If your fridge dies; is your landlord resposible for the food? - Page 2

[EricaE]

[zaftigmama]

Andrea, do you have a paypal account? I can't send you $150, but I'll gladly send you something to help you buy food. PM me with an email address.

Take care! Sorry this happened to you.

[Maeve]

That happened to us when we were renting about 4 or 5 times before they replaced the fridge. Something was wrong with it and the fridge kept going out. We figure altogether we lost at least $750 worth of food. I was p!ssed to say the least.

[Ruthiegirl]

Originally Posted by zaftigmama

Andrea, do you have a paypal account? I can't send you $150, but I'll gladly send you something to help you buy food. PM me with an email address.

Me too.

[Past_VNE]

I know this doesn't help this time, and might even make you a little angry, but it's important to know, esp. in case something like this happens again:

Despite the prevailing common 'knowledge', it is absolutely safe to re-freeze meat that has thawed. You often do it unknowingly, as most of the refrigerated meat at the grocery store was already frozen before it hit the store shelves. There is no danger in re-freezing meat, as you are cooking it anyway.

I'm so very, very sorry you've had this mess on your hands. What a disaster!

[Logan's Mom]

Originally Posted by Pynki

I'm sorry, but that's just BS. If they have given money/gc to replace food lost to refridgerator malfunction they should do the same for you. It's the precident that they set themselves.

What a jerk! Nice holiday spirit.....

[the_lissa]

It depends on where you live. I know someone here who took their landlord to the landlord/tenant board, and were awarded money for various things including replacement food for a broken fridge/freezer.

[BetsyS]

Ours died once, and the landlord replaced the fridge, but not the food. We were happy, though, cause it was an older fridge, and I figured out that we would save enough in energy costs to pay for the food in just 6 months.

[MommytoTwo]

I dont think so.

[oneKnight]

A fridge can die? I told my last landlord that it was 50 degrees in my fridge and she said "It can't be" - um, yes, it can.

She finally sent the mantinence guy, who cleaned out some kind of filter between the fridge and freezer, and the problem slowly resolved itself.

It was around this time that I/we decided to buy a house.

[beanandpumpkin]

Our fridge died when we rented, and no, our landlord was not responsible... but we did put the milk and stuff out in the snow on the back porch. THese things happen, unfortunately... it's no one's fault.

Sorry that happened! That sucks!

[onelilguysmommy]

Originally Posted by Past_VNE

Despite the prevailing common 'knowledge', it is absolutely safe to re-freeze meat that has thawed. You often do it unknowingly, as most of the refrigerated meat at the grocery store was already frozen before it hit the store shelves. There is no danger in re-freezing meat, as you are cooking it anyway.

i noticed this. the chicken was frozen solid and some of the hamburger as well and made me wonder...!!

op- im sorry! id think it would depend on if they knew and blew you off before and also where you are

[mommy2two babes]

Originally Posted by Equuskia

I doubt he's responsible, but is it possible for you to deduct it off the rent this month if you haven't paid yet, or can he front the money and then you pay it off over several months?

Op I am really sorry that that happened to you, I am surprised that the food went that quickly. Usually as long as you do nopt open and close the fridge and freezer once it has stopped working your food will stay frozen IME at least 24 hrs.
I just wanted to say that the landlord is not responsible and should not have to suffer for it either. My grandmother is the owner of a small appartment building and struggling at times to make ends meat. The building is electric heat ( In Canada) that she pays and if someone was to do as you suggest to her and withhold rent it would really hurt her financially. Landlords are people with bills too.

[ComaWhite]

"Usually as long as you do nopt open and close the fridge and freezer once it has stopped working your food will stay frozen IME at least 24 hrs."

More than a few things contributed to the thawing...
The thing is, at at first, I wasnt actually sure it died, because it was running, but it wasnt working, ywim? I thought maybe one of the kids played with the temp control, so I cranked it and forgot about it until later in the evening when I realized that it wasnt getting any colder and was just blowing warm air around inside.
I also have a 4 yo and a 1 yo that are allowed to help themselves to the fridge and have no short-term memory skills, and a husband that doesnt seem to have any better listening skills, so it was opened a lot accidentally...
Plus are we supposed to not eat for over 24 hours? We really don't keep much cupboard food around.
Another also, it was an old beater fridge with gold trim and the seals around the edge were worn and split. I doubt it could have held in the cold air even if we didn't open it.
(Thats quite a list I made there. Yikes.)

I know that maybe they shouldn't be responsible, but I figured; if I was well-enough off to be a homeowner, I would have rushed out and bought a new one that very night,
and I also figured that if they gave a gift card to other tennants for the same thing, that it would be nice if they gave me one also... so I kinda got my hopes up about it. They are a very large real estate company. They manage and build, residential, commercial and hotels. $100 is really nothing to them. I cant and wouldnt withold rent, I think thats illegal here.
They should either always do it, or never do it, kwim?

I did write a letter to the senior managers and president. I got an automated email saying they are on vacation until January 2. So well see how it goes after that. Im still keeping my fingers crossed!

[laohaire]

Originally Posted by andrea

I know that maybe they shouldn't be responsible, but I figured; if I was well-enough off to be a homeowner, I would have rushed out and bought a new one that very night

Sounds like that's exactly what they did, if they had a new one delivered and hooked up in 24 hours.

[MonkeyPrincess]

That sucks about your food, and what awful timing, too.

I don't think they are responsible, especially since they replaced it so quickly! Any of the places we rented from never even returned our calls within 24 hours!

If they gave the other tennants a gift card, I think you have a good shot at getting one after they get back from vacation. Of course, that won't help your holiday meal.

[Heffernhyphen]

Originally Posted by MonkeyPrincess

That sucks about your food, and what awful timing, too.

As a renter, I had a sort of related experience. Once in an apartment I rented, the flat above me flooded the bathroom and I ended up with a gaping hole where my kitchen ceiling used to be. Unfortunately, my girlfriend had just given me my birthday present that day: several bags of expensive luxury food items I would never dream of buying for myself. I'm frugal as they come and she knew this was my only shot at moving up from Velveeta to Brie. It was all ruined. Although I mentioned (and showed) the trashed items to the landlord, he never offered any reimbursement. Happy Birthday!

[swellmomma]

nope. I am lucky when mine died is was early spring, so cold enough outside to keep it cold but not so cold to freeze it all. It took 4 days before I was given a new fridge. I had all our food in laundry baskets on teh back step.

[blissful_maia]

Originally Posted by laohaire

Sounds like that's exactly what they did, if they had a new one delivered and hooked up in 24 hours.

: That really, really sucks but I don't think it's up to the landlord to replace it.