stability. The lack of decent, sustainable housing options is very alarming. To afford to stay in my current neighborhood, I would have to live on the crime-ridden edge. An unacceptable compromise. Since my building will be leveled within a year, maintenance is non-existent. Living without reliable water pressure & lack of hot water (which I live with) is a violation of code but who will stand up for us?
I wish you well. It’s a terrible situation. We shouldn’t have to live with so much stress! Not knowing if we can find reliable, affordable rental housing puts so many at risk.
Sending you gentle hugs ~
bobbie
Where I live, we have houses with basements so we don’t have to deal with the issue of having to jack-hammer up concrete floors to access corroding water pipes. The mess and stress of what you’re going through right now with your plumbing would drive me batty while having to live there as the work is ongoing. This too will pass, Brenda, but how upsetting and frustrating. Unfortunately for renters and people looking to buy a home, these days landlords are free to raise rents through the roof because we are in a “housing shortage” and they can ignore requests and complaints from tenants because they know they can rent the place out for more money to someone else! They’ve got the upper hand – for now, anyway. I am so fortunate. I own my home and am healthy enough at 72 to take care of it. I can’t imagine going back to apartment living. If it gets to the point where I can’t handle the work at my home to keep it up properly, I’ll see if I can find a roommate to help with expenses of hiring folks to do the yard work and shoveling of snow in the winter, etc. For now, I am able to do the work needed but I shudder thinking about the cost of having the roofing replaced in a couple of years. I also have wonderful neighbors who look out for me, especially in the winter with clearing my sidewalks). It seems I’m a sort of honorary granny to many here. If it gets to the point where I can’t do the housekeeping, upkeep and the outside chores myself (albeit slowly), I will look for a roommate to share expenses and fit enough to enjoy keeping up the garden beds and sitting in my Shezebo in the backyard spring/summer/autumn. I have a low mortgage payment, 4 years left to pay on it, less than $430 a month, I know how fortunate I am. As the baby boomer generation continues to age, wouldn’t it be nice if small groups of seniors could pool their resources and buy their own 2 family duplex or 4 family small apartment building, share the work if they are physically able to do it, share expenses among them, and not have to deal with landlords, apartment managers and children running wild who don’t understand that they could cause serious injury if they run into an older person, not to mention trampling over one’s gardens! Maybe that’s just a pipe dream, but I have read articles over the past few years where groups of seniors are getting together to create their own housing arrangements and share costs and work loads.
It is now almost 3:30. My hallway has been jackhammered up, but they learned that the leak was really in the kitchen floor, where it was in 2022. So now some of the kitchen ceiling and walls have been removed because they’re diverting the plumbing to the ceiling. Going down my pantry and the shelves. Oh joy!
We own our home and went thru a hot water slab leak last year. Felt like we had heated floors. Lol. We also had plumbing rerouted to walls and ceiling. It was a major expense. I feel for you even though landlord is paying for repairs. Noise and mess, especially in small space, is no fun. I went to my mothers house!
I am so sorry you’re having such a horrible week. There is simply no excuse for the manager’s behavior. Absolutely no respect!!!
I hope this debacle will be repaired very, very soon.
Brenda, so sorry you have to go through such a mess. Like someone else said all these young people will grow old themselves too. Why can’t people treat people like they want to be treated? Sending love and a hug.
I’m so sorry to hear that you’re going through this again. Our country’s treatment-and view-of senior citizens is discouraging at best. Seniors should be respected and not have to worry about where to live and how to afford housing, food, and medicines, oftentimes with very meager resources. It makes me sad.
I’m in NYS,senior living,55+,and many of the issues you’ve discussed here are the same here.
So far,they’ve moved in criminals,homeless etc.
They are excessively slow at repairs, this is a historical building,a former school,built in the 1800s,so I’m not sure if that’s an impact on what they can do.
But,I will add,my husband was a superintendent and even the nicest,fanciest looking buildings can have many issues that you wouldn’t know of until you live there.
Try not to let it affect your health,physically and mentally,all it takes is a change of staff and things go haywire.
I just try to remember,they’re responsible for the repairs,you don’t own it!
Many years ago,we had a flooded basement due to vandalism while we were away and our insurance told us it was ” unlivable” due to no hot water and the paid for a hotel room. check it out.
Sending a prayer for better days and I would report that person who made that accusation.
Brenda, I am sorry this is happening to you. You are in my prayers that this will be resolved soon. I am outraged that the manager accused you of pouring water on the floor! That is elder abuse! I hope that you have water again soon. Take care.
Oh Brenda…so sorry to hear this!! Seems none of us can find a nice calm peaceful place for very long these days!! I talked to neighbor a few minutes yesterday and he said with the recent increase in rent here, 15 apts have already vacated, but the owners of the company plan to up the rent to $1250 next year!! 2 of those who left found places to buy for less than rent now…plus one also found a place by the ocean!! For a semi-dump with older apts (ours here are at least 25 yrs old) with criminals to boot!! And there are no apts at all for 55+ here, for seniors who are managing on their own. I concur 100% with the comment below that NO ONE CARES about seniors really anymore…really dumb considering that everyone will be one eventually, if they live long enough!!
Hi Brenda, I am new to “Cozy Little House” but I’ve read some posts and right from start felt a kinship with you 🙂 From you shaving you head, your love of animals and letting us know about your Ex being on hospice (I was a volunteer for nine years). I like your honest way of speaking and how you lift up other “bloggers”? by sharing their sites with us. Like everyone else I’m saying “Ugh, something else for you to deal with this week”. Just know you have people thinking of you and wishing you better times. I hope you start feeling better and the plumbing issue (and people in your home) will be gone soon. Please take care.. Regards, Darl
You say there are now hard feelings all around and that is probably compounding these problems; not to mention the dirt, dust, noise, and inconvenience of not having hot water. You have done nothing wrong by being demanding of an answer and the new (inexperienced) management hopefully has learned something valuable from this. I am not condoning their lack of attention to the matter but I am glad that at least they finally brought in an outside person who was able to identify the problem. Management should offer an apology to you (and some free rent would be nice). Take good care of yourself and when it is over then assess what the future may hold. You have made so many lovely friends there which is priceless but there have been challenges mostly due to the building condition/maintenance. Take extra good care of you:-) and please eat you need the nutrients esp now.
I had to go over the manager’s head to get the plumbers in here. She was very angry that I did this. She retaliated by saying she was going to charge me for having someone out to look at wet carpet in the hallway. Upon checking, it inexplicably was not wet underneath the carpet. So she said I poured water on the carpet myself. And that was her story and how could I refute that? The plumbers said leaks in concrete do mysterious things. It left stains and I told her boss I’d pay for cleaning it myself and she said no, they didn’t want that.
Wow Brenda! This is just unacceptable. Your manager is certainly showing her inexperience and young age. I totally agree with you on how Seniors are treated. Where I live there are many new apartment buildings but the rents are through the roof and not for people on fixed income. My husband and I are still in our one level house, but I know the day will come. If the rents keep going up like they have been in the last 5 years its scary to think what we will be able to afford. I hope your mess is sorted out sooner than later. Take care of yourself
I am so sorry you are going through this. My husband and I have the feeling that no one cares what one is going through especially seniors. We had thought about selling our home which is way to much for us to take care of now and move into a senior apartment but most are for the rich and we are concerned things would happen just like this is happening to you. You have to depend on management to take care of issues and if the management is not very good you can have big problems. It sounds like they have the problem figured out so maybe it can get repaired. Hang in there Brenda you are strong and can handle this.
Brenda, I’m so sorry you are going through this again. It sounds like the trouble you had with your old place ( new young property managers). I hope this all works out for you as you do not deserve this situation again!
I’m so sorry, Brenda. Please try to offer your sufferings up. hI don’t know you personally but hugs and prayers are coming your way.
Every hard thing you’ve ever written to us about, you have over come. Even if it was truly hard.
Life happens and until we are gone, it just keeps coming at us.
Looking in from the outside, I feel your connections you’ve made with others, far outweigh the struggles.
It’s all better still than your last place.
I’m not minimizing the inconvenience or hard feelings at all, just hoping you’ll keep your spirits up and don’t stop eating and such.
They’ve discovered the root issue now, and will correct it.
It’s disheartening I’m sure, it’s not fatal though.
Sending strength and love,
Marcia