(WSVN) - When she turns her water faucet on, the lights come on. The air conditioner doesn’t work, and you won’t believe what the thermostat does. There are a lot of strange things going on, and the resident wants to know if she can break her lease and move out. It’s tonight’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
Khloe is not a magician, but she is about to be one on TV. Go ahead Khloe.
Khloe Edwards: “In order for me to have lights, I have to cut the water on.”
Did you see that? When she turns the water on, the lights come on. Now, watch the stove.
Khloe Edwards: “I have to turn the stove on in order for the lights to come on.”
Cute, unless you live here.
Khloe Edwards: “It is scary. It’s really scary.”
When Khloe moved in to her apartment last year, everything was great. Then a few months went by.
Khloe Edwards: “The air conditioner went out. I notified the leasing office. Once they fixed the air conditioner, the refrigerator went out and the washing machine went out.”
The repairman was either incompetent or a real prankster.
Khloe Edwards: “I had to run to get my phone to record it, because I’ve never seen anything like that. Never.”
Khloe says now the air conditioner has stopped working again, but if you wiggle the thermostat it does turn the lights on, and of course, what happens when you do flip the light switch.
Khloe Edwards: “But they won’t turn on using the switch.”
Khloe says she emailed the management company, again and again.
Khloe Edwards: “I don’t feel like my concerns are taken seriously at all.”
At first, the water or stove turning on the lights was fascinating. Then, Khloe started hearing a humming sound. Now, fascinating has turned to frightening.
Khloe Edwards: “And I feel like it’s a fire hazard for me to be in here, where I have to turn the stove on in order for the lights to come on.”
The electricity in her apartment is broken, and Khloe wants another break, in her lease.
Khloe Edwards: “I would like out of my lease now. I hate it, I’m ready to go.”
Well Howard, Khloe is not a magician, but legally can she make her apartment problems disappear?
Howard Finkelstein: “Yes she can. If you have a serious problem, like your door won’t lock, no running water, or a complete mess like Khloe, the law calls that a material breach of contract. All you have to do is send your landlord what the law calls a seven day letter explaining what doesn’t work, and giving them seven days to correct the problem. If they don’t, you can terminate the lease, move out and the landlord must return your full security deposit, and that wont hurt your credit score at all.”
I spoke to the property manager. If they were all as nice, renters would be a lot happier. He told me they would let Khloe out of her lease. He would return her full security deposit, because this is an issue we have. None of it is her fault.
He said their electrician repaired the problem, but didn’t tell them what caused it.
Khloe Edwards: “I am very happy to be out of that situation.”
Khloe is now out of her lease and looking for a new place to live, where the lights are turned on, with light switches.
Khloe Edwards: “For several months, I’ve been trying to get through to them without any success, and once Patrick got involved, everything was able to come to fruition. For me, everything was able to go smoothly.”
I spoke to the owner of a well respected electrical company. He said he’s seen this before, that the person who repaired Khloe’s air conditioner probably lost the neutral. In other words, didn’t hook up the white wire to ground everything, and when that happens, things can go crazy.
Powerless to solve a problem? Ready to switch directions? Let us light the way! We aren’t electric, but we are grounded!
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
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