i have a friend that lives in a slum, her land lord takes advanage of her cause she's not bright. she has no running water, heat, nor stove nor freg, the walls have holes in them, the floor is falling in and you can see the ground from inside the house. i have pic's and im trying to help her move into a low income home. can some one tell me if you can sue a slum lord? we live in mississippi and if you know they can be sued please tell me.
2007-02-26 14:40:37 · 5 answers · asked by joyce t 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
She has a legal right to with hold rent in order to make repairs necessary to her health and well being, provided that she has notified her landlord in writing, and he has refused to take action on the problem.
2007-02-26 14:46:39 · answer #1 · answered by Don 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
She needs to bring the matter to the attention of the state health department. All landlords have to provide a certain measure of things in every dwelling they rent. Water is essential. A stove and refrigerator are iffy. I once rented a house that had no kitchen appliances. I knew it before I moved in. The landlord said I could buy them myself and take them with me when I left. he made that deal with the previous tenants and the previous tenants took their appliances with them when they left. Prior to that, the former tenants stripped the place of such things. That's why he made that rule. It worked for me.
She had have seen the place before she rented the place. She had to have known there were no appliances in the kitchen and she had to have known theplace was in a state of disrepair. A judge will ask her those things. The time to object has come and gone.
A better bet for her is to find a room to rent. It's generally cheaper than renting an apartment and she won't have anywhere nearly the aggravation she is currently experiencing.
2007-02-27 07:14:54 · answer #2 · answered by north79004487 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you should find a lawyer who does pro bono (free)work and yes that land lord can be sued for falling to meet public health standards.you should start with the state health department. from there i would let my fingers do the walking and call around and see if there is a free law represntive who would be willing to take on that slum lord. course once you move your friend out that slum lord will find some one else to live there.
2007-02-26 22:53:51 · answer #3 · answered by frank h 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Did he force her to live there? Probably not. Did she not look at the property before she moved in? Nobody forcing her to stay. So find something better and stop trying to get something for nothing by sueing someone. Just move out.
2007-02-26 22:49:52 · answer #4 · answered by us citizen 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
just take the repairs off the rent, give the slumlord a receipt.
she should apply for assistance at a local social services to get the water and stuff fixed.
The place may be condemned if you try to sue.
2007-02-26 22:55:05 · answer #5 · answered by sunflare63 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋