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...and if they don't fix the leaking sewage pipe under my back porch, TODAY, it will be Frustration Level Elventy Million

We moved in last April and around the beginning of May I started smelling a sewer gas type smell outside of our house. The landlord came over and located the area, and he thought it was a bad downspout, so he fixed it. We would still smell it on and off, especially when it would rain. However, last summer we had a horrible drought here, so it wasn't too bad. Once fall came and it FINALLY rained a little, the smell increased...by winter it was horrible. During this time we informed them an additional three times (so four times total), as well as informing them of some other various problems (like the fact that the sump pump tile drains right into the street and it's ILLEGAL for it to be). Then we had the flood in the basement that they refused to really do anything about. Yesterday, after a YEAR of me saying something, Do3K finally smelled it too (how he couldn't smell it before, I don't know ). He pried up one of the wood planks on the back porch and the smell increased; he shined his flashlight into the hole and sure enough there is a FREAKING LEAKING SEWAGE PIPE UNDER MY BACK PORCH!!!!! That is where my babies (fufu dogs) live...their kennels are on the back porch and there has been raw sewage under their little home b/c NO ONE would listen to me Our landlord said that he couldn't come until today and I have been hot about that ever since; if you're a landlord and something needs fixed on your rental (that is either illegal or unhealthy), you do it IMMEDIATELY, not when it's convenient for you!!!!

We moved the fufu's off of the back porch and as usual I am upstairs b/c I refuse to be on the smelly poo (first) floor of the house. I am wishing we would have sent a letter to them last May, when we informed them of the problem, because we would have had a legal recourse at that point. Now, we have to wait and see what he says today; if he says he can't fix it, I am calling the health department (as well as the court house) on Monday. I am done with this crap!!!! The hard part is going to be finding a house that is big enough and that will take my fufu's (which is the ONLY reason we haven't moved yet).

There may be some housing non-profit type groups which have some resources. Renters rights do exist, especially when it comes to health hazards, which is what you're dealing with. Also, any direct dumping into the street may be a matter that your local storm water agency would be interested in knowing about. I got a job shut down temporarily over here because a contractor was pumping water into the street. The job was not permitted...and they made some changes to their filtering to come into compliance.

I hope your landlord makes this right today.

Keep breathing, Mama. Just not downwind. ((((hugs))))

Hoping this gets resolved and fixed ASAP. Now that they know the cause of the problem... hopefully.

Hugs,

K

Thanks all...it's a good news/bad news/good news situation. Good news is that they're going to fix it; bad news is they don't know where it's coming from/good news is I get a new back porch (with a leveled floor) and furnace out of the deal. I also talked to one of the landlords (the one that is our *real* landlord...not his pathetic and useless partner) and they are also going to re-tile the sump drain while they're fixing everything else. While I am pissed about the situation at least it's finally getting fixed RIGHT!