BirdOPrey5
New Member
He's renting a house in Memphis. Rent is a substantial amount. There is another tenant in the same "house" but she has her own living space, doors, etc... it's a separate apartment. This guy signed the lease for 2 years and maybe didn't read it too closely.
After moving in he found out the woman sharing the house had to have access to the washer and dryer that came with his apartment. Basically they had to share it, and while annoyed he was OK with it.
After several months it came to his attention that the woman doesn't have a separate electric meter, water meter, or pay any utilities at all- she is using his power and water, sewer, everything. This very much upset him but the landlord said tough he agreed to it. He doesn't have a copy of the lease and the landlord won't provide a copy either. Understandably this very much upset my "friend" so he shut the circuit breakers going to the woman's apartment. The landlord came and turned them back on. He shut them off again, and the water. The landlord came again, turned everything back on and erected a wall blocking his access to the utility room completely and hung a sign on the wall that said "Keep Out." The landlord could still access the room via an exterior door that only the landlord has the key for.
This is when things got ugly... my friend wants out of the lease and landlord still says no (he probably could never get the rent my friend is paying from anyone else.) My friend broke down the wall and removed the circuit breakers completely cutting power to the woman again. The landlord came again (while he was not home) and erected a new, re-enforced wall and put 2 locks on the breaker box.
My friend has since demolished even the re-enforced wall and broke the two locks on the breaker box and has again removed the circuit breakers. Today the landlord sent an electrician over but my friend was home and would not allow him to work. Cops were called but cops said they would not do anything unless the landlord was present. For whatever reason the landlord couldn't come down today so we expect this to erupt in some sort of standoff shortly. The "electrician" I guess is a general handyman and also mentioned he had Steel Walls to put up and was instructed to not only put up a wall to the utility room but ALSO to wall off my friend's entire kitchen! (The utility room is off the kitchen).
Well obviously this is going to end up very messy... I'm pretty sure my friend had a valid case but not so sure once he started destroying walls and pulling out circuit breakers. Also I feel bad for the woman who hasn't been nice though all this but really from an objective standpoint it's not like she did anything wrong.
Does anyone know if by law the landlord must ensure every tenant has their own utilities? Does the landlord have to provide a copy of the lease if requested? Can you be legally required to pay the utilities of someone else? Is my 'friend' going to get in trouble for knocking down those walls? Wouldn't denying access to the kitchen be grounds for breaking a lease?
This landlord is a real "scumlord" - a water pipe broke and the landlord didn't get anyone to fix it for 4 days, thousands of gallons of water was wasted- the plumber estimated it was enough to fill 3 or 4 swimming pools and my friend will be stuck with that bill once it comes due too because the water is in his name.
After moving in he found out the woman sharing the house had to have access to the washer and dryer that came with his apartment. Basically they had to share it, and while annoyed he was OK with it.
After several months it came to his attention that the woman doesn't have a separate electric meter, water meter, or pay any utilities at all- she is using his power and water, sewer, everything. This very much upset him but the landlord said tough he agreed to it. He doesn't have a copy of the lease and the landlord won't provide a copy either. Understandably this very much upset my "friend" so he shut the circuit breakers going to the woman's apartment. The landlord came and turned them back on. He shut them off again, and the water. The landlord came again, turned everything back on and erected a wall blocking his access to the utility room completely and hung a sign on the wall that said "Keep Out." The landlord could still access the room via an exterior door that only the landlord has the key for.
This is when things got ugly... my friend wants out of the lease and landlord still says no (he probably could never get the rent my friend is paying from anyone else.) My friend broke down the wall and removed the circuit breakers completely cutting power to the woman again. The landlord came again (while he was not home) and erected a new, re-enforced wall and put 2 locks on the breaker box.
My friend has since demolished even the re-enforced wall and broke the two locks on the breaker box and has again removed the circuit breakers. Today the landlord sent an electrician over but my friend was home and would not allow him to work. Cops were called but cops said they would not do anything unless the landlord was present. For whatever reason the landlord couldn't come down today so we expect this to erupt in some sort of standoff shortly. The "electrician" I guess is a general handyman and also mentioned he had Steel Walls to put up and was instructed to not only put up a wall to the utility room but ALSO to wall off my friend's entire kitchen! (The utility room is off the kitchen).
Well obviously this is going to end up very messy... I'm pretty sure my friend had a valid case but not so sure once he started destroying walls and pulling out circuit breakers. Also I feel bad for the woman who hasn't been nice though all this but really from an objective standpoint it's not like she did anything wrong.
Does anyone know if by law the landlord must ensure every tenant has their own utilities? Does the landlord have to provide a copy of the lease if requested? Can you be legally required to pay the utilities of someone else? Is my 'friend' going to get in trouble for knocking down those walls? Wouldn't denying access to the kitchen be grounds for breaking a lease?
This landlord is a real "scumlord" - a water pipe broke and the landlord didn't get anyone to fix it for 4 days, thousands of gallons of water was wasted- the plumber estimated it was enough to fill 3 or 4 swimming pools and my friend will be stuck with that bill once it comes due too because the water is in his name.
