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My Situation, need advice
(4 posts)-
fed_up2009
newbite
Joined: Aug '11
Posts: 2offline
Posted 1 year ago
Fri Aug 19 2011 15:43:33
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A week ago, I was sitting on my couch in my apartment in Pueblo, CO and saw a brown bug go crawling across my couch. I caught, killed it, and inspected it. After extensive searching, the only thing I found that looked like it was bed bugs. Naturally, I freaked out. I have NEVER had an issue with bed bugs before. All of the furniture in my apartment has been there since I moved in back in '09. There were absolutely no signs of them before, and I do react to the bites so I would have noticed. I saw no signs of them in my actual bedroom, just in the couch. I have taken all of my laundry and bedding to a laundromat and made sure they all went through the dryer especially twice on high. After doing that, I moved into my cousin's basement as a temporary living arrangement. I know it says not to move out but I've taken every precaution it lists before moving into her place to make sure I didn't bring them with me. I can't sleep in my apartment because I constantly wake up feeling like I've got bugs crawling all over me. I'm stuck doing mandatory overtime at work so going without sleep really isn't an option.
Everything I own that is not clothing has been sitting in my car in 100 degree+ temperatures. I took a thermometer out there the other day to check and inside the car was well over 120 degrees. I cannot afford to get one of those packtite things because I'm paycheck to paycheck right now so that's my only solution for the rest of my belongings. Since I've been in my cousin's place I have not had a single bite.
I need advice about two things though. First off, my electronics. I got my laptop running SUPER hot for awhile and I've checked all over it for signs of bedbugs and have seen nothing. What do I do about my other electronics like my TV, DVD players, cable box, Wii, and all of the things that go with it? Also what do I do with my DVD, CD, and book collections? I want to be sure that when I move completely I don't bring bed bugs with me in my electronics.
The other thing I need advice on is on the legal side of things. I saw the first bedbug the night of 8/12/11. I reported it to my landlord on 8/14/11 when they were back in the office because they are not there over the weekends. Now when I went to talk to my landlord, who knew I was living somewhere else temporarily she tells me I have to pay rent for this month AND next month because I didn't give 30 days notice at the start of the month. Now how could I have possibly known bed bugs would infest my apartment less than halfway through the month? I had no intentions of moving out before this because I have never had an issue with them like this before. Should I buckle and pay both month's rent or do I have a leg to stand on if I fight them? I mean I'm willing to compromise and pay one month's rent but not the second but so far she doesn't seem willing to budge on the matter. The other thing was, I told her my phone number and that I would not be staying there. So where does she leave notice to tell me how to prepare for the exterminator and when he was coming? On the door to the apartment where I have not been staying, of course. I am moving out because they are only treating MY apartment when I can pretty much gaurantee you my apartment was not the source of the infestation. What should I do about this?
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oldtimer
Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 6,828offline
Posted 1 year ago
Fri Aug 19 2011 15:56:59
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Hi,
I cant help on the legal side of things but with regards the car this is not a reliable way of decontaminating things.
Although the inside of the car may read 120 there will be cool spots that any bedbugs will retreat to and thus survive the process. You would literally need to park your close on the surface of the sun for this approach to work.
If you have a search of threads you will understand more about this and why the laws of physics are not on your side.
Hope that helps.
David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited -
fed_up2009
newbite
Joined: Aug '11
Posts: 2offline
Posted 1 year ago
Fri Aug 19 2011 17:53:29
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Then what should I do with all of that stuff because that packtite thing is WAY too expensive for my budget and there is no way I can afford to have to get rid of all of that stuff either.
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Valkyrie
newbite
Joined: Aug '11
Posts: 25offline
Posted 1 year ago
Wed Sep 7 2011 16:23:10
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On the legal side, I'd google search renters law or renters rights for your state. A lawyer might also be willing to tell you at least what codes and the like to look into.
Good luck! Land Lords are not fun to fight with.
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