Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 22 2004, 09:13 PM

I have a question for anyone who can help...

Brad and I just moved into a townhouse in Fremont and when we walked through the door Saturday afternoon I was almost knocked back out by the smell. I finally tracked it down to the master bedroom where there are a few spots on the floor where it looks like an animal pee'd. I contacted the property manager and explained this to him and he refuses to send anyone out to inspect it stating that they inspected the property the day before we moved in. I also asked him if the carpets had been cleaned because they don't look like it. Turns out he says the carpet was cleaned on March 9th. I could possibly buy the fact that the carpets could have gotten dirty again in those 11 days if tons of people were going in and viewing the property, but shouldn't the carpets have been cleaned once we were chosen as the renters? Especially if that much traffic had gone through?

Basically, at this point, the mess in the bedroom is unsanitary and should not be my responsibility to clean up or pay to have cleaned up.

I became absolutely furious with the property manager today because he was basically calling me a liar about the smell and the carpet. What are my options?

Thanks, Lyressa

Posted by: ! Mar 22 2004, 09:32 PM

Rent a shampooer or move.....

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 22 2004, 09:38 PM

Damn...that's all you can give me? Hahaha!!!

I've pretty much resigned myself to having another cleaner come out and take care of it. But if I do that, I'll probably have them do the whole house as I've got a case of the "ICK'S" now.

If I just have the 1 room done, it'll cost me about $50 bucks or $225 for the whole thing. It might be worth it to just have the whole thing done so I don't have to worry about what else is in that carpet. YUK!!!

Posted by: MarkV Mar 22 2004, 09:47 PM

Stick to your guns & make the manager fix it.

If it is dog or cat urine the smell will never come out of the existing carpet. They make some enzyme deodorizer stuff, but it has never worked for me.

I had a property last year where a small dog pissed all over the house. We remove the carpet & pad and it still smelled. Ended up removing carpet tack strip, scrubed the bare floor with Lysol and then dumped bleach on it. New carpet strip, carpet, & pad and the smell went away.

Posted by: ! Mar 22 2004, 09:50 PM

For 225 you can buy a Bissel steam cleaner with a heated tank from Sears.....if and when you ever have kids or asshole forgets to wipe his feet it comes in handy.

With three kids, I just wore out the last one after five years.....new one is in the garage waiting on a hot Friday and the kids rooms are clean.....

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 22 2004, 09:51 PM

Yummie!!! I'm going to call the carpet cleaners they used again tomorrow. He was supposed to call the manager to talk about coming back, so I'll wait to see what he says. It will probably cost me more hastle to fight it.

I don't know, I'm just in shock right now that he's not accepting responsibility.

Posted by: ! Mar 22 2004, 09:51 PM

BTW...speaking of holes....ask B when the oil tank is gonna ship....

Posted by: drew365 Mar 22 2004, 09:53 PM

Sounds like you might have a problem odor that couldn't be eliminated by the first cleaning, and only is noticable after the unit is closed up for a while. It's possible the landlord aired the unit out and kept the A/C on while showing it. If this is the case, it's unethical but you'd have a hard time proving it since you probably did a walk through when signing the lease and it then became your problem. If this is the case you might need a commercial cleaning company that specializes in insurance restoration work, such as fire and flood. They would be better able to eliminate the ordor than most of the cheap carpet cleaners I've run into.

Posted by: Gint Mar 22 2004, 09:55 PM

You really don't have much legal recourse as a renter. Didn't they want you to sign an inspection report before moving in that would have included the "smell" in the bedroom? Otherwise they could hold you responsible when you move out if the smell returns. If it's a pet odor, you're going to have to work really hard to remove it completely.

If you stay there, you're going to have to have the carpets cleaned yourself. Otherwise, your going to have to load everything back up and move right out.

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 22 2004, 09:56 PM

Speaking of 'holes', huh? LOL!!!

He's eating dinner with Scott right now (cleaning out the shop in Novato....finally). If he drops by the Novato house before heading back down South, I'll tell him. He's managed to lose his phone...again....again....again....again...

I actually have a carpet clean/shampooer, but it takes forever for me to clean a carpet with it...I'm actually contemplating getting rid of it because it is more hastle than it is worth to me. I don't know, I may just try using it on that one spot this coming weekend when I'm there and then just use a major smelling deoderizer and let it sit for a while and vacuum the whole house...

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 22 2004, 09:58 PM

Well, actually, being the hands on person I am, I actually felt the spot and it is crusty...so it wasn't left by the first cleaning...

Actually, what I think happened is that someone brought their animal into the house when they viewed it and it just wondered around and marked the place. The problem is that the Property managers just gave the key to people and let them go on their own without accompanying them. People could have been doing all sorts of stuff in that place without anyone knowing.

Posted by: seanery Mar 22 2004, 09:59 PM

Lyressa, I've got 2 options.

1. I can send Brembo out and even the peeing all over the house so it'll all smell the same and you won't notice
2. Get a carpet shampooer. I needed one for "accidents" in the basement and it works really well. It removed the stains and the soap has a pleasant smell. It may take a couple shampoos to get it all out, but it can. I got almost the cheapest Red Devil from K-Mart ($99). It works better than my mom's more expensive model (Bissel).

I wouldn't count on the landlord.
Good Luck!

Posted by: Jenny Mar 22 2004, 09:59 PM

If you can wait about two weeks, my dad can come do your carpets. He's in Taiwan right now. If you know the square footage, I can ask my mom and get you a quote.

Jen

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 22 2004, 10:01 PM

Well, if I move back out, they'll keep the $4K I've paid...that would suck.

Yea, I do have the move in sheet. I have to turn it in before two weeks is up. I plan on putting that in there for sure along with many other things...as Brad put it, we are not going to get stuck with anything on this place.

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 22 2004, 10:03 PM

Woohoo!!! He'll tear down walls... Hehehe.

Yea, I'm pretty much of the opinion you are correct in that I'll have to eat it. It just sucks...

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 22 2004, 10:08 PM

Yea, I can wait that long...I'm not in any real hurry. I'm actually staying in Novato through the end of this week because I need the DSL line.

I think it is approximately 1000 sq ft of carpet...13 stairs...

or if it is just the bedroom itself, it's a pretty large bedroom but I don't know what the sq footage would be on it...maybe 13X12 (156 sq ft)?

If you can get me a quote on both, that would be great...

Posted by: Jenny Mar 22 2004, 10:13 PM

I'll PM you..

Jen

Posted by: GWN7 Mar 22 2004, 10:18 PM

Between when you viewed the property and took possession someone/thing soiled the carpet. It's up to the property manager to have it made right (to your satisfaction). If they won't do anything, ask them who is there superior? The property manager should have come out and inspected the property when you called. Call them back and tell them it's their responsibility to have the carpets cleaned or you will arrange to have it done and deduct the cost from your next months rent.

Is the carpet glued down or is there underpad underneath? To get rid of the smell compleatly, the carpet might have to be replaced and the pad (if any). Also if there is wood underneath it might have to be treated with aluminum paint.

Is there a rentalsman (government agency that deals with shitty landlords) there?

This is like buying a car and when you go to pick it up there is a scratch along one side and the dealer says "What scratch?. There is no scratch"

Posted by: boxstr Mar 22 2004, 10:22 PM

The carpet cleaning is not going to remove the urine which has gotten into the pad under the carpet. I have rentals and I know from where I speak. You remove the carpet and the pad, clean any underlayment and then replace the pad and the carpet.
You can clean the carpet, DIY, or professional, you can use all kinds of "guaranteed to work" products. Trust me I have been there. The smell will return.
Sorry about your situation, sounds like you have a real dickhead for a PM.
CCLINLANDLORDLAND

Posted by: rick 918-S Mar 22 2004, 10:24 PM

Can't help with the carpet but hi anyway

Posted by: bernbomb914 Mar 22 2004, 10:30 PM

A good carpet cleaner should be able to help if he knows what he is doing. Make sure you make a list of your complaints and send it to the owners or property mgr. before you move in and send it regestered so you have a signed reciept that they recieved it. It will help when it comes time to move and you ask for your security deposit. note all the work you have preformed before you move in.

Bernie

Posted by: Mueller Mar 22 2004, 10:49 PM

Did you and the manager/landlord do a walk thru first to sign off any damage or issues?

I'd take it higher up in the chain of command.


When I do a walk thru with my tenants, I tend to pick out flaws or damage before they do just 'cause I don't want to have to deal with little cr@p....I also video tape the property and offer them a copy to help prevent arguments down the road.

Good luck.........

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 22 2004, 10:51 PM

I actually asked the guy who his superior was and he said he was the top guy. Somehow, I doubt that, but he wouldn't budge. I definitely need to look into government regulations as I do know California has some pretty strict laws, but I haven't done it yet.

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 22 2004, 10:52 PM

Unfortunately, we've already moved in.

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 22 2004, 10:54 PM

There was no walk through with them...they just give the key to whoever wants to look and the perspective tenant goes on their own. This is why I think someone took their dog in the house and they had their way.

Posted by: bernbomb914 Mar 22 2004, 11:00 PM

do what you have to do to make it a home. enjoy the benefits of being closer to work and forget the rest.
life is to short

Bernie

Posted by: jonwatts Mar 22 2004, 11:19 PM

Have Brad go by the property manager's office and pee on the jerks car door. Or do it yourself if you're so inclined (and talented).

Learned that one from someone on this list

Posted by: Rob Ways Mar 22 2004, 11:21 PM

Sorry, its aweful to move in to a piss infested home. When I bought my last 914, I left the window open to get rid of "cat smell" and every cat in my neighborhood thought it was a new porto-potty.

Posted by: Red-Beard Mar 22 2004, 11:38 PM

Sorry to hear about your situation.

There is an "implied warranty" of habitability. I do not know if an odor is enough. I don't think the laws state that a landlord must clean the carpets or paint wall before you move in. But then I don't know how bd the situation is.

When I was a Landlord in NY, I actually went out of my way to make my places very nice, so I could set the rents high enough to get the tenants I wanted. I regularly improved appliances and carpets, painted walls and the outside of the building. I had to replace carpets in one unit because it smelled like dog. Not urine, but just a dog smell.

But that was me...

I suggest you get a professional carpet cleaner to come over and look at the situation, pay extra if necessary get it documented and reccomendations. Explain to the landlord this is what you are doing. Discuss getting a credit against your next rental payment. Since he's the head honcho, he can make these decisions.

James

Posted by: Red-Beard Mar 22 2004, 11:41 PM

http://rental-housing.com/rental/woh.htm

Posted by: Carl Mar 23 2004, 12:47 AM

Lyressa,
Here is a web site that gives a summary of renter's rights. The Tri County Apartment Assn. that sponsors the site primarily represents property owners but they understand that renters are the customers.

http://www.tcaa.org/TCAA/Tcaa.nsf/GenericDisplay/ResidentBillofRights?OpenDocument

It may be worthwhile to contact them as a way of pressuring the property owner.

Carl

Posted by: ArtechnikA Mar 23 2004, 05:52 AM

do what you can, do what you have to, clean it yourself and try to withhold the amount from the rent (probably covered in your rental contract.

when that's done, go buy a Sharper Image Ionic Breeze, set it on 'high' and let it live in that room. i've got one in our downstairs 'family room' and it's done a great job of knocking down the smoke smell (fireplace) that was fairly overpowering when we moved in. i've got another one upstairs in the room where the cat box lives.

IME, they work.

we've been really lucky with our property manager here, t'was a real crapshoot since we rented the place sight-unseen from across the country. we've also been screwed by evil people right in our own town, so ya just can't tell.

Posted by: rhodyguy Mar 23 2004, 05:54 AM

ms. roberts, a basic/ cheapo carpet cleanning doesn't get deep enough. you might try a product called "Simple Solution", an odor specific enzyme product. took the sour milk smell out of a car when i spilled a latte. the are a few other/similar products available at petco, petsmart, etc. if it is from a previous tennent and it was a pet's favorite spot it may be into the sub-flooring. the carpet would have to be pulled back to treat it correctly, ie the pad and some of the product on the sub-floor. were the windows open when you looked at the apartment? that's a old trick for smelly apartments.

kevin

Posted by: larryp Mar 23 2004, 07:01 AM

State laws vary but in general, Red-Beard is correct. You rented an apartment and it has to be fit as such. Go hire a carpet cleaner (the service, not the machine - you have an obligation to mitigate damages but you do not have to do the work yourself) and have the place cleaned as necessary. Pay for the work. Staple a copy of your receipt marked "paid" to your next rent check and deduct the amount.

Posted by: Bruce Allert Mar 23 2004, 08:30 AM

Hi Lyressa, My wife & I have 3 dogs in the house and when they have accidents we use a product called Natures Miracle, an enzyme similar to what Rhodyguy (Kevin) mentioned. It worked good for old smell too. They now have a specific product for removing skunk oder. Just pour it on the spot full strength & let dry. Pour enough to get into the pad also. Worth a cheap try. Most any pet store carries it.


Attached image(s)

Posted by: seanery Mar 23 2004, 08:33 AM

I've tried the regular one (non-skunk). I even bleached the floor and then cleaned it with that stuff before the carpet guys came to do the basement. I didn't want any old smells the dog felt that he needed replacing with his own mark. It seemed to work well, but it's kinda pricey for a bottle/jug of it.

Posted by: rhodyguy Mar 23 2004, 08:38 AM

pricey?? i'd pay lots not to live in a house that smells like piss. sometimes those products need a few applications to do the job. i bet the urine is into the plywood subfloor. then you treat and apply kils.

kevin

Posted by: ! Mar 23 2004, 08:43 AM

We had two Siamese cats that we rescued from the pound....they immediately pissed behind MY bed. I had to pull up the carpet and replace the pad and I soaked the carpet and the plywood underneath with odor begone.....

Needless to say...de cats begone too.....

Posted by: Mark Henry Mar 23 2004, 09:45 AM

Document and photograph everything, find out your legal options and follow through. Tell the PM that "you would hate for this to end up in small claims court", often just the threat of legal action will get their ass in gear.

Is the carpet glued or held in with nail strips? Feel along the edge, if it's held down with nail strips you can lift the carpet and the backside will tell the tale.

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 23 2004, 11:34 AM

Cool...I'll give that a try...

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 23 2004, 11:50 AM

I'm not sure, I'll have to do that when I go back. I'm still staying in the old place through the end of this week (I think). I'm still waiting on a call back from the carpet cleaning place that originally did the carpets to see if he could get anywhere with the PM. If not, I'm going to try to get in touch with the owner, then I'm probably going to pay an attorney to send a threat letter. If none of that works, I'm pretty much screwed and would be better off cleaning it myself, but it is the principle of the thing...if they screw me on this, what would they NOT screw me on?

I actually got into a screaming match with the PM yesterday and somewhat threatened him with legal action, he was unhappy with me at the time. He gave me a number which I thought was the carpet cleaners and I hung up on him...turns out he gave me the wrong crummy number so I had to call him back. He was nice the second time around after he had time to think about it (I guess).

The problem with this situation, as it was pointed out to me by someone else who gives legal advice, is that if I let them get away with this, then they will expect me to give in every time if something else goes wrong.

What a mess....literally...hehehe.

Posted by: tdgray Mar 23 2004, 11:56 AM

As far as I know, and I am not a lawyer and do not play one on TV, the landlord is obligated to clean the carpets , paint the walls etcetera BEFORE a new tenant moves in. This is it! He is not obligated to do anything once that is done

With that being said if he did not do a pre-move-in inspection with you I am not sure how the responsibility is placed for the cleaning. I would offer to split it with him.

Oh and by the way DO NOT withhold it from the rent check....this legal manuver is only for repairs on the property that were necessary for livable conditions that the landlord either refused to perform in a timely fashion or the he OK'd the renter to perform themselves or hire the work out. Might get in big trouble and then bye -bye security deposit.

Sorry about you situation and definitly pull the pad and carpet back and treat the subfloor or you'll never get the smell out. Good Luck

Posted by: L8Apex Mar 23 2004, 12:10 PM

I'd goto your landlord's house and piss on his carpet.

Congrats on the new place! Watch for Fremont cops, they are not very nice!

Posted by: Toast Mar 23 2004, 12:36 PM

I have been a renter all my life. I have came to the assumption that if I rent a place, that it is up to me to do minor repairs and sundries, such as carpet cleaning and fauset handles.

In most of my cases, unless the main water line busted or something major needed fixing, it would take forever to get the landlord to solve the problem if I was lucky enought to get it done at all. Most of the time, I could just get a part from the hardware store (usually under $20) and do it myself. But then again, I am just like that--id rater do it myself than deal with the hassle.
Im not saying all landlords are evil. My previous landlord of 5 years was wonderful and very cooperative.

Legaly, renters dont have to may rights uless something is violated in the signed contract or its illegal by state or county law. But then again, im not a lawyer. There is a Renters Insurance, (which I highly recomend getting!) but that only covers your belongings.

If the urine has soaked through to the capet pad, the smell will always linger. You would need to at least replace that part of the pad to remove the smell. Over time and with frequent cleaning, the smell from the carpet will diminish.

If the landlord has that type of attitude from the start, it will not change. If his cooperation or lack thereof becomes unbearable, you may want to consider relocating after the lease is up.

Good luck.

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 23 2004, 01:41 PM

You guys have been great...

I actually called back again today and was a little calmer and actually got him to agree to send the original carpet cleaning guy out to take a look at the spot and give him (the PM) an evaluation. That makes me feel much better that at least he's trying. Of course, the fact that I threw the comment "Health Hazard" into the conversation may have been a motivator. In any case, at least something is being done...

Posted by: ! Mar 23 2004, 01:45 PM

Good one.....

Now about my oil tank...... <_<

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 23 2004, 01:49 PM

Oh, crap...I actually talked to him on the phone last night and forgot about it...but then he caught me just as I walked in the door. Have you tried calling him at HPH?

Posted by: TROJANMAN Mar 23 2004, 02:20 PM

shamppoing it may only make the smeel worse. the urine probably stuck inside the pad. you can buy an odor killer at any pet shop for about $5. this stuff really works. unfortunately on cold damp says, the smell will return

Posted by: ss6 Mar 23 2004, 05:41 PM

Lyressa, sounds like you are making some progress with the PM, but here is a little extra ammunition. I'm not an attorney, though there are plenty of them in CA looking out for your rights as a tenant:

Health and habitability are hot buttons in California tenant law. Check out the City of Fremont's comments on the topic here:

http://www.ci.fremont.ca.us/Community/Housing/UnsafeUnsanitaryHomes.htm

Assuming the city buys in, you might want to ask the PM (as a matter of "courtesy") if he would like to be present when the City Health Inspector comes over to inspect your apartment . No landlord likes it when the local government takes an interest in his property; one never knows what else might turn up...

If your PM still refuses to play nice, you can make repairs yourself and deduct it from your rent, up to one month's worth. Check out page 33 of this document:

http://www.dca.ca.gov/legal/landlordbook/catenant_download.pdf

Also check out the section on mediation. As far as the carpet cleaning goes, get it done right, ie make them replace the carpet pad, etc, have a professional do it, don't go half-assed.

If you know the service who cleaned the carpets in your place, get a receipt showing when the carpets were cleaned. That and your lease should document the fact that there was a time period between the cleaning and your occupancy when the carpets were vulnerable to contamination. That plus any records the PM has (ask him for these to first; hopefully, a mediator would compel him to provide these) of prospective rental visits would prove the carpets were exposed to contamination. If the PM does not keep such records, then he cannot prove the apartment *wasn't* exposed to contamination. Not that mediation is a forgone conclusion, letting your PM know that you are serious enough to pursue it might motivate him to come "clean".

The PM might keep dragging his feet on this in the hopes that you'll eventually fold and go away. Insurance companies have made this tactic famous. Once he sees you are not a push-over, if he has any working neurons left, he'll do the right thing. Otherwise, you have to remain persistent, and fight the fight. Winning is the goal; losing with the knowledge you did your best is far more honorable than caving.

Best of luck!

Posted by: Brad Roberts Mar 23 2004, 07:38 PM

Damn.. my wife posts and gets more responses than I get in 6 months on multiple threads...LOL

Trust me.. we will win. Lyressa is like a Pit Bull.. except with blonde hair and blue eyes.



B

Posted by: boxstr Mar 23 2004, 07:44 PM

Whos the new guy???
CCLINBRADSBACK

Posted by: Mueller Mar 23 2004, 07:45 PM

can i rent a room from you guys??? it might be cheaper than paying for gas !!!

Posted by: ! Mar 23 2004, 07:45 PM

She has boobs....you don't.....

Posted by: Brad Roberts Mar 23 2004, 07:45 PM

I'm not back. I'm taking a 30 minutes break before I get back to work.


B

Posted by: Brad Roberts Mar 23 2004, 07:47 PM

Mueller.. it is 10 minutes from your office right off of 880/84

If you want a place to stay a few nights a week.. I'm sure something can be arranged.


B

Posted by: rhodyguy Mar 23 2004, 07:54 PM

b&l, enjoy your new stinky apartment . you taking the bart and bus to work brad?

kevin

Posted by: Brad Roberts Mar 23 2004, 08:00 PM

I drive the 10 minutes to work now in my truck. I hope to buy a 4cyl 914 for commuting before summer. I figured out today that I have 4 stop lights between the stinky house and the shop.


B

Posted by: Bleyseng Mar 23 2004, 08:18 PM

Why not just "test drive" all those customers cars to your apt?

Posted by: silver six Mar 23 2004, 09:58 PM

Lyrissa & Brad,

Sorry to hear about the mess.

Stain. On the stain, if it goes away after one washing, you are in luck, but if it does not and it smells like cat spray or hamsters then, yes, I agree with all the other posters that have suggested that you need to pull the carpet, the pad and scrub the base board. I've personally had this experience with my cat, and absent pulling the carpet there's nothing else that really works. Natures miracle, the enzyme clenser is awsome but it only works, (1) if you apply it immediately after the stain is created, and (2) only if you have not previously washed the stain with some other clenser (the other clenser sets the stain and then Nature's Miracle worn't work).

DIY That said, at this time you should absolutely not do it yourself. Most rental contracts specify that if the tennant performs repairs without notice and consent from the landlord then the tennant cannot recover her costs. Things change once you have provided notice and the landlord fails to act, but for now costs for any repairs you perform you will have to eat.

IWH. Interestingly I successfully sued by last landlord on, among other things, the implied warranty of habitability because of a permanently stinky room that they could never fix. I'm happy to help you guys. Just pm or call me and we can discuss a plan of action. But for now: no more contact with your landlord except in writing. And no yelling.

Douglas

Posted by: agentblr Mar 23 2004, 10:24 PM

With the ratesso low tell your land lord to fuck off and buya house

Posted by: Bleyseng Mar 23 2004, 10:27 PM

They are in Silicon Valley where houses are still incredibly expensive!
Plus you need a downpayment...

Posted by: ! Mar 23 2004, 10:42 PM

Says the guy that can buy a house and an acre of land for 50K.......



You can't even buy a condo with a 50K DOWN PAYMENT.

The average house price where I live is 900K....condos start at 600K....

MY POS 400K fixer is now worth 1.5 million.

Posted by: agentblr Mar 23 2004, 10:48 PM

WOW!!!!!!! I feel like a dumb ass. Ifailed to look at your locations my appolagies. Here in the Kansas City area the average sale price is 175,000.Guess I kind of take that for granted

Posted by: Bleyseng Mar 23 2004, 10:48 PM

I am sure the taxes aren't too bad on that 1.5mill piece of property.

Geoff

Posted by: GWN7 Mar 23 2004, 10:52 PM

I've already added my what to do about the floor/cleaning $0.02 worth...so I'll just type a antic dote.

A buddy of mine drive truck. He also raised bassett hounds (3 of them). Has 2 teenage boys. He goes on a road trip. This is when his ex decides to pack her stuff and move. She figures the boys will look after the dogs. But the boys decide to stay at friends (both have hockey and are in different tiers). Nobody tells anyone what's happening. (lack of communication) So 3 Bassett hounds are left alone for three days with a 50 lbs bag of dog food and 3 huge bowls of water. And they drained the toilet bowls in a 2000 sq ft country style house. (3 bath) Dogs being dogs, they peed on every corner in the house and deposited the 50 lbs of digested dog food wherever they felt like.

The pee turned the drywall to mush which mixed in well with the brown stuff on the green carpet. Get the picture....

My friend come home to this and after shoveling the carpet off calls me. I used to install carpeting (my dad feed our family this way and I learned it from him). So I drive out there. I walked in the door and was almost knocked out by the smell. I tell him the only thing I could suggest is to rip out the carpet and underpad. Tear out the drywall and door casings, then wash everything with bleach. So for the next few hours I give him and the boys a hand doing this. After several washings of bleach over the next few days the floor still smelled. Only thing that would get rid of it was painting the plywood sub floor with aluminum paint.

He sold the dogs and they payed for about 1/2 of what the renovations cost.

Posted by: agentblr Mar 23 2004, 11:00 PM

Hey mike,I'll make you a deal sell your POS house for 1.5 mill move to K.C,I;ll set you up with a 6000sqft home on 30 acres and you would have enough left over for a Carrera GT and then some!!

Posted by: Brad Roberts Mar 24 2004, 12:01 AM

Housing prices here have not come down at all. We pre-qualified for 650k but after my "adventure" we have nothing for a down payment. We need to save money for about a year or so before we can buy in this area. 550k will get you a decent house that needs work with a one car garage in a "ok" neighborhood.



B

Posted by: Bruce Allert Mar 24 2004, 12:32 AM

KEY-Riced man, you could get 20 acres and a 4 bdrm 2 bth house in the trees & be able to piss out either door in broad daylite up here for that kind of money! AND, if you opened a shop you'd be covered up with work. It might not be on just 914's but you'd make a kill'n!

.........b

Posted by: Brad Roberts Mar 24 2004, 12:38 AM

It rains here 3 months out of the year. The other 9 months it averages 72 degrees. It rarely gets below 50deg. It gets over 85 deg. maybe 5 times a year (SJ is a totally different story) and we have 4 full blown race tracks to choose from all within 3 hours of the bay area.

It would be tough to live anywhere else.

The wife has to be close to big business.


B

Posted by: Rgreen914 Mar 24 2004, 01:19 AM

I hate to say this, but I too, was a carpet layer in a prior life; payed my way through college doing carpet and vinyl flooring and learned that manual labor SUCKS! Anyway, grab a pair of pliers and go to the corner of the room and pull up the carpet. If the padding underneath is jute, trash it (you may want to trash the pad even if it isn't jute)! If the floor under the pad is wood, it will need to dry out before proceeding any further; the wooden "tackless" strips that hold the carpet will probably also be stinky and rusty but they're cheap if they need to be replaced. The most efficient solution, assuming the damage is limited to one room, is to go to the doorway seam and cut the carpet at that location. Fold the carpet into maybe a third of the width of the room and then roll it up. Take this mess to a carpet cleaner who can wash it and then hang it up to dry; this process will take a week or so. After that, have some carpet installers bring some padding and their stretchers and re-install the old/clean-(er) carpet; it will definitely need stretching as the washing and drying will shrink it! If the carpet was too old to begin with, it probably will not stretch, but instead it will tear or shread! Now this solution is not perfect and the carpet will probably look faded compared to the other rooms, but it should work and will be cheaper than replacement. While the floor is bare, you may want to spread some baking soda around to help with the smell. This is a much better, long-term solution to the problem because there is just no way to clean it right without removing it!

Posted by: mikey Mar 24 2004, 03:32 AM

It sounds like you settled things with the landlord already. But I recommend you get 2 books from Nolo Press in Berkeley about rent laws in California (check their website). Can't remember the title of the series but there's two volumes - one for renters and one for landlords. I used the first volume when I was a renter. Now that I'm a owner and landlord I use the second volume. These two books should be in your local library. They spell out the rights and responsibilities of both renters and owners.

Mike

P.S. I got rid of the smell of cat pee by squirting lemon juice on the spot where the cat had sprayed.

Posted by: Hawktel Mar 24 2004, 04:38 AM

I don't know why this country doesn't build a Maglev bullet trains following the major interstates.

If they built the concept 700 mph maglev train along I 80, you could live in Elko Nev, and work in San Fran, with a 40 minute Train ride.

If you want to think of it as a 4 1/2 hour train ride from San Fran to New York if your mind works better than way.

It would really change our country, in relation to where you live, and where you work.

Even if such a technological marvel was in place, cat piss would still make carpets smell though.

Posted by: rhodyguy Mar 24 2004, 07:40 AM

no, we need those flying cars that would land in our driveways that were promissed when i was a sprout. a just under the speed of sound train ? i would worry about an ejection seat malfunction a one way run to ny would prob run $3k.

kevin

Posted by: bob174 Mar 24 2004, 01:15 PM

Quit peeing on the carpet Brad.

Posted by: Lyressa Roberts Mar 28 2004, 12:34 PM

LOL!!! I love all the posts. This was worth a great laugh this morning.

Well, the carpet cleaner guy came out yesterday morning and cleaned it up. It still has a small smell but not enough to smell unless you put your nose in it. I don't plan on doing that after I put up my bed... 8^)

Thanks everyone for all the advice...I think we're good to go now.

Posted by: Mark Henry Mar 28 2004, 01:40 PM

WOW!

Mike you could sell your house, move to Canada and buy a new 3000sq/ft house and retire in comfort.

I bought my house in '96 for $151,000 Canadian (guess about $115,000USD), it was 18yrs old and came with 23 acres of land, 450' frontage. I built my 1500sq/ft shop myself for $18,000. I don't what it's worth now, but a fairly small newer house w/double garage on 1 acre sold for $239,000 just down the road. A 2-acre lot just sold for $55,000 so prices are going up.

I live in the country 30min from 3 smaller cities, 1 hour from Toronto.

Mosport racetrack is 20min away, Shannonville is just over an hour and we have 3 oval tracks within a half hour. Lots of twisties, 10-20 minutes from 2 ski hills, 1000's of miles of trails at our doorstep, lakes fishing, lots of jobs, etc. to keep one amused.

You can keep cali, I'll put up with winters.

Posted by: chunger Mar 29 2004, 05:38 AM

Hey there,

Sorry the new place was a pain. . . If it makes you feel better though, I recently cleaned out one of my parent's rental apartments. . . guy had a heart attack in it and he was discovered there by the police after some of his classmates from a junior college class noticed he wasn't showing up to class.

DA's office kept the keys for 2 months because they wanted to take anything of value to offset funeral expenses. I guess they couldn't find any relatives (fairly old un-married man).

Power was out and the DA's office didn't bother to clear out the fridge or other perishables while they waited for their people to clear the place. When I walked in for the 1st time after 2 months, the smell was so bad it felt like you walked into a brick wall. There were fruit flies and bug eggs everywhere covering everything. I removed about 1/2 a garbage can of black liquid slime from the refridgerator. . . and then tossed it into a dumpster. . . didn't even bother opening the freezer, just tossed it into the dumpster.

Had to remove the linoleum and put tiles in. . . put new carpets, paint, put new appliances and finally the unit is for rent again.

IF anyone's interested in a 1 bedroom apartent in San Mateo after that story. . .


Attached image(s)