Should I sue my apartment complex?
Question by stephbrown2005: Should I sue my apartment complex?
I have complained multiple times about many different issues with my apartment complex. On the stoop in front of my complex, there was a rail, but was about to fall off, so instead of replacing it, they just took it off and now the concrete is cracking. Also, they replaced the old lights in the parking lot with new ones, but the new ones do not even work, so every time I come home and it’s late at night I walk into my apartment in the pitch dark. Then, there’s a drainage problem where there’s mud where I have to take my dog out to go to the bathroom.
Ok, this is the kicker. I walked down a separate side of stairs (which I don’t normally go) to get my mail on Saturday. I was carrying my dog with me because I was going to take him to go to the bathroom. Well, while I was going to land on the ground, my foot stepped into a chunk of the concrete, which was broken off and never fixed, and I went down hard. I sprained both of my ankles and hurt my right knee. I’m going to the doctor on Monday.
Does anyone think that I have the right to sue them? I’m just upset because I’ve told them about many repairs that needed to be done that they never did and now someone got hurt. I was only carrying my dog, but what if I was pregnant or carrying a baby?
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Answer by You Asked
Wow! They snag you in with a lease and then they can do whatever they want to you becuase they think you can’t do anything.
If I were you, I would first write a letter of intent on everything you have said here and note in the letter that if they don’t pay your medical bills and take action on fixing the problems then you will be seeking legal action.
Make sure you give them a deadline to have everything fixed, 30 days from today for example. If it isn’t done, then go get a consultation with a lawyer. Good luck,
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You can sue anyone but winning is another issue. You should have went to the ER when it happened. Did you report the accident? Also the fact you were carrying the dog is a contributing factor. What ifs do not make a case.
You can certainly sue them for your injury especially if they were on notice about the hazards. Should you? Well if they won’t pay your medical bill yes, but otherwise I doubt you’ll get much or it will be worth much effort.
It is a condition, stated or implied in your lease, that you rented with certain amenities and facilities. If your stoop becomes unusable because they removed the rail, they have changed the consideration without mutual agreement. As a practical matter most of the time the best remedy is to move.
In this situation you may have the right to partial refund, or withhold rent, etc. but those are clumsy tools and often people use them incorrectly. I suggest the better approach is to make some calls to the buidling inspector to talk about missing rails, mud buildups, cracked concrete, fire hazards, etc. When they start getting cited and issued repair orders they will begin to take it more seriously and they don’t even know you are the one who complained.
Yes. Sue them. Your ankle may be jacked up for a long time. Think about it, you know have extra bills. Health insurance do not pay 100% of everything. Pain and suffering as well.