I am hoppin mad...

[justme23]

Ugh... I am so pissed at our rental management. I could just scream. I got home from work yesterday and found a letter on the door to all tenants. Ok, no biggie. I get inside and I'm reading it and at first I was really happy about it... AT FIRST! It's basically a new set of rules that the 'new management' is laying down on us. Most of them are pretty basic, no sex, drugs or alcohol at the pool, no putting trash out except on designated days or get off your lazy butt and walk it to the dumpster (my words, not theirs), don't put your laundry on the porch to dry, it isn't really all that attractive. Ok, this is ALL fine, I am happy and agree w/ all of them.

Then... I get down to the bottom of the page and I read (pay close attention to the last sentence):

"Cigarette butts must never be disposed of on the property or in shrubs. If Management has to clean up cigarette butts residents will be charged $5 per butt, due immediately. Ownership of butts will be determined by the proximity of the butt to the apartment. "

I'm sorry... what?!? The proximity to the apartment? This oh so better be an idle threat in an attempt to make ppl watch where they throw their butts cause I live right next to the gate, where everyone throws their butts before fiddling w/ the keypad to try and get the gate open. I will be paying $100 a day for cigarettes that DO NOT EVEN BELONG TO ME!! YES, for those of you wondering, I DO smoke and I would GLADLY pay for them if I 'disposed of my butts' OUTDOORS... but we carry around disposable ashtrays w/ us everywhere so that we don't 'liter' the grounds. BTW, NONE of this is written in our lease and we aren't due to resign until the end of November (altho, that's not gonna happen... I will be runnin for the hills!), so I don't technically see how they can enforce it since it's not in a contract I signed (or anyone for that matter) and there are guests who don't live here, won't have to pay a fine and will never learn a lesson so this system is NOT going to work... someone tell me I have every right to be as angry as I am because I am FURIOUS over this and I really don't know if I have any legal grounds to fight this when the 'bills' start rollin in!

[momfromTN]

Better go talk to the landlords and explain the situation and tell them you will not be paying for someone else's butts.

[ahippiechic]

I wish there a way to keep people from throwing their buts everywhere, but this isn't going to work. My groundskeeper spends a lot of time picking them out the decorative rocks here, when he could be doing a lot of other things that need to be done. Maybe it's just an empty threat on their part to get people to stop doing it.

[redrig]

I'd call the management co and tell them the situation. It's not right for you to a) pay for other people's ignorance or b) have to police the gate to make sure people aren't throwing butts down that could be charged to you

[redrig]

of course if you had someone there you really didnt like you could sneak over there and dump an ashtray next to their apartment:D

[tiffany21]

you need to go talk to them and don't sign the new conctract till you do. and on the last one put on it in your writing you do not agree with this because of where your apt is. and have the office sign it also and have them give you a copy right then and their. and I don't think they can make you pay for the butts also.

[KitaKat]

I don't see how that could be legally binding... cuz there's noway to prove it was you doing it. Shouldn't they have to prove who does it to give the fine? I mean, isn't it innocent until proven guilty?

OK, I don't live in apartsments, but I have before and I just don't see how this could be legally binding. It would appear to me that they'd have to prove it and it would end up in court...

Thats just my two cents... :p

[okie]

I don't think legally they can get away with that because it wasn't in your original contract.

[Carlie]

Talk to the management and voice your concerns.

[LadyBones]

i don't think you should have to pay for every single butt! thats just wrong!!! is there anyway you can get in touch with other tenents in your building and if everyone pitches some money in go buy an outside ashtray and put sand in it, then maybe you can all take turns cleaning it out and then no body will get charged for cig butt's on the ground! It's just an idea that might work for ya.

[schsa]

I doubt that they could enforce it considering where you live. I would definately talk to the manager and put into writing how you feel about the situation considering your proximity to an area where cigarette butts are disposed of on a regular basis.

Some rules are without merit.

[justme23]

Originally posted by schsa
I doubt that they could enforce it considering where you live. I would definately talk to the manager and put into writing how you feel about the situation considering your proximity to an area where cigarette butts are disposed of on a regular basis.

Some rules are without merit.

This is what the ppl at the corporate office said... that they had no legal grounds to follow through w/ this w/out proper wording in the lease and that it will be taken care of... that the only reason it was put in there is cause we were w/out adequate management for a while and the tenants were getting lax in their upkeep of their own areas and the community areas (including one very large sexual adventure in the pool one night and another woman holding an infant while smoking pot at the pool (altho quite a long time ago and did end in eviction) and littered alcohol containers at the pool).

[freemus]

I'm glad you got that straightened out! How ridiculous.

[Angibaby26]

You have to look at your contract, in the one we have, there is a paragraph that says something about these rules and regulations could be changed at anytime as long as you know ahead of time, by a written letter by the management. So I would check your lease. That is so ridiculous. Good luck

[justme23]

Originally posted by Angibaby26
You have to look at your contract, in the one we have, there is a paragraph that says something about these rules and regulations could be changed at anytime as long as you know ahead of time, by a written letter by the management. So I would check your lease. That is so ridiculous. Good luck

I wouldn't sign a lease if it said that in any way shape or form... what would be the point in locking myself in to something they could change at any time they wanted? Thankfully, we did find out it is hot air in an attempt to get ppl to act like civilized adults and to treat community property that we all have to use in a civilized manner.

[Angibaby26]

Well when we signed our lease it was for our first apartment, LOL well we didn't read the whole entire thing. But ours didn't go to or try to go to that extreme. I'm glad that it got straightened out, it is one thing to want and expect people to keep the place clean but it is another when they want you to pay for something that may not even be yours.