What would you do?

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ishium 80439

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Denver foothills via the Horn of Africa
I got a call from a tenant of an apartment complex saying she was having trouble getting her landlord to send over an electrician to look at a problem with some circuits that were down. She said that she would pay me from her own pocket to have me diagnose it. When I got there she met me at the door which she only opened a crack and said she would be right out. She showed me where the panel was and sure enough there was a tripped breaker that could not be reset (dead short). When I told her that the problem was inside and explained the basics of troubleshooting something like this it seemed that was all she wanted, squeezed back into the apartment, came back with her check book and paid me for the visit. She called me back and said she is still having a prob w/ the landlord and wants me to cme back and try to fix it.

The problem lies in when she squeezed in and out of the door. From the brief time the door was open the stench of what seemed to be 2,376 cats came barreling out of the door. How do you tell some one that you won't work in their home because it should be declared a superfund site? It seems that the squeeze in/out routine was because she realizes that she lives in dump and didn't want me in there until she played out the rest of her options. I truly don't think I could work in there without getting physically ill and I won't send my guys in there. My technique right now is pretending that I never received the call. I know that's not real professional but I don't see a better way out. (If I tell her that I'm too busy right now I think she will wait until I get theoretically get freed up).

I feel bad for the owner of that building which no amount of lysol will cleanse.

I guess the other reason for this post is to see if anyone else has had similiar experiences.
 
Is she is in a rented apartment, not a condo, or townhouse that she owns, I would not make the call, for fear of the problems that may arise, once the owner learns you were there, he may try to go after your company, claiming the problem came when you were there, we only work for the owners, accepting the check, from her may of been a mistake, your responded, and what if the building has a fire, will the owner go after you?
 
I actually spoke with the owner and he was fine with me going there the first time. He actually told me that he tried to send an electrician over there but she wouldn't let him in either. I assume that she did not want someone who was the "side" of the LL to view the carnage. The owner was also willing to talk about having me go back and do the work depending on how things turned out.

In terms of what I accepted a check for, it was very clear on the work ticket that all I did was try to reset a breakert that tripped immediately (Square D QO) and explained the TS process.
 
Not answering the call is probably the wrong thing to do. However, i would charge based upomn the conditions but be upfront about it. it wouldn't be the first time I have purchased some disposable coveralls and booties!
 
I would look at it as an opportunity..If you can get into the apartment which is more then the owners electrician did you could secure more work from landlord especially if you divert a potential situation from happening..It will all depend upon the outcome of the situation and the debriefing the landlord gives you and you know he will want to know whats happening..
 
Good god, call PETA or the humane society! A tripped breaker is the least of the problems.

http://www.peta.org/MC/factsheet_display.asp?ID=27
Animal Hoarders: The Illness and the Crime

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Animal hoarders—once described as “collectors” whose good intentions had gone awry—are now recognized as individuals whose mental illness or compulsion can cause criminal behavior with horrific consequences for animals, the hoarders’ families, and their communities.
 
ishium 80439 said:
The problem lies in when she squeezed in and out of the door. From the brief time the door was open the stench of what seemed to be 2,376 cats came barreling out of the door. It seems that the squeeze in/out routine was because she realizes that she lives in dump and didn't want me in there until she played out the rest of her options.
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Either that or she killed her husband a few weeks ago and needs more time to dispose of his rotting corpse. :)
 
ishium 80439 said:
I actually spoke with the owner and he was fine with me going there the first time. He actually told me that he tried to send an electrician over there but she wouldn't let him in either. I assume that she did not want someone who was the "side" of the LL to view the carnage. The owner was also willing to talk about having me go back and do the work depending on how things turned out.

In terms of what I accepted a check for, it was very clear on the work ticket that all I did was try to reset a breakert that tripped immediately (Square D QO) and explained the TS process.
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That is good you talked with the owner, reseting a breaker before you had a chance to check, is a bit chancy, I realize she did not let you in, but next time let them know you can't do anything with out access.

We had a home near here with 80 cats, they had to call the Fire department and the hazmat unit, to enter the appartment, they had scott breathing packs, and had on hazmat suits. Good luck.
 
The Bug house is the name we gave to one of the worst rewire jobs I have ever had the cockroaches were so thick they packed into the boxes and would fall out when we removed covers the walls moved and I know everyones heard they were so thick they looked like wall paper but this was the first time I saw it,the guys fought over the attic work in july it was to hot for the bugs. We had the GC get the place sprayed twice before we returned I even had to spray my shop because tney hid in the tool boxes.
 
ishium 80439 said:
From the brief time the door was open the stench of what seemed to be 2,376 cats came barreling out of the door. How do you tell some one that you won't work in their home because it should be declared a superfund site?
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macmikeman said:
... but I charged quadruple for doing the dirty deed.
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wamegojim said:
Not answering the call is probably the wrong thing to do. However, i would charge based upomn the conditions but be upfront about it. ...
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cschmid said:
I would look at it as an opportunity...
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I wouldn't do it for any amount of money.
The lady has "issues" - the LL also has issues.

You hammer this lady on price, ultimately the bill goes to the LL (rent withholding, yada-yada-yada)....there goes the "opportunity" angle....
Now a LL has some idea of what repairs cost, you may find yourself n court for trying to "rip him off" - there goes any money gained from this job....
Good luck on being "upfront" when it comes to TS'ing this place ~ sight unseen ~ if the place smells like 3000 cats, access will probably be limited because of mountains of newspapers from 1973.

The lady is probably a bit insane...who knows for sure? The place reeking of cats is definitley a sign.

The LL allowing this sort of condition to remain speaks volumes on HIM. Doesn't he check the batteries in the smokes? This is something I do (yea, I'm a LL as well) to check on the condition of MY property and to schedule time to maintain MY property. This LL doesn't care what condition his property falls to.

Someone will do this job ~ but it won't be me ...considering that the OP has some reservations about this task and the general condition of this pig-sty ~ it probably won't be him either.
 
Rewire said:
The Bug house is the name we gave to one of the worst rewire jobs I have ever had the cockroaches were so thick they packed into the boxes and would fall out when we removed covers the walls moved and I know everyones heard they were so thick they looked like wall paper but this was the first time I saw it,the guys fought over the attic work in july it was to hot for the bugs. We had the GC get the place sprayed twice before we returned I even had to spray my shop because tney hid in the tool boxes.
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I "almost" got invovled in a job like that years ago when I was with my first EC.

We had to troubleshoot porch lights on some quad-units (2 over 2 under...some type of post war housing?)....we determined (well, my partner did) that the problem was either in the crawl below or the attic above. He opens the door to the crawl below and it looked like there was water flowing, he sends me to the truck for a flashlight...then we see the floor is ALIVE with roaches....the ripples we thought was water moving was the backs of millions of those creepy crawlers.
He called the boss and said - We ain't going in until all the bugs are out.

I wouldn't do it for $5/hr then and and I won't be doing it now either :grin:
 
Keep in mind that there may be fleas as well, and a tyvec suite won't keep them out unless you duct tape the sleeves and legs.

I crawled under a house once where they had allowed an old dog to sleep. I ended up with over 100 flea bites. It was so bad I had to go to an emergency clinic where they gave me an injection of cortisone and a 10 day course of oral cortisone.

I think I'd pass on the job.
 
She could have stacks of dead electricians piled up in there!!!!

I would develop an instant cat allergy.

Take the pledge:

I will never be so poor as to have to work in filthy conditions.
 
Rewire said:
The Bug house is the name we gave to one of the worst rewire jobs I have ever had the cockroaches were so thick they packed into the boxes and would fall out when we removed covers the walls moved and I know everyones heard they were so thick they looked like wall paper but this was the first time I saw it,the guys fought over the attic work in july it was to hot for the bugs. We had the GC get the place sprayed twice before we returned I even had to spray my shop because tney hid in the tool boxes.
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thats disgusting. i would never go into a house like that even if my boss was yelling and screaming at me to do so. i would rather be fired than to risk bringing those bugs home with me
 
Here's my #1 tip for working in really foul houses. Works great for crazy cat lady houses. Vick's Vapo-Rub. Wipe a wee bit under your nose or in each nostrel, and that's all you'll be able to smell while you're working in the house. Works like a charm, as long as you don't mind the smell of mentholated chest rub. That's been a big savior for me.

Vicks%20vaporab_s.JPG
 
Only problem with using Vapo-Rub, if her house is that disgustingly stink it's more than likely that the smell will get embedded in his clothing and his skin and once he leaves and washes the Vapo-rub away he's gonna puke. Personally I'd pass on the job and I might even go so far as to explain my position to the LL.
 
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