SWSmith0
Feb 9, 2008, 09:09 AM
Hi, everyone;
Here's my situation. I'm looking for some advice, please.
I live in Lake County Illinois, where I rent an apartment in a building with a parking lot. We currently have about 14 inches of snow on the ground that caused my wife and I to miss two days of work. We own two vehicles, but usually only drive one because we carpool. It took us about two hours to clear and free our primary vehicle from the snow so we could drive it, so we weren't about to mess with the other car. We wanted to just wait until it thaws before we bother trying to drive it.
Here's a link (http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/4936/dsc03434pb8.jpg) to a picture of how deeply entrenched this car is in the snow.
Yesterday, I we got a lovely little form letter that went out to every tenant in the complex, stating that the landlord is unhappy about cars that haven't been moved recently. He states this is causing difficulty with snow removal, and he is threatening to tow (at the tenant's expense) any vehicles that have not been moved by next week.
I reviewed my lease and there is no mention of snow-removal responsibility one way or the other. The only mention of vehicles is that non-working vehicles will be considered "stored" and towed at the owner's expense. Nothing requiring my vehicle to be moved every X number of days.
Here's where I stand: I did not agree to participate in snow removal. I haven't complained because I don't need to drive this vehicle, but I am not going to buy a snow shovel and dig that car out. I also have not signed anything that gives the landlord to tow my vehicle at will.
If the landlord refuses to remove the snow, and still insists the car will be towed if I don't move it, what recourse do I have?
Here's my situation. I'm looking for some advice, please.
I live in Lake County Illinois, where I rent an apartment in a building with a parking lot. We currently have about 14 inches of snow on the ground that caused my wife and I to miss two days of work. We own two vehicles, but usually only drive one because we carpool. It took us about two hours to clear and free our primary vehicle from the snow so we could drive it, so we weren't about to mess with the other car. We wanted to just wait until it thaws before we bother trying to drive it.
Here's a link (http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/4936/dsc03434pb8.jpg) to a picture of how deeply entrenched this car is in the snow.
Yesterday, I we got a lovely little form letter that went out to every tenant in the complex, stating that the landlord is unhappy about cars that haven't been moved recently. He states this is causing difficulty with snow removal, and he is threatening to tow (at the tenant's expense) any vehicles that have not been moved by next week.
I reviewed my lease and there is no mention of snow-removal responsibility one way or the other. The only mention of vehicles is that non-working vehicles will be considered "stored" and towed at the owner's expense. Nothing requiring my vehicle to be moved every X number of days.
Here's where I stand: I did not agree to participate in snow removal. I haven't complained because I don't need to drive this vehicle, but I am not going to buy a snow shovel and dig that car out. I also have not signed anything that gives the landlord to tow my vehicle at will.
If the landlord refuses to remove the snow, and still insists the car will be towed if I don't move it, what recourse do I have?