Apartment Repair Fails: or My Idiot Landlord
Adventures in Slum Living
In my previous posts, I explained how I came to live in an apartment at 16 Benson Street owned by Wayne Whitney, a local landlord who has refused several times to spend money to fix his apartments. Essentially we had a verbal agreement where I would live in the apartment and provide free repairs in return for him paying for the supplies. He rescinded upon this agreement because he did not wish to pay for the supplies and assumed that painting a building consists of slapping a thick coat of inexpensive paint over everything in sight.
But no matter. Living in a run down apartment like this results in some strange things sometimes. Like these wires in the wall. What are they anyway? (My guess is that a previous tenant had some sort of wire or cable he wished to run up the wall.) But more importantly why could Wayne Whitney not spend two minutes and use a pair of pliers to pull them out, then spackle the holes, then put a nice smooth coat of paint over the walls? I don't know. You'll have to ask him, I've asked people to explain his behavior to me and the best answer I can get is "he just is not able to see quality repairs and distinguish them bad quality repairs and he does not notice or see the run down quality of his buildings so he's not aware of it." I don't know. All I know is that this is the answer I've gotten when I've sought one out.
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Going from top to bottom down this section of wall --mysterious wire #1
Note the wire to the left of the top of this closet hinge.
What is it? Why was it painted over instead of removed? How many years did the landlord intend for it to sit there mysteriously? Was it intended as a puzzle to mystify the archeologists of the 22nd century or did it at some time actually serve a purpose?
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At this point, he has refused several times to fix things, insists "there is nothing wrong with the apartment," and has made several harrassing calls to my relative (who recommended I rent from him as she does business with him) when I have complained about things up to and including the fact that my front door cracked, broke, and the door knob fell out due to his poor installation of the door and knob.
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Mysterious painted over piece of metal #2
Now really we have here what appears to be a hammered in electrical staple. Would it really not have been a good investment to spend two minutes with a pair of pliers to pull it out? Or did the landlord expect people just to ignore it for eternity? Why, obviously, the answer appears to be the second.
This was here when I moved in, unless I remove it it will be here for the next tenant, and, since Wayne Whitney painted over it, he obviously knows it is there but did not care enough about his property or his tenants to take the time to fix it.
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Now a friend has told me "if you continue to complain Wayne Whitney will find a way to hurt you." So let it be known that should I be assaulted mysteriously put him on the suspect list. As he is already on the local police radar as a sex offender, at least I'm sure they will look into him as a suspect.
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Mysterious piece of metal #3 as we move down the wall..
Same thing, an electrical staple that could have, and really should have, been yanked out with a pair of pliers or vice groups but wasn't. Damn, there should be a law against this. Perhaps there is? Anyone know?
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More mysterious metal jammed into a poorly maintained wall and covered with a thick, unhealthy coat of paint.
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And here at the bottom you can get another shot of yet another piece of metal jammed into a wall, apparently intended as a monument of some kind or a memento of some sort. What other explanation could there be? I don't know. If you wish you could ask Wayne Whitney himself.
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Here's an overview of the corner, if you wish perspective as to what it looks and where these strange, painted over pieces of metal rest.
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