House Repairs - Landlord Forum thread

House Repairs by Kevin (DC) on March 19, 2010 @16:21

I live in a group house with 3 other people and back in October our back door broke. We couldn't open it at all. One housemate tried to fix it, but we needed a locksmith. Another housemate contacted the landlord who told us to get it fixed (as he was out of town) and that he'd reimburse us when he got back. He gave us a locksmith's number to call, but no one ever answered. My housemate gave me another number to call and urged me to please get the door fixed ASAP. I was asked to call and set up an appointment since I was unemployed and had recently twisted my ankle and was going to be home during the day anyway. I did as she asked and called. The locksmith came over right away, I showed him the door, and he was done within 20 minutes.

He charged me $782 for the job. He had basically replaced and re-keyed the lock. No one had left me with any money and all I had was $60 so I gave him my credit card. I'm not a contractor and I have no idea what things cost, especially emergency services like locksmiths.

It turns out my landlord doesn't want to reimburse me for that amount and wanted me to fix the price problem. I called the locksmith company and they offered to take $200 off the price, but my landlord wants more so he asked me to continue negotiating with them. My credit card company won't do anything. I decided to withhold a few hundred dollars in rent each month until it's paid for, but the landlord finds that unacceptable. He wants me to fight the locksmith company (which, it turns out, goes around overcharging people) and get estimates from other area locksmiths so we can challenge the locksmith's $782 price and get a reimbursement.

I feel like this shouldn't be put on my shoulders. I was nice enough to call the locksmith, wait for him, PAY the cost (and credit card interest) and do some of the dirty work to get some of the money back. It's not even my property! Now my landlord's getting annoyed with me for not getting estimates, but I'm tired of fighting this. Am I obligated to pay him full rent and fitht the locksmirth on my own? Is he responsible for any of this? I want to stay on good terms with my landlord, but feel I'm being taken advantage of in this case.

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Re: House Repairs by Anonymous on March 19, 2010 @16:57	[ Reply ]
What all of you did was grossly stupid. Now you want to pass on the consequences of your stupidity to the landlord. I don't blame him for refusing to pay.

Re: House Repairs

Re: House Repairs by James (CA) on March 19, 2010 @17:11	[ Reply ]
What did the locksmith do for $782? This is too expensive to basically replac and re-key the lock. No wondering that your landlord did not want to pay you. You did a #$@ thing.

Re: House Repairs by OK-LL on March 19, 2010 @19:38

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Kevin, that should have been a $130 housecall, unless it was the middle of the night, then add maybe another $100. You were duped and I can't believe you had them come out without checking prices by calling a couple of locksmiths, then selecting the best-priced one that could come out immediately. Your mistake. You don't have to understand construction to know that you should shop around -- you do it for underwear, for god's sake! Pay the rent, file a complaint with your credit card so they suspend the payment until it is resolved, and then keep negotiating with the locksmith. And report the locksmith to the BBB.

Re: House Repairs by Anonymous on March 19, 2010 @19:50	[ Reply ]
Go after the locksmith! Here's a TIP, contact your local news channel or newspaper about this locksmith who has been overcharging services. $782 is just ridiculous!!! You should have been changed between $150-250.

Re: House Repairs by Anonymous on March 20, 2010 @00:26

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$782??!!! A lock is $25-30, it takes only a Phillips screwdriver and 4 screws to replace it. So simple anyone could do it. Why did you call a locksmith to do this? You would find detailed instructions right in the box with the lock! If you can turn your wrist, you could have done this job yourself.

And why didn't you ask before he did the job what it would cost? Call around and get a few estimates? Keep calling the number that the LL gave you? This wasn't a smart move on your part. You and your fellow tenants chose this guy. He overcharged to the point of being criminal. The LL would reimburse you an ordinary expense, but you chose the most expensive guy in the state it sounds like!

You cannot rent withhold for this. You chose to call that guy. He overcharged you and it is your responsibility to get that bill reduced to a normal level. The LL will reimburse you for a normal call, but I don't blame him for not paying this bill! If the LL pays over $700 for a simple 30 minute job that takes only a screwdriver, it's him that would be taken for a ride!

I strongly suggest you call around and find out what other locksmiths in the area would have charged. Then demand that your locksmith reduce it to that amount. Then present the bill to your LL so he can pay it. That's what you should have done in the first place!

Re: House Repairs

Re: House Repairs by MassLL (MA) on March 20, 2010 @09:38

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Try calling local news yourself.

Also your state attorney general. Often times, that office investigates and prosecutes this type of things.

Tough lesson to swallow (get written estimates from multiple contractors).
Good Luck

Re: House Repairs

Re: House Repairs by Jim (MI) on March 20, 2010 @10:55	[ Reply ]
$782 for the work done. You got gouged. Big time. YOur complaint is with the locksmith.