Okay, that's it, I am SO getting a new apartment.

[Catfood Purrito]

This is the last straw. Don't get me wrong, I love my apartment. The apartment itself is fabulous, 3 blocks away from work, not too big, not too small, the furniture is pretty ugly, but hey...I'm not picky in that regard.

But I cannot, I repeat CANNOT tolerate the building manager just waltzing through the door whenever he feels like it. This does not a happy tenant make. It's happened on 4 separate occasions, the last of which was just a few minutes ago.

I'm sitting here, reading the Straight Dope, minding my own business, in a crappy mood to begin with, when there's a knock at the door. I look through the peephole. It's Richard (aka, the Dick), the building manager. Being in a rotten mood, I don't answer the door. This is my apartment, it's my prerogative to not answer the door when I don't fucking feel like answering the door.

I knew what was coming next. Half the reason I didn't answer the door was so I could catch him in the act. I hear the jingle-jangle of keys coming out of a pocket, sliding into my lock, and the door swings open, and there I stand, arms crossed, fuming. I say, "can I help you?" Richard says, in his typical stammering, oh-I'm-just-a-little-old man voice, "Yeah, I, uhh...there's a building inspection next Tuesday."

Me: "Really, a building inspection? What, did you think you should leave me a note? Maybe you should have slid it under the door, eh?"

Dick: "Uhh...*mumble mumble*"

Me: "Do you understand, Richard, that it is quite illegal for you to open that door without my knowledge?"

Dick: "I uhh...well, I have to come in for...uh..."

Me: "For...what?"

Dick: *mumble mumble*

Me: "I have told you on several occasions, even posted a copy of the statute on my door, and yet you still enter."

Dick: "I...uhhh...we'll get that taken care of." *slams door, locks it behind him*

Uhh..first off, get what taken care of?

Jesus Christ on a cracker with cheese, I can't take it anymore! I don't feel safe! He just comes in, whenever he wants! I'm going to start scotch taping hairs to my door, just so I know when he's been snooping around! ARRRGHHH!

[oldscratch]

Put a big anvil over the door. Next time he sneaks in... WHAM!

[robinh]

Have you contacted the owners of the building? This guy is just the super, right? They pay him to take care of the place, not to harass the tenants. They may be unaware of his activities. If you really like this apartment, don't give up so easily. Good luck.

[BoBettie]

Get yourself one of those doorstop thingies that shove right under the door (a wedge like unit). When you're home, it'll stop him from coming in. Then, fuck him- super or not- change your locks. When the owner complains, explain that you feel unsafe and repeated discussions have failed with this jerk off. You have the right to protect yourself.

Zette

[lawoot]

I didn't mean to shoot him officer. I thought he was a prowler. Can he still walk without a kneecap?

[Qwisp]

I agree with Zette. Change the locks Pronto. I would call the cops on him too, you know it's illegal so why in the hell not make him suffer. What if you were in the bathroom and came out nekid to find the jerk in your place?

[Shaky Jake]

Trying to resist...

Good Angel/Bad Angel
[I lurk more than post. She doesn't know me, and might get pissed]

[yeah, but it's a public board, she shouldn't have posted]

[Still, she might think it's mean, or want no one to mention it ever again]

[Oh, just go ahead pussy]

AARGH, I give in!


Mix up some Mexican food, preferably chili, and have Zette over. He'll never come in again. Gay-ron-teed

Seriously, call the building owners, and follow it up with a letter. Explain how you love the apt, blah blah, but you're sure that they are unaware of, and don't condone, the supe's illegal activities, and how you would hate to involve the local authorities or a local "trouble shooter" media type. Oh, and you are going to change the locks, and you're sure they understand and fully support you in your effort to remain safe and secure.

Then change the locks, and investigate who you would have to notify to put some official heat on, so you can just pick up the phone and do it at a moments notice if it happens again.

Good luck, and let us know how it works out

Shaky Jake

[Feynn]

When the cops come tell them that you thought someone was breaking in and that if you had known who it was you wouldn't have hit him with the bat...

[BoBettie]

Mix up some Mexican food, preferably chili, and have Zette over. He'll never come in again. Gay-ron-teed

Ya know, that's not a bad idea! How 'bout I chug a big container of chocolate milk fist, too? (I'm lactose intolerant). He'll probobly move out of state after that one!
Zette

[Eve]

In some states it's illegal to change the locks without notifying the building's owner IN WRITING two weeks beforehand. I like the doorstop idea—cheaper and less work.

Or make sure you're standing there naked, and run out in the hall screaming OMIGOD HE ATTACKED ME AND RIPPED MY CLOTHES OFF next time this happens.

[Catfood Purrito]

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts and suggestions. I particularly like thought of crying rape...evil, yes, but thoroughly satisfying.

However, I'm going to take the good-girl route and check into the legality of changing the locks, and I'm definitely going to call up my landlord and tell him about Richard's hijinks.

[The Ryan]

Originally posted by Eve
In some states it's illegal to change the locks without notifying the building's owner IN WRITING two weeks beforehand. I like the doorstop idea—cheaper and less work.

Yes, and it's also illegal to enter someone's apartment without their permission. Furthermore, there's something called "self-defense"; an action which is taken to secure one's own safety is usually exempted from prosecution.

[magdalene]

I had this problem with my former super, The Reverend Doctor Lynch, who was neither a Reverend nor a Doctor. This was back when I lived in the freakiest building in Washington, D.C. next to the male prostitute and the witch doctor (2 distinct neighbors). D.C. Dopers, take a drive by 1512 Corcoran Street, NW sometime. You'll see what I mean immediately.

The Reverend used to walk around the halls at night in just his underwear :eek (I caught him a couple times and let out bloodcurdling shrieks to make people come out of their apartments and see) and enter people's apartments during the day. He wasn't entering to fix anything, just to fuck with people. Sometimes I'd come home and find that my plants had been taken off the windowsills and put in the middle of the floor. He'd also fuck with the loose change I kept in this little bowl - a melange of coins would turn into ALL dimes or all pennies or I'd find the change stacked in little patterns. One day he did it when I was home - knocked on the door, I didn't answer, he opened it anyway wearing his pajamas at 3:00 in the afternoon. Fortunately I always keep the chain on when I'm home so he couldn't come in. He made some lame excuse about checking something and I told him he could check it after he'd given me the 24 hours written notice specified in the lease. I slammed the door and fumed the rest of the day.

I made 2 copies of the lease, highlighted the relevant sections. I got my locks changed that weekend. I fedexed one copy of the keys to the building owners (DC lease says tenant will not change locks without furnishing landlord with keys), along with the highlighted lease copy and a letter describing the ol' Reverend's behavior. I slid the other copy (and a copy of the letter) under the Rev's door.

The letter said something like "while I appreciate the convenience of having an on-site building manager, he appears not to understand that he cannot enter people's apartments without prior notice. I'd prefer it if he not have unlimited access to my apartment...etc, etc."

For the rest of the time I lived there, anyone wishing to enter my apartment needed to go to management company to get my keys. Or at least that's what I'd like to think - I'm sure the Reverend spent every day after that drinking my milk out of the carton and doing the electric slide wearing nothing but my panties.

[tubagirl]

I had a similar experience only not quite as creepy. My apartment complex would routinly inspect apartments because they felt like it. They gave no prior notice and then left a memo everyday regarding something being wrong with the apartment. They even had the nerve, the day my husband had surgury, to leave a note telling me to clean my kitchen. And if I didn't they would be re-inspecting the following friday. They told me when my plants were dead and to remove them as well. I think they though becuase it was a low-income housing development they could intrude. I was there to finish up my brothers lease because he couldn't afford it. DAMMIT THEY SHOULDN"T TREAT ME LIKE DERELICT!!!

Anyway, when I moved into my own apartment, I specifically wouldn't sign any lease with a clause saying the maintance people could enter my apartment without my permission. My present apt complex has even gone so far to offer me to have to request the exterminator and air filter changing for people to enter my apartment. (I didn't since it is scheduled on a monthly basis, and I know about it) I was very happy that they were able to do that to my poor traumatic self.

[casdave]

It ain't unusual for building supers to 'coincidentaly' go into an apartment only to find that the single female tenant is by herself.

Record and take and notes of times and dates and talk to the other tenants, you may find a pattern energes.If it does contact your police department, even if they have nothing on him a friendly word with an officer(if you can persuade one to talk to him) of the law will rattle him.

At the moment he is just trying to let you know he exists.Maybe he is harmless and working on your own as a building sup can be pretty lonesome but you want to make sure that you talk to him on your terms not on his, if at all.

Check up about lock changes, entry into your property without a warrant and without your consent is a crime even if the contract appears to say otherwise despite the fact that you may have agreed to its terms.

A very large bald and aggressive and ugly looking 'boyfriend' is a good persuader too.

[BoBettie]

I personally wouldn't care what the hell the lease said- if someone was entering my apartment while I'm home (or not) and was unauthorized, I would change the locks. Better to have a small legal conflict with the building owner then be raped by some stranger that you allowed access because you were "following the rules".

Zette

[Typo Negative]

If you live in California, this may be considered stalking: Code 08.7. (a) A person is liable for the tort of stalking when the plaintiff proves all of the following elements of the tort: (1) The defendant engaged in a pattern of conduct the intent of which was to follow, alarm, or harass the plaintiff. In order to establish this element, the plaintiff shall be required to support his or her allegations with independent corroborating evidence.
(2) As a result of that pattern of conduct, the plaintiff
reasonably feared for his or her safety, or the safety of an
immediate family member. For purposes of this paragraph, "immediate family" means a spouse, parent, child, any person related by consanguinity or affinity within the second degree, or any person who regularly resides, or, within the six months preceding any portion of the pattern of conduct, regularly resided, in the plaintiff'shousehold.
(3) One of the following:
(A) The defendant, as a part of the pattern of conduct specified in paragraph (1), made a credible threat with the intent to place the plaintiff in reasonable fear for his or her safety, or the safety of an immediate family member and, on at least one occasion, the plaintiff clearly and definitively demanded that the defendant cease and abate his or her pattern of conduct and the defendant persisted
in his or her pattern of conduct.
(B) The defendant violated a restraining order, including, but not limited to, any order issued pursuant to Section 527.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, prohibiting any act described in subdivision (a)

[Rectangle]

Originally posted by lawoot
I didn't mean to shoot him officer. I thought he was a prowler. Can he still walk without a kneecap?

Always shoot to kill. That way there
is only one side to the story.

Rectangle

Home protection via Glock/Ruger/German Pinscher