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Updated almost 11 years ago,

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Matthew Paul#2 Contractors Contributor
  • Severna Park, MD
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Tenant calls , they are out of heating oil. Will I get in trouble if I winterize ?

Matthew Paul#2 Contractors Contributor
  • Severna Park, MD
Posted

My tenant of 2 years calls ( fair tenant , not good not bad ) they tell me they are out of oil . And they cant afford another $ 400 for 100 gallons . He wants me to fill it and pay me back . I tell him thats not going to happen , I dont lend money .I give him a number for energy assistance . He calls me 2 hours later and says that first he doesnt qualify , and second they are out of money . He says he has an electric heater . I explain to him that he needs to heat , the bathroom , the kitchen , the laundry room and the crawl space . To prevent the pipes from freezing . " I cant heat all that" I told him he must get oil by tomorrow 5 pm somehow ,somewhere , or I will have to kill the water and winterize the house . Read the lease , it clearly states that if there is no heat from , lack of electric or fuel due to tenant not paying the bill the landlord will turn off the water and winterize the pipes to protect the property 55 degrees minimum . If you cant afford $ 400 for oil , how can you pay for frozen pipes and water damage ? I will be there 5 pm to restart the furnace or to winterize the pipes . He says he will try .

Am I wrong for shutting off water and winterizing at that point ?

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