Apt Building neighbors

So, I live in an apartment building with 12 tenants.

One of the tenants causes problems. She leaves her gas stove on for hours upon hours, to the point where the building caretaker calls the local city fire department and then knocks on every tenant's door (in case anyone is home) to safely evacuate the building (for the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning).

After the third time, the caretaker reported her to the property management company. The city Fire Marshall visited with the tenant and wrote a report on her. Instead of installing an electric stove, all property management did was write her up for violating her lease (not an eviction although it states that in the lease that the tenant agrees to keep their living space safe for themselves and for the rest of the building). Then, after some more prodding from the caretaker, property management installed childproof dials on the tenant's gas stove.

Did that prevent her from leaving her gas stove on again? Nope. Happened two more times. Still no eviction.

While outside, I complained loudly to the caretaker and one of the tenants screamed at me, "You're what's wrong with society!" because I complained out loud. This neighbor works for the county in the welfare division (so I have no idea if she knows this other tenant who is on a county AA/NA program for housing). Not that it would matter.

I feel I have a right to be upset. I pay rent and expect my neighbors not to act in a way that puts my safety at risk. Constantly keeping her gas stove on for hours upon hours b/c she is intoxicated is not my responsibility. It's the property manager's responsibility and since the monthly rent check is more important than 1) evicting the tenant for violating her lease 2) or installing an electric stove in that tenant's studio apartment; I don't see how my expressing my frustration means that I am not a compassionate person. I am compassionate. But this has happened a total of 7 times in the span of 2 months.

So, then this self-righteous neighbor got another neighbor to yell at me while we stood outside waiting for the all-clear from the fire department. Since it is a two-story building with only 12 tenants, people talk. I've been labeled a "B--" and a "Karen" by self-righteous neighbor and the other neighbor who doesn't like me.

Why did I post about it?

Because the caretaker is hosting a BBQ for the building this summer in the park across the street. No one but myself, the caretaker and his girlfriend and one other neighbor has signed up to go.

I shouldn't care about what these people think about me. But, I am incensed because anyone with a rational mind would get fed up with the inaction from the property manager not to evict this tenant who clearly needs assisted living (she's in her 60s) in a sober house instead of a public apartment building. Or, an assisted living for recovering AA/NA who need chaperones so that they don't drink/drug themselves and put others at risk like this tenant has continued to do.

And I'm what's wrong with society? How? I have a right to be angry. That doesn't automatically mean that I"m a terrible person.

WTH?! I've had my fair share of difficult neighbors, but a neighbor who leaves her gas on? What about calling the gas company and telling them what's going on?

You absolutely have every right - and responsibility - to be concerned (very) about the gas being left on. Yes, I strongly suggest notifying the gas company. Something needs to be done. Never mind what any of your other neighbors say.

She leaves gas on??? Like no flame just gas coming out? She’s about to blow the building up!!!! I second Beth’s suggestion to call gas company. They need to know. At this point it is life and death question. Neighbors could think what they want. Jerks

Wow that’s awful. I have a feeling that she can even be dangerous with an electric stove leaving the burners on etc. it’s understandable that you are very concerned for your safety.

There must be a way to report this outside the building management. Maybe housing authority? The police?

The 7th time was when myself and the caretaker asked the utility company who came out to shut off her gas, to "red tag" her line (keep it turned off unless otherwise approved by the property manager).

So the utility tech turned off her gas and red tagged her meter so that no one else could turn it on unless the property manager authorized it.

That lasted for about 2 weeks until the property manager turned it back on, after the Fire Marshall visited with the tenant and emailed in his report about her living conditions, her state of mind, etc.

This tenant is not even on a lease! That part astounds me. She's on a county program and my property manager didn't even want to rent to her (per the caretaker's 3rd hand information) but felt obligated to b/c of the county financial incentives to do so. I.e. the county pays her rent on time every month. She's lived in my building about 5 months and the first two months were gas-scare-free.

Now?

There's an apartment open across the street and we're all crossing our fingers that her application gets approved. The woman should not be in public housing. She's definitely not able to live alone b/c she clearly can't take care of herself if she stumbles onto her gas stove in her tiny studio apt. for balance, and yes, the gas without the flame is left on for hours upon hours.

I was sitting on my sofa watching a movie when i suddenly felt like vomitting and felt dizzy. Shortly after that, the caretaker banged on doors on the 2nd floor to evacuate us due to her having left her gas stove on for 6 hours. I'm surprised we all survived esp. since there are two cigarette smokers who rent in my bldg (they smoke outside except for when one of the tenant's smokes her pot in her studio apt, which isn't approved for recreational use yet in my state).

I can ask the Fire Marhsall to come back out (I have his email address) to assess her again. But likely all that he has the power to do is repeat his initial report findings again to the county and my bldg property manager. So basically, nothing.

I did email the tenant-landlord attorney office i.e. housing authority and they suggested everything's that been done already, and stated that it's out of the tenants' hands and up to property management to solve the problem of the gas-clumsy-tenant.

So, I HOPE the tenant gets approved to move out by the end of summer. While not ideal, I'd rather put up with the pot smoker tenant than this tenant who leaves her gas stove on b/c she's too inebriated to turn it off.

The police also did talk to the tenant and she was slurring her words (which worked in our favor, in our complaint to property management) and warned her if they were called again, she'd probably be removed.

Since then, no one has called the police on the tenant b/c her gas leaks have been caught before having to call the fire department, by the caretaker who lives next door to her, and now will bang on her door or shout through her studio apt window to turn off her gas. A pain and inconvenience for him of course, but if he chooses to do that until she moves out, that's helpful to the rest of the building. Since we can't do anything legal further than what we've done already.

Unbelievable. I can smell gas the minute we turn the knob, I can’t even handle it for more than few seconds. Hours??? I don’t even understand. What if care taker isn’t home when this tenant turns the gas on? Call the police every time you smell it? Omg I really feel for you. It’s so scary

It will be better if she moves across the street, but even that...a gas explosion can blow up an entire block. That actually happened in a town not far from where I live.

The situation is absolutely horrible. Doesn't the woman get sick and even pass out from the gas in her apartment? People die that way!

All I can think of is to keep contacting any agency, professional, person who might be able to help you or refer you to someone who could. A very stressful thing to have to do, but not much choice. What if you're asleep and she has her stupid gas on?

I really feel for you.

Keep calling or better writing to the city agencies and law enforcement. Health department? Your doctor? I am at loss. Hire a lawyer? I seriously have never heard such a thing. It’s like a twilight zone

Me neither. We have a gas stovetop (the oven is electric) and the first thing we do after using it is to shut off the burner and the cutoff valve. It seems like she has some issues, especially with her erratic behavior. Maybe the gas is affecting her brain function. In the end, even moving her across the street is not a real solution. She's just someone else's problem. And, as Beth says, those sorts of explosions can be quite large.

Well only this woman's social worker who handles her county case can relocate this woman to a sober house or assisted living sober house.

As a tenant, I have no legal rights other than filing a police report (which I did), calling the fire dept (which the caretaker did multiple times), having the city utility tech red tag the tenant's gas meter for safety (which was done), and the property manager installing childproof knobs on the tenant's gas stove (which was done in lieu of an electric stove).

The other neighbor who accused me of being mean, "you're what's wrong with society" will never apologize for her toxic behavior towards me and I'm not going to bother asking her to apologize. There's just no point really.

Hopefully, this tenant moves out of my bldg and into a sober house by some miracle. Who knows if she'll move across the street or if she'll stay here, despite not being on an actual 12-month or month-to-month lease due to her county program who pays her rent and her cellphone bill and her utility bill for her. She clearly needs help and I hope that she finds it. But I also hope she doesn't blow up my apt bldg with her unchecked AA/NA behavior.

Ha, I'll bet your nasty neighbor would sing a different tune if there's an explosion.

What about contacting social services/the woman's social worker?

There are a lot of things in society that are not dealt with effectively or correctly. It’s awful.

Well, if there was an explosion I don't think it would matter. It would be moot.

No one can just look up someone's confidential information. I'm sure the property manager has the tenant's case worker contact information but that's because she is his tenant. I'm just her neighbor. I have no legal right to that information nor would I want to contact her case worker.

This is correct and my situation with my neighbors (the rude one and the gas-stove neighbor) is proof of that observation.