Eviction Chronicles - Blowing Gas Up My Landlord's....

Excuse my filthy stove - I'm just not going to clean this place up a few days before my deadbeat, scumbag landlord moves back in.

But note my gas leak. That flame shooting out gets bigger all the time. Don't dare put anything on the counter near it; and you can't even stir a pot from that side without burning your hand. Its true size shows up better at night (but my camera can't film in the dark.) Of course I notified my landlord several times of this fire hazard but he hasn't even responded.

Recall from my post yesterday that by order of the District Court I have to move out this week - Friday to be precise.

And while my landlord's attorney insists that the scumbag is not planning on moving back in here, I don't believe it for a minute. Remember, the dirtbag told me explicitly back on February 21st that *homesteading* this house was one of the tactics he'd employ to stave off foreclosure. Furthermore, he's been sneakily moving stuff back into his illegal *office*; he's loading up his SUV with all sorts of junk and burying it in the backroom....but when he thingks I'm not looking. All of a sudden he's got the shades mysteriously pulled down to hide what he's hiding.

While my neighbors most certainly ARE NOT, I am chuckling at the thought of this Moron trying to move back in here when he might only get a couple months out of it before the bank ultimately boots him out. For one thing, I'm going to get the utilities turned off and/or switched into his name. Note these are the same utilities he owes serious coin to.

The electric company won't *turn off* the power, I don't think. It's probably too expensive for them to send someone out and then re-activate later on for whomever.

But the gas company, National Grid to whom he owes $7,000, came by today to *read the meter*; shutoff is scheduled for next Wednesday.

By chance I noticed the service vehicle in my driveway and made my way out to talk to the servicewoman. She said that she was having trouble *reading* the meter. But she never got out of the car. She was using some digital device that must have been searching for a signal. I asked her if I could help or if she needed to get into the house or something. It turned out to be a very good thing I came out and offered because she was just about to drive away - and because of what then transpired.

She found the meter next to my house but couldn't read it even from up close because it was *old* and *not up to code*. Additionally, she said the pipe-work was improperly, illegally, and dangerously installed.

Scrutinizing some more she became confused at the routing of the line. I mentioned that my landlord uses the detached office across the driveway and a light clicked in her brain. She was pretty sure that my landlord was siphoning my gas line in to heat his office - a BIG NO-NO she added. I myself had wondered about this some time ago. He did spend something ridiculous like $4,000 to get the electricity sub-metered back when I moved in 2007. He paid the water bill so that was irrelevant. But with the heat and hot water I always assumed that he at least had an electric heater over there or something. Guess what....if he doesn't, he's going to be in deep poop. Stealing the gas that I pay for???

So the servicewoman was already telling me that an inspector was going to come over and fine him for the improper metering and installation, make him pay to fix it, AND that was before she figured out he might have been taking my gas.

Then I brought her inside and showed her my leaky gas stove which she took even more seriously - as she should - than the preceding violations. She declared it a major fire hazard.

I think it's safe to say I just counter-punched my landlord here but good. The service woman was insistent that he wasn't going to be able to snake his way out of this one.

And if it turns out that he was in fact taking my gas, not only will that blunt any of the future lawsuits his lawyer is planning on harassing me with, in that case I will go on the offensive and sue the pants off him!

Apparently when the inspector comes he demands immediate access - and if denied a cop is summoned forthwith. Gas is a very, very big deal - as it should be.