It took 35 days, but I got my toilet fixed this morning.

A plumber came by and said my toilet was leaking into the apartment below.

As he worked, I thought back to five weeks ago. I submitted an online "maintenance request to stop the water from running in my toilet nonstop. In the meantime," I added, "I have shut the water off halfway."
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Management called me immediately (within 15 minutes). I also called management to remind them of my request a week later. A one-week wait turned into three, and three weeks into five.

At least it did for my request.

I called management a few hours after the plumber left. The representative said she found out yesterday about the leak he fixed today.

The lack of follow-through to my requests started with my first one -- for management to review surveillance footage of mail theft. Ultimately, I was in the middle of 21 days of no mail received. And ultimately, I received no confirmation; negation; or declination to that request. Or to two more similar ones.

My maintenance request was ironic, because I opted for a plumber on my own dime a few days before. He arrived the next day, after 6 p.m., but found no parking downtown to keep him close to the tools.

I was hiring him because the submission form on the apartment manager's site generated error messages. The voice mail, on the other hand, said to call back during the workweek.

My first year as tenant, the building underwent three management companies -- including the owning company now. Regardless of future management, I notified the owning company two weeks ago that I won't renew a third year.

P.S.  The plumber had great customer service. He didn't bang on the door. He waited for me to answer. He apologized for waking me up. (And I had a long night completing two weeks of manual data backup.) He asked if he should knock when returning. And he asked if I wanted him to lock the door when leaving.​

Jubalyn ExWilliams lives in Pennsylvania (United States). You can find her writings and commentaries, including "Living under new management," at landturn.com/blog.

Related: Alert, II (2021)
Related: Alert (2021)
Related: "Race for Profit" (Yamahtta-Taylor) (2020)
Related: Working under new management (2019)
Related: Why rent control is more helpful than affordable housing alone (2023)

Please join the #CheyneyChallenge, a monthly donation campaign for America's first HBCU. I made my most recent donation of $18.37 today.

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
cheyney.edu
Est. 1837
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The Cheyney Challenge is an initiative of alumnus Mr. Bright. I committed to it in 2015, and began donating the following year.  ​

Related: May Cheyney Challenge (2021)
Related: June Cheyney Challenge (2020)
Related: June Cheyney Challenge (2022)
​Related: June Cheyney Challenge (2023)