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IveBeenBugged
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Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 280
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jan 19 2008 10:36:24
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I know that there are some good ones out there so please don't get me wrong. This is what is now going on with me. It has taken 2 months of his trying to treat the place himself with the wrong stuff and my treating my own place with a dusting powder I knew would at least help if not end the problem.
He still has not checked any of the other units and now others are complaining. It turns out I am not the only one who has been complaining since november. This is where it gets good. He called all of us in the building (6 units) and left messages yesterday evening that we had to be here today and if we could not be here then our units would not be treated and he would not have the company come back.
This is the best part. He said he will only do the one treatment and will not do any others.
Arrgghh! I have never had such an uncooperative landlord before in my life. Needless to say this is not going to help and it's a waste of his money.
I don't get why the company would agree to do this except for them to make a few $'s. They are well aware that this will not help with the Bed Bug problem. I checked and they are licensed.
I hate going legal but it just keeps heading that way. At least I no longer feel alone in the fight with the landlord.
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angie
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Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jan 19 2008 11:54:48
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Do you want to know what I did? I called my counties health inspectors and they had someone out that afternoon. They then reported to the building inspectors and the rental company was given 30 days to correct this bb problem or the building will be red tagged. That means that all 20 units will have to be vacated and then no rent and no tenants until the bb are gone. It worked a little in my case as the 30 day mark is almost here and only 1 treatment in my apartment and none in the other known apartments. But I tried to get this done the other way and the LL is too arrogant that to accept the problem so I took matters into my own hands. Its worth a try cuz we all know that one treatment is not going to work. Good Luck, IBB!!!
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I think Angie has the right idea for someone in similar situations. I hope the health/housing authorities can step in and compel your landlord to eradicate the bedbugs in the building, not just treat once for them.
At least now you can act in concert with your neighbors. Many people have been successful in organizing for better treatment. It's considerably more work and effort but it can work and it sounds like it's the only option in your case. Best of luck.
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IveBeenBugged
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Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 280
Posted 2 years ago
Tue Jan 22 2008 17:57:14
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So the plot thickens even more. Only 3 of the 6 units have been treated. The pest control company is trying to set a schedule to do the others. The landlord is saying no but they will charge him the same even if they don't come back out and do the other 3 that have yet to be sprayed. I talked with a person at the company and she is trying to educate the landlord about what needs to be done and that the one treatment will not work.
It gets better, One of the tenants in the building would not answer her door to let them in even though she assured the landlord she would be home. They tried when they first got here and then again after spraying the 3 units. Her car was here and after they left she came out got in her car and drove away.
I found out she had told my neighbor that she didn't have bed bugs and when Jess my neighbor pointed out the bites on both of them she insisted she was bitten by ants and that there is no way she could have bed bugs. Hmmm everyone else is being bitten by bed bugs but she has ants biting her.
I'm not sure what to do about this. I'm waiting on a return call from the lawyer as we are now confused on what to do. A landlord who won't do the right thing and now a tenant that is in severe denial and will not answer her door for the PCO.
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IveBeenBugged
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Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 280
Posted 2 years ago
Tue Jan 22 2008 17:57:55
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Sorry I meant to thank angie for the idea as we may well be going that route.
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I have to tell you that forcing 20 families to vacate a building because of bed bugs
with no clear agenda for solution like fumigation if thats feasible does not sound like
a good way to go. Perhaps an order to vacate or eviction for those who will not cooperate
but what about those like the elderly who can not properly prepare. NO an agency with with that much power that can order a building vacated because of bed bugs should come up with a better plan other than infesting those who will take the now homeless in or the hotels, shelters and Red Cross facilities they will go to and infest. A knee jerk solution like that can only lead to more trouble. What city is this if I may ask. -
IveBeenBugged
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Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 280
Posted 2 years ago
Tue Jan 22 2008 19:02:48
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I think the whole idea is to get the landlord to do something or lose his income from the rental units. You have though brought up a point I had not thought about. The putting everyone out if he does nothing.
I assume they think he will do something. They may well be wrong. I am at a loss of what to do. There is a way the lawyer is working on to withhold rent as at this point even with the one treatment the building is pretty much unliveable unless you like being covered in welts.
Hopefully between all but one of the tenants complaining and even the pest control company telling him one treatment will not work the landlord will finally come around. But I have my serious doubts as it's taken 3 months just to get one treatment.
Hopefully the lawyer's way will work. I'm still looking to get out my lease though I'd rather just start over and be done with it.
One more point I just thought of if they indeed force the landlord to vacate the building won't the bed bugs just move to another nearby building with people in it? I should have thought of that earlier but thought I had another route to go.
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Winston, your point is well taken. Nobugs blogged a story from Monticello, New York in the summer that was in pointed contrast to the heartbreaking story of Denver's Halcyon House. The affected residents in Monticello were moved by the Red Cross to hotels. No doubt, bedbugs were probably spread.
Bedbugs are so hard and unfair. I'm sure no one has all the answers. But people shouldn't have to live with bedbugs. It's one thing to be poor, but bedbugs can be an indignity too far.
Let's hope that the landlords discussed in this thread are not insolvent or in a position to abandon their properties. If the health department can exert pressure to have the landlord correct the problem, then I think that is what we are hoping for.
The people in Denver have no options. The city doesn't have any leverage, and can't afford to move them anywhere. They have to live with bedbugs.
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IveBeenBugged
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Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 280
Posted 2 years ago
Wed Jan 23 2008 20:18:56
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Ok so here is a brief update. I'm not sure what the lady from the pest control service said to the landlord but there was a notice on everyone's door that they would be out to do all apartments on saturday. This is also including a dusting of the walls besides the spraying with Suspend and Gertol.
While I know this will probably not be the end of this it is at least a start. It also stated they may have to do more than just 2 applications depending on the infestation and that they would go over with each tenant what our part involves as it is a dual effort to help to get rid of them. Treatment alone will not work without all of our cooperation.
I've got to send this lady flowers as I could get no where with the landlord since november. Of course now that all of the tenants know we all have been complaining may also have been of some help with him finally getting someone in.
I'm still curious how they will deal with the one who insists that she is getting bitten by ants and is the only one who doesn't have BB's in the building.
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Let's hear it for the PCO lady who kept at the landlord until he got it.
And for you and your neighbors for insisting you needed help.
ONE crazy lady who thinks she has ants? You've got good stats there, IveBeenBugged. It's a rare building where everyone-but-one "gets it." -
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Joined: Dec '07
Posts: 544
Posted 2 years ago
Thu Jan 24 2008 22:36:03
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IBB, How to deal with the neighbor who says she gets bitten by ants,that's easy.The pco should say she's spraying for "ants".Good Luck.
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Posts: 544
Posted 2 years ago
Thu Jan 24 2008 22:40:40
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ISS, And I forgot to mention every one knows you have to wash and bag your clothes to get rid of "ants",right?
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BugBoy911
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Joined: Jan '09
Posts: 200
Posted 11 months ago
Thu Apr 9 2009 14:52:35
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