A Challenge to My People Skills

I have a problem with my apartment complex, and I need to vent just a little. Consider yourself warned.

I live in a rather large complex that is fairly low-rent in both the per month sense and the cheapskate one. Until recently, however, the place was managed by a very nice woman who was always polite on the phone and responsive to maintenance issues. The new office manager is much less fun to interact with. My problem was originally with my dryer, which went from finishing a load of clothes in a single high heat cycle to (in it's current state) two and a half or three cycles on high heat. I first let the office folks know TWO MONTHS AGO that there was a problem. May has rolled around the manager has basically all but told me the problem doesn't exist.

It isn't that the problem hasn't been approached. But three new dryers later, the manager is still convinced I need another one. I've called several times to see what the plan was and haven't been called back. The maintenance folks have come in without permission. I actually had a face-to-face with the manager, to no avail. Can you see how I might be losing confidence here?

So you know what I did? I sent a letter:

April 27, 2007

Cambridge Crossing Apartments
Beaverton, OR

Dear Marilyn,

Per the Terms & Conditions of our lease agreement, I want to document in writing the malfunction of our dryer. As you know, the dryer stopped working for the second time since our arrival at Cambridge Crossing around the first of March. When I first called in the problem, it was taking the dryer at least two full cycles on high heat to dry a regular sized load of clothes. Two replacement dryers, a new wall plug and a cleaned vent later and the problem hasn’t been solved. Now the dryer takes at least three cycles at high heat for a full-sized load of clothes and two cycles for a pair of jeans and a couple shirts.

Your attempt to fix this issue is much appreciated. However, the problem still exists and my frustration continues to grow. I have been reduced to finishing one load of laundry a day, which I feel is an unnecessary burden. When I am this frustrated, a failure to respond to phone calls for information about the status of the dryer repair seems like insult to injury. Not to mention that Oscar’s entry into our apartment to replace the plug without permission to enter is in violation of our lease.

I’m sorry to use such harsh language regarding this ongoing problem, but we’ve been without a properly functioning dryer for going on two months. Please do anything you can to get this cleared up in the next week or so. Feel free to call me at any point to let me know when Oscar will be coming by again.

Sincerely,

Mel

cc: KS, Attorney at Law
Kinsel Ameri Properties, Inc.


Note those two cc's at the bottom? My lawyer and the property owner, respectively. Time to bust out the big guns.

Needless to say, I got a call immediately after the letter arrived. And they've been by this afternoon to try testing the wall socket for proper output. ... I just got off the phone for the second time in an hour and a half with the manager and she actually came through with a new idea. Actually, the idea was credited to the property owner, which means their letter arrived today as well.

I am tired of the implication that I'm the problem and not the dryer. To quote: "the previous tennants didn't have this complaint". How does that sound to you? I just want the bloody thing fixed. The major resistance to an actual professional electircian makes me wonder about a couple things...

Phew. I actually feel a bit better. Sorry for unloading.