KaraBoo
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Post by KaraBoo on Sept 14, 2012 23:14:15 GMT -5
Just my opinion of course, but I think you both are making a bigger deal about this than necessary..... So we should have just been ok with 3 sets of cabinets missing in the kitchen and go "Oh Well"! I wonder if they would feel the same way if next month they got $1,075 instead of $1,375 as promised and agreed upon per the lease. You're misunderstanding what I meant - I wouldn't have been satisfied with what you originally described (only the cabinet above the microwave). I agree, that would have looked awkward. I would have been totally satisfied with what they did in the second picture though due to the cabinet in the corner being unusable due to lack of space. As it looks to me right now, it's not going to be super convenient anyway. Does it look exactly like the original? No. But speaking from experience, I think if you had gotten the original, you wouldn't have been happy with it either for lack of convenient usable space or the space being "dead space" due to being a corner unit.
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Sammy
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Post by Sammy on Sept 14, 2012 23:23:33 GMT -5
To be honest I would lean toward the end unit too. Meghan's link to the Ikea bottle holder gives you an idea of what can be done in a space that could be awkward but turned around with simple solutions such as that. Glass shelves illuminated with indirect lighting just another suggestion. Silk greenery for the top of the cabinets..........
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2012 2:44:55 GMT -5
I think you're being a diva. You're complaining over a useless spot not having a cabinet? The layout of Picture A and Picture B is different; putting a cabinet there would make opening the other ones awkward. You're complaining that there aren't knobs on the cabinets over the fridge? None of my cabinets have knobs, they all open. I say, be grateful they installed cabinets relatively quick, otherwise I'd be surprised if they renewed your lease next year. Don't be a problem tenant a week into your tenure. ETA: Unless the flash is playing tricks on me, I'm counting 11 cabinets in both pictures.
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resolution
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Post by resolution on Sept 15, 2012 6:49:44 GMT -5
I think it is fine now and your wife will come up with something creative and decorative for the corner. I am jealous of your counter space. Someday we are going to redo our kitchen but I will still end up with less counter space than that.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Sept 15, 2012 7:36:00 GMT -5
Why don't you go see what someone with an identical unit to yours has in there kitchen?
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Sept 15, 2012 8:30:02 GMT -5
Some of you think he should just "settle." But I don't think he is paying a "just settle" price, but rather a premium price. And I think insisting something be done isn't unreasonable. wait a sec, we have all talked this point to death before. for this market, that is absolutely NOT a luxury price. yes, that sucks, but that is not luxury. If I wanted to rent out my pretty much brand new townhouse, I could pull in $1600 for it. it is a little closer to Boston and has a brand new kitchen. other than that, I'm with 2kids. Whoever designed this kitchen is an idiot for not plotting it out better. Hopefully Carl can install some shelves in that corner to fill it in. That might end up looking better than a cabinet anyway, depending what gets put on them. Good luck, Carl. sent from my electronic distraction
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2012 10:47:52 GMT -5
The original installer made an error in where they started the cabinets, which is why they can't fit the last one. It is what it is. Accept it or have them move you to a different one when someone moves out. You can certainly let them know that you would like them to shelve or otherwise finish that area, but in a NICE way because it is their option whether they do it or not. I have never heard of an apartment complex promising that two units would be finished exactly the same.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Sept 15, 2012 10:49:02 GMT -5
Wouldn't self-hung shelving be banged up by the last cabinet door being opened? Better to hang large cooking utensils flat against the wall. This will free up some drawer space.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Sept 15, 2012 11:05:29 GMT -5
Same here, which is why I'd go through the lease agreement with a fine-toothed comb before blasting the management...
Just because the person giving you the apartment tour said "Oh, this is what yours will look like" doesn't make it legally binding or give you (much) basis to complain. I agree that the 3 missing cabinets were a little garish, but I think you've won that fight and need to let it go.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Sept 15, 2012 11:21:22 GMT -5
Carl i have installed my share of kitchens. The kitchens have the walls flipped. It shouldn't make any difference if the person knows what they are doing. Unfortunately they didn't measure it right and ended up with the cabinets not fitting like they should. It should have given you full use of both cabinets in the corner but not actually use of the corner "space" if you understand what I mean. The problem is they seemed to install the fridge and the cabinet over it before the corner for whatever reason. It created an immovable object so to speak. Whether they installed the ends and tried to work towards the corner or were short some cabinets and just installed the ones they had the problem now is the same. The only way to fix it is to remove all the uppers and start over with someone who can work a tape measure properly. Personally we would have never allowed a customer to even see a crap job like that! I would have pulled everything out and reinstalled it even if we lost money in the process. Now your choice is to keep fighting to get it fixed properly or to try and drop it. Personally I probably wouldn't keep fighting on that since they are clearly totally incompetent. The odds of them being able to remove the cabinets and get them reinstalled correctly are about as high as me winning the lottery without playing. So I would drop that but I promise you I would be the biggest bitch about every single other thing for the entire year of my lease.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Sept 15, 2012 11:30:13 GMT -5
The original installer made an error in where they started the cabinets, which is why they can't fit the last one. It is what it is. Accept it or have them move you to a different one when someone moves out. You can certainly let them know that you would like them to shelve or otherwise finish that area, but in a NICE way because it is their option whether they do it or not. I have never heard of an apartment complex promising that two units would be finished exactly the same. Yup. Under housing law, you're entitled to heat and hot running water and for the unit to be free from vermin and structurally safe. That's it. The management office might be nice and install some shelves or a wine rack for you, but they are under no legal obligation to do so. Heck, you're lucky to have gotten a fridge!!!!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2012 12:09:35 GMT -5
How am I lucky again? They are not doing me a "favor" letting me move in there, I paid 4k for that privilege and will be paying $1,375/month till the lease is up.
So where is luck in that whole picture? And they don't renew the lease, we move. Heck at this point we are debating if we even want to be there next year. The good part about renting: you don't like your landlord or they don't like you, you go your separate ways when the lease is up.
No one is doing me any favors.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Sept 15, 2012 12:14:07 GMT -5
The "lucky" comment was tongue-in-cheek, I'd say - but it is true that they have gone above and beyond the legal requirements of habitability. Under the law, they're not required to provide much.
If it's not spelled out in the law or your lease, you're not "entitled" to it. Doesn't matter how high your rent is.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Sept 15, 2012 12:17:52 GMT -5
In my experience in years of renting in complexes, there are times where you simply let matters die. This is one of them. You got the cabinets, not perfect, but you got them.
As you have already said that you arenot planning on moving for at least a couple of years, it is in YOUR best interest that you maintain a decent relationship with the management, because they can make things easy for you.....or make your tenure there utterly miserable.
For instance, ever since I moved into my complex in 2000, I have paid my rent on time. A couple years ago, I got a notice on my door for non- payment of rent + a $100 surcharge for being 3 days late. I checked my account online and the check hadn't cleared, but the check had been written. I checked the bottom of my purse, and the crumpled envelope was at the bottom......I had forgotten to drop it off.
That night, I took the wrinkled check and wrote out a new check with $100 more (my stupid tax), put both in a new envelope and wrote a note explaining what happened and dropped it off. The manager called me and told me to come pick up the + $100 check. She got a good laugh at the wrinkled check. She could have just as easily been within her rights to keep the penalty, it was my fault.
It is your choice as to what sort of relationship you want to maintain with management.
JMHO
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Sept 15, 2012 12:22:41 GMT -5
How am I lucky again? They are not doing me a "favor" letting me move in there, I paid 4k for that privilege and will be paying $1,375/month till the lease is up. So where is luck in that whole picture? And they don't renew the lease, we move. Heck at this point we are debating if we even want to be there next year. The good part about renting: you don't like your landlord or they don't like you, you go your separate ways when the lease is up. No one is doing me any favors. Carl......in MA, the balance of power lies with the landlord. There are more renters than apartments. You have a nice place, in a good location. You also found a place that apparently accepts pets, which is NOT the norm. Moving is expensive, and your next move will not be courtesy of your employer. Unless they do something else, don't bite off your nose to spite your face.
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Peace Of Mind
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Post by Peace Of Mind on Sept 15, 2012 14:29:38 GMT -5
Ok, since I sent her my last email I did not get an answer from them. Today I received the following: Hi Carl,
We had maintenance go in and install some additional cabinets. I attached a photo of the finished product. There is a small space that is too small for a cabinet on the left but this looks much better!
Thanks! This layout makes the kitchen look more open and larger to my eyes and I like it better. I would let it go as it looks nice and you have plenty of cabinets now. And I happen to have very good taste.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2012 15:09:31 GMT -5
There are corner cupboards designed for the purpose of making that space usable, but looks like the builder didn't bother with corner cupboards in order to save $$...in this case, literally cutting corners. And, yes, it also looks as though whoever installed the cupboards in the first place dropped the ball and didn't measure right. It doesn't look like anything can be put on the empty wall space because it would interfere with opening the cupboard door. I don't blame Carl; I'd be breathing fire And I wouldn't worry much about being known as a troublemaker in the leasing office...they know darned well that you have a legitimate beef. Tell you what, Carl...here's your chance to turn up the heat on Mrs. Carl's job hunting and when she finds one, squirreling away every last cent that's not already spoken for so that when your lease is up, you can buy a house. You'll never be at the mercy of a landlord or leasing agent again.
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tloonya
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Post by tloonya on Sept 15, 2012 15:23:20 GMT -5
Me? I probably wouldn't care honestly. But I don't blame you for being pissed. Really? You wouldn't care and it's honestly? What would you do with dishes? Hold them in your hands?
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Sept 15, 2012 15:26:40 GMT -5
Duh. When we do dumb cop/smart cop I'm the smart cop.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Sept 15, 2012 16:39:05 GMT -5
The "lucky" comment was tongue-in-cheek, I'd say - but it is true that they have gone above and beyond the legal requirements of habitability. Under the law, they're not required to provide much. If it's not spelled out in the law or your lease, you're not "entitled" to it. Doesn't matter how high your rent is.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Sept 15, 2012 21:44:24 GMT -5
In my experience in years of renting in complexes, there are times where you simply let matters die. This is one of them. You got the cabinets, not perfect, but you got them. As you have already said that you arenot planning on moving for at least a couple of years, it is in YOUR best interest that you maintain a decent relationship with the management, because they can make things easy for you.....or make your tenure there utterly miserable. For instance, ever since I moved into my complex in 2000, I have paid my rent on time. A couple years ago, I got a notice on my door for non- payment of rent + a $100 surcharge for being 3 days late. I checked my account online and the check hadn't cleared, but the check had been written. I checked the bottom of my purse, and the crumpled envelope was at the bottom......I had forgotten to drop it off. That night, I took the wrinkled check and wrote out a new check with $100 more (my stupid tax), put both in a new envelope and wrote a note explaining what happened and dropped it off. The manager called me and told me to come pick up the + $100 check. She got a good laugh at the wrinkled check. She could have just as easily been within her rights to keep the penalty, it was my fault. It is your choice as to what sort of relationship you want to maintain with management. JMHO Great story and it does show you how you decide what kind of relationship to have with large apartment complexes. Don't start off with a bad relationship. It isn't worth it in the end. There are bigger things in life to get upset about.
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taz157
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Post by taz157 on Sept 15, 2012 22:23:37 GMT -5
The "lucky" comment was tongue-in-cheek, I'd say - but it is true that they have gone above and beyond the legal requirements of habitability. Under the law, they're not required to provide much. If it's not spelled out in the law or your lease, you're not "entitled" to it. Doesn't matter how high your rent is.
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taz157
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Post by taz157 on Sept 15, 2012 22:23:55 GMT -5
In my experience in years of renting in complexes, there are times where you simply let matters die. This is one of them. You got the cabinets, not perfect, but you got them. As you have already said that you arenot planning on moving for at least a couple of years, it is in YOUR best interest that you maintain a decent relationship with the management, because they can make things easy for you.....or make your tenure there utterly miserable. For instance, ever since I moved into my complex in 2000, I have paid my rent on time. A couple years ago, I got a notice on my door for non- payment of rent + a $100 surcharge for being 3 days late. I checked my account online and the check hadn't cleared, but the check had been written. I checked the bottom of my purse, and the crumpled envelope was at the bottom......I had forgotten to drop it off. That night, I took the wrinkled check and wrote out a new check with $100 more (my stupid tax), put both in a new envelope and wrote a note explaining what happened and dropped it off. The manager called me and told me to come pick up the + $100 check. She got a good laugh at the wrinkled check. She could have just as easily been within her rights to keep the penalty, it was my fault. It is your choice as to what sort of relationship you want to maintain with management. JMHO Great story and it does show you how you decide what kind of relationship to have with large apartment complexes. Don't start off with a bad relationship. It isn't worth it in the end. There are bigger things in life to get upset about.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Sept 15, 2012 22:39:11 GMT -5
The biggest problem with that second kitchen is the installer left a man there. I hope he doesn't eat too much or hog the remote.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2012 22:41:30 GMT -5
I don't know that I'd continue to fight this particular battle, even though I see the differences in the kitchens. I've never rented an apartment though. It's a fine line between letting it be known that you won't roll over and accept just anything and being a PITA that gets moved to the shit list. To ME, this isn't worth getting on the shit list.
I don't work in construction, but it looks like they'd have to redo everything to really fix the cabinets. I wouldn't think the average apartment complex would actually do that, but like I said, I've never rented an apartment. On this one, I'd probably prefer to appear to be the tenant that's firm, but willing to work with them and I'd look into some of the other suggestions to put something in that space. You're setting the tone for how they deal with you if something else comes up and you should take that into consideration. But if it's that important to you, keep demanding they fix it and see what happens.
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on Sept 15, 2012 22:46:03 GMT -5
I think the "repaired" kitchen looks very nice, myself. I'd have no problem putting in something in the corner that would give me a bit of storage space, a place for a pretty plant, or serve some other useful purpose and be such that I could take it with me when I leave.
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2kids10horses
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Post by 2kids10horses on Sept 16, 2012 7:34:41 GMT -5
That bare spot looks like a great place to hang a Boston Red Sox pennant!
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resolution
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Post by resolution on Sept 16, 2012 8:05:05 GMT -5
The biggest problem with that second kitchen is the installer left a man there. I hope he doesn't eat too much or hog the remote. Could be useful to have him around as long as he is handy and wasn't the one that messed up the original measurements.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Sept 16, 2012 8:36:47 GMT -5
The biggest problem with that second kitchen is the installer left a man there. I hope he doesn't eat too much or hog the remote.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Sept 16, 2012 8:40:20 GMT -5
That bare spot looks like a great place to hang a Boston Red Sox pennant! The Red Sox are a bunch of little boys fighting with each other over who Mom loves best. All of us New Englanders have already moved our focus to the Patriots. They at least display a LITTLE maturity.
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