No Heat.

It was Thanksgiving morning and I had no heat in my apartment. I called the landlord about the heat. The landlord’s name is Mark. He tinkered for a while on the heating system. It ran for about two hours. The apartment was nice and warm.

I went over to my daughter Theresa’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. When I got back to my apartment it was cold. Good thing I have an electric heater, but it only heats one room at a time. Mark told me before he left he was going with his girlfriend Jill to upstate New York for Thanksgiving dinner. It was no use calling him about the heat now.

Friday morning it was as cold as an icebox in my apartment. I had to put on my winter coat and sit in front of my electric heater. Around noon, Mark called to ask how the heating system was working. I told him, “There is no heat at all in my apartment, and what are you going to do about it?” He said he wouldn’t be home until late Sunday night. Then he told me, “If you want to go get a new electric heater, I will reimburse you for the heater as well as pay for the cab up and back from the hardware store.” I told Mark, “Instead of that, I’m withholding the rent money until you fix the heating system.”

By three o’clock I called my daughter Holly, and I told her the situation I was in. Holly said, “ Mom come and spend the night at my place.” So I did. It was nice and warm in her apartment.

Holly gave me two electric heaters. Saturday and Sunday I ran the heaters on high. It was nice and warm for a change. After a week, the landlord finally fixed the heat. The heat is still working, and I’m glad. All I wanted from my landlord was to provide steady heat all winter long.

Marguerite J. Badger.

Dec 13, 2004