Please help me be dan l'kaf z'chus

amother

Blonde

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 3:38 pm

We live in a 2 family house. All bills are joint and we split it among ourselves. I pay up every month on time. My neighbor claims that they dont have money to pay the bills and the balance at the water and electricity companies are astronomical. We've had our water and electricity shut down multiple times because they dont pay their share. But they live a lifestyle as if they do have money. They shop carloads of luxury items multiple times a week at costco and their kids have all types of expensive toys. When our electricity gets shut and we confront then their excuse is always that they dont have money! Im at my wits ends! Please help me be them dan l'kaf z'chus! And dont tell me its non of my business as its affecting us!

Cheiny

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 3:42 pm

amother wrote:

We live in a 2 family house. All bills are joint and we split it among ourselves. I pay up every month on time. My neighbor claims that they dont have money to pay the bills and the balance at the water and electricity companies are astronomical. We've had our water and electricity shut down multiple times because they dont pay their share. But they live a lifestyle as if they do have money. They shop carloads of luxury items multiple times a week ar costco and their kids have all types of expensive toys. When our electricity gets shut and we confront then their excuse is always that they dont have money! Im at my wits ends! Please help me be them dan l'kaf z'chus! And dont tell me its non of my business as its affecting us!

Take them to a din Torah!

oneofakind

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 3:44 pm

Any way to separate the meters? Might be worth the money. I don't know if there's a way to be dan lekaf zchus. My parents are landlords for many years and some tenants were something else...they would lie in court and they left a bill at the grocers too.

jewishmom6

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 3:44 pm

that is totally not okay! this has nothing to do with being dan lekaf zechus.
You must spk to the owner of the house. My husband would be livid.

amother

Blonde

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 3:55 pm

Legally the house is a one family house, so the meters cant be divided. The water company threatened to shut our water, a night before they where to do so, the neighbor calls at 12 am and asks to borrow $2500 to pay up!! I said no way he started screaming at me that it's my fault that the water will be shut because I dont want to lend him the money! I was speechless!

imasinger

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 4:01 pm

I don't think that it makes sense to think about being dl"z when you have hard evidence that someone is stealing or otherwise harming you financially.

Your choices appear to be to find a way to get separate meters installed (of course it's possible, do you know how many single family homes have been turned into condos?), or look to move ASAP.

Amarante

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 4:02 pm

This is your landlord's problem. If I were you, I would tell him that he must be responsible for utilities and you will pay 50% of costs.

I would also not want to split utilities with someone else because they could be very wasteful with water and power and drive up my costs. I don't know why you are putting up with this as it is an untenable situation.

Regardless of what their lifestyle is, you should not be living in a place where utilities are shut off through no fault of your own.

No wonder the Monsey town is becoming unlivable - there is a reason why single family homes are zoned to be single family homes. Don't the people surrounding these illegal homes in places which are not intended to house this kind of density object - or are they okay with living in what are slums.

Last edited by Amarante on Thu, Dec 20 2018, 4:52 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Seafoam

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 4:08 pm

I agree with amarante. Your landlord needs to be responsible. I think you should ask a shailah if you can deduct rent to pay the utilities. Let the landlord chase the tenant who isn't paying.

amother

Blonde

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 4:12 pm

The landlord does not live here, why should he be responsible? We've tried talking to him many times already. I dont want to move because we live in a great area. We're for sure overpaying because they have way more kids than us.

Sleepymama

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 4:35 pm

You don't see how this is the landlord's responsibility? He is collecting rent on a property that keeps getting the utilities shut off through no fault of your own! That is insane!! If you ever did move out, I think you would have a chiuv to warn the incoming tenants about the utility situation. No one would move in under those conditions and your landlord would be stuck. This is ultimately his problem because you would be within your rights to leave even before your contract is up under these circumstances. Tenants often withhold their rent until some sort of unlivable situation is fixed. He needs to separate the meters or he should pay the bill and charge each of you for half the bill. If they don't pay him for the money he put out, he should kick them out. Or he can let them stay if that's what he chooses, but the issue shouldn't effect you.

flowerpower

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 4:37 pm

I’m sorry to say but it’s really odd to share bills. Especially bills that is really based on each families personal usage that month. Even if you live in a one family house the electric company can put in 2 separate meters. Try calling the Dep and ask them if they can put in two separate water meters as well. It doesn’t hurt to try. No way should you overpay bills every month.

Last edited by flowerpower on Thu, Dec 20 2018, 6:42 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Blonde

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 4:40 pm

I live in Monsey, its very common to share meters. Landlords take a one family house and split it for 2 families. That's not legal so they cant put in separate meters.

Amarante

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 4:50 pm

If it's not legal for the landlord to rent, then it is HIS responsibility to make sure that utilities aren't turned off. He created the situation and it is his problem to fix. He can't take advantage of his own illegal conduct so that his tenants have uninhabitable homes.

I would tell him that I am not paying rent until he finds a solution and would put the rent money in an escrow account to go towards utilities.

In most places, it is illegal to deprive your tenants of basic utilities like water.

I am not understanding how anyone could possibly put up with this kind of treatment.

amother

Floralwhite

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 5:03 pm

amother wrote:

I live in Monsey, its very common to share meters. Landlords take a one family house and split it for 2 families. That's not legal so they cant put in separate meters.

It can be done in Monsey. You have to know the rules.

amother

Cyan

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 5:25 pm

To be dan lkaf zchus, these pple are sick. As an example, I have a relative who lives a pretty high lifestyle. Drives a fancy car,flies business and had a nanny till recently. He is 200k in debt and still in his 20s. Now he begged my husband to pay for his insurance and medical expense for child. I pushed my husband to only give him money if he goes for financial counseling. He is in the process and expressed how he is starting to understand the value of money. Your neighbors are probably immature in this way and you have to spell it out to them that you expect them to pay utilities before anything else.

thunderstorm

Thu, Dec 20 2018, 6:02 pm

amother wrote:

I live in Monsey, its very common to share meters. Landlords take a one family house and split it for 2 families. That's not legal so they cant put in separate meters.

But the landlord gets the bill. They either implement the utility fee into the rent or they charge according to the square footage etc.
I've had this with sharing meters with landlords and other tenants.
The landlord always paid the actual bill. We then paid the landlord after he gave us the breakdown.