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The Ultimate Discrimination

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
I live in a disabled apartment building. For the past few weeks, they have been installing central air in all our apartments. Five days a week, every week, half a dozen contractor workers come in and out of our apartments any time they feel like it between 8am and 4pm. They have keys, and don't even bother to wait for you to answer the door, they just use their keys and come on into your private home. They mess with all your personal belongings, even broke one of my computers, and get metal shavings and plaster dust everywhere. And if you dare to go out, they will be in your private home without your permission.

They don't ask if it's okay to touch or move your stuff, they just do it. And they even laid a heavy metal hammer on my new computer that my insurance paid for after they busted the old one. They didn't break the new one, but could have.

Now, if this is not bad enough, today we got a notice in all our doors that they have caught people sleeping and in bed in our own private homes!!! And that we should all be awake and dressed during their work hours of 8am to 4pm.

How can they even possibly get away with ordering people who are physically ill and disabled to be awake and dressed all those hours, five days a week, every week and it's going to go on another month.

I can't do it. I've been sleeping in my clothing and I get up when they come in if I happen to be resting. I am too physically ill for this.

I don't feel like I'm in America anymore. It is the United States of the Soviet Union here. My private home is not my private home. My private property is not my private property. And now I'm being told I can't even sleep in my own bed in my own private home when I need to!

And they come in with this attitude, like God forbid you should be doing something in your own private home, you better drop whatever you are doing when they come on in.

Yes, this is what happens in a government HUD low income, disabled housing building. You are not a person. You are a thing that pays rent.

I felt like saying, while you're busy peeing all over our Civil Rights and the Constitution of the United States, why don't you have a keggar party in my living room.

They really gave us a letter today that we are not allowed to be asleep or in bed when the workers come in here anytime they feel like it. So how are we supposed to know when they are coming on in? And we're all disabled here and need to rest. When I have to lay down, in my own private home, I am going to do so. And if they don't like it, that's just too bad.

I'm getting out of this building. My transfer came through today. Hopefully the one I'm moving to won't put us through this hell. They've been making me sick for weeks doing this. I've had to get up at six am just to be dressed by the time they come in here. And by the time they leave, I'm so sick from the lack of sleep, the banging, the hammering, the drilling and the stress. Then it triggers the whole tired but wired thing and I can't sleep. Get a few hours, wake up in killer fibro pain and have to hurry up and be dressed again. It's been a living hell in here for weeks.

It has to be against the law to tell a person who has CFIDS/ME that they are not allowed sleep or rest a certain number of hours every day in their own private home!
 

caledonia

Senior Member
If they caught you buck naked having sex, then maybe they would have something to complain about!:eek:;)

But seriously, if you wanted to do something about it, you might be able to get a pro-bono lawyer to represent all the residents to get your rights back. There is an org that provides pro-bono lawyers to low income people, but I can't think of the name of it right now. A simple call to 211 would probably hook you up. Legal Aid Society - I think that's the name.

Maybe they could have you stay in a hotel or in some other apartment while they work on yours. Or require the workers to respect your stuff, or whatever.

Since it affects a lot of people, maybe that would influence them to take your case.

Save a copy of that letter! - great evidence
 

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
I definitely think there's a class action suit for millions on this. But since I'm moving out, I can't make waves on it now. If I was staying, I would. They are just walking all over our rights.
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
especially in disability housing, they should expect the residents to be disabled! this is crazy. I'm sorry.

glad you got a transfer approved, tho!
 

leela

Senior Member
Messages
3,290
Wow. That's appalling. I'm so glad you're able to get out.
May your new place be quiet, serene, and restorative!
 

Valentijn

Senior Member
Messages
15,786
Hi Carrigon. I know very little about Pennsylvania Landlord Tenant Law in general, but there is a pretty universal concept of "Quiet Enjoyment" that is usually believed to cover situations where the Landlord or his employees are entering your apartment with warning or consent and making your life unpleasant. Unfortunately PA law is extremely vague on the matter, but it's very possible that whichever city you live in has more clear-cut rules.

The interior of the apartment is YOUR property. You are paying for it. They (and you) should treat it accordingly. They have absolutely no right to enter apartments without waiting a bit for the tenants to respond, and the time spent waiting for that response should take into account that the people answering the door are disabled.

If you want to PM me (hopefully I can figure out how that works!), I'd be happy to take a quick look online for any local Landlord Tenant laws in your city. Maybe even the case law if I'm having a good day :p But I'm not a licensed lawyer in PA, and nothing I say should be construed as legal advice for your specific situation.
 

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
Thanks for the offer, Valentijn. If I wasn't moving out, I would totally take you up on it. But I'm going to be out of here within a few weeks. Personally, I think they should be sued in a giant class action lawsuit for millions of dollars. I've been so sick since they started with this. I have the acid reflux back, which I had 90 percent gotten rid of. My fatigue and fibro pain are a thousand times worse from being forced to get up early every morning and the stress of not knowing when they will come in here. I am just so sick from it all. And they will still be doing this as I'm moving. And on the day I have to go to court against my neighbor, I have to worry if they will be in my apartment without my permission doing who knows what and messing with my stuff again. It's awful.

There are other ways they could have done this to have consideration for disabled people. Like how about taking a bit longer, but instead of coming in here five days a week, how about only two and giving us a break. And then there's the workers who don't care if they break your things, don't ask you if it's okay to touch your stuff, or even if you would like a minute to cover or move your things, they do not belong ever touching our private things without asking us. It's just really awful. And the using their keys on our doors, to me that's just unacceptable. They don't wait. They did it to me again on Thursday, they knock ONE time, scream "contractor" and immediately use the key on the door. They don't give you even a second to open it. They did it to my neighbor, too. And he was telling them to wait a minute.

Basically, they are stepping all over our rights as human beings. And it's awful.

Major reason I can't wait to be out of here. They plan on doing the same thing here again for the kitchen cabinets. So I guess no one in here will be able to cook or use their kitchen area for a long time. I won't be here for that nightmare.
 

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
They're killing me. Really making me sick. Yesterday, I was very sick most of the morning, and I had just laid down to sleep a bit. Sure enough, the construction workers were banging at my door and then came in several times over the next few hours. Welding, banging, putting in copper piping. And I was just dying. I just wanted to scream, I'm sick today and I don't want you in my apartment. It was bad. And they were in here again today, too. Twice. Once at about eight am and then again in the afternoon. This time putting up toxic plaster crap on my walls, sanding it down and getting the dust everywhere for me to breathe in. Thank the Gods I'm moving out soon. I'll be out before all this construction is finished. But it's a horrible nightmare from hell. And causing me way too much stress on top of moving, and the lack of sleep is awful. I never want to go through anything like this again. They should be sued.
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
they should at least give you a mask to protect you from breathing the dust--that stuff is toxic. ask for their MSDS sheets (materials safety data sheet) and the same PPE (personal protective equipment) they have (or should have)
 

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
At this point, I don't think they care if we die. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if this is just another depopulationist trick. You should see the thin copper pipes that will pump the central air in here. They will never clean them. Can you imagine the bacteria and viruses and mold that is going to build up in that? People are going to get sick. I'm so glad I'll be out of here before then.
 

leela

Senior Member
Messages
3,290
Since you are about to move (and that will be disruptive and stressful in itself) what about refusing to let them in?
I would think you would be perfectly justified for several reasons, not the least of which the place will be vacant for them to do as they please once you leave. But you need space, time, and cleanliness to achieve your packing and moving process.
Either way, as far as I can see from here, you have nothing to lose by refusing to comply. What they are doing is unreasonable by any standards.
Why permit it?
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
leela, they have a key and let themselves in

but she could always buy herself a deadbolt. those are not difficult to install (I can do it, although I was shown how). there would probably be a bill for damage to the door, though.
 

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
I'll be out before the end of the week, so it's really just a few more days of hell. But they are killing me. And today, I got a letter from them that they expect the fridge, stove and bathroom to be clean and will be checking it on Tuesday, a moving out inspection. And I was like, do they think I'm superwoman or something? I'm supposed to clean on top of throwing tons of stuff out and trying to pack the car with things I want to take myself. With NO help, and this disease. Oh, yeah. My place isn't that messy, it's just that it's more work for me to have to wipe down the fridge and clean the stove and the shower. I'll just do what I can. They are giving me the fast shuffle to get me out, so I don't think they'll give me a problem. But I feel like I'm being pushed beyond. I'm not getting the sleep I need, the fibro pain is killing me. And they just expect me to do all this in a few days. I needed like four months to do this.
 

leela

Senior Member
Messages
3,290
i dunno if this varies state-to-state, but "broom clean" is the standard, or used to be, in most rental arrangements.
i find it hard to believe that this would be expected of a disabled person, whose place is currently being plastered and sanded
by management. i know you are extra busy with the move and all, but perhaps a certified letter to them to this effect might get you off the hook.
something inlcuding things like "to the best of my abilities as a disabled individual" and "considering the substantial mess and havoc created by renovation of the premises" and "good faith" etc.

good luck, carrigon, we're rooting for you :)
 

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
Thanks. They are giving me the fast shuffle out of here, so I don't think they will give me much of a problem. I have heard the manager at the new place is strict. She will probably kill me. I can't keep a place totally clean, not with our illness. I do the best I can, and my home is usually pretty neat, but I don't dust much or put away clothes much. Things that sap energy, I tend to leave for long periods of time. If I was healthy, my place would be spotless, but when you're sick, you learn that good enough is the way things have to be.

I will be so glad when this week is over. It's just too much stuff to do. And I keep throwing out stuff, and throwing out stuff, and there's just more stuff! When you never plan on moving, you just have tons of stuff.
 

Valentijn

Senior Member
Messages
15,786
leela, they have a key and let themselves in

No they can't, if they know the possessor of the apartment doesn't want them in. The landlord's only recourse would be eviction based on failing to let him have reasonable access to unit for certain purposes. Which he might have trouble with when the access he is demanding is unlimited and covers most of the day.