[lilbitty1979]

I am a single mom and my kids and I live in a one bedroom house with my children. I have been there almost a year. In that year I have had three months where I had no problems with the pluming. The hot water heater went out, and for three weeks we had no running water in the home. Less than a week after that the cold water line in the bathroom sprung a leak, and for two more weeks we had no running water again. That got fixed and the hot water in the bath tub sprung a leak in the, but the water didn't have to be turned off to fix that,and it still hasn't been fixed. I told him about this in Jan. of 08 and it is the beginning of August. A week after I tell him about this I tell him that the entire water supply used in the house backs up into the bath tub. At the time I first told him it wasn't all the time. As time has passed it got more and more backed up, to the point that I can't even do the dishes, or flush the toilet, or wash our hands with out it all backing up into the tub. I have told him sevrial times, and in frount of at least three of my neighbors. The land lords want to kick me out saying that it is my fault, but also told my mom's exhusband that there were several other rentals that they have that have the same problem and he was sick of people and there water issues. When he said that they tried to say I am two months late on rent. They have tired to serve me an evection notice, but I was at my dads, and church camp with my children. I have not received that, but they locked my house up, and went through my things while I was out of town, and told my mom every thing that she saw in the house, down to what was, or was not in the kids dressers. She told her she was calling SRS because my kids didn't have any thing in there dressers, and there was no food in the house. I was out of town, so we didn't need food, and we had the stuff out of our dressers with us. Not that that was any of her business. I am not sure what my rights are here, but surely she can't just kick us out for nothing. I have proof that I paid. She refuses to give me a receipt, but had to right one for the multi service center when they helped me the month before, and I wrote a check last month. I didn't however pay last months utilities. I couldn't use them, and they could. They have two shops, a house, and a RV bigger than my house all running on the same utilities as my house. I can't use my utilities so I would be paying for there electricity and Gas. She has many times tried to say I was behind on my rent, and when I remind her that I am not, she gets real mad, and comes up with another reason to be upset and thretens me with an evection. What can I do to stop this, or fight it if I have to. I don't have the money to hire a lawyer to fight it. I am a single mommy, a student, and a part time employee at one and a half jobs. Thank you for your time.

Jennifer

[rockinmommy]

Well, Jennifer. It sounds like your landlords certainly aren't the best - to put it mildly. Do you have a written lease?

As far as receipts for your rent... your cancelled check would count, as well as the records from whatever agency you mentioned. Payment of the rent should't be too hard to prove. As for all the rest... do you have copies of written repair requests? That's probably what it would take for you to have much of a case in court.

This is one of those situations where there is so much WRONG going on here, but unfortunately because it's gone on for so long it winds up seeming like you were OK with it, or you would have done something about it sooner - not as a defense to an attempted eviction.

The easiest course of action at this point (and I realize it may not be easy) is probably to just move out. It doesn't sound like the condition of the property is likely to improve, the landlord's attitude towards you is unlikely to improve any. Even though you can probably prevent the eviction, and you MAY have some sort of case against the landlord, in my opinion your time would be better spent house hunting.

[Apoorv]

If u have paided the rent than no problem. The land load can be sent to jail as this is a crime.