Forward Management Pittsburgh - Not-So-Past-Due Rent

A few days ago, I got the following 'Past Due' rent notification from Forward Management, indicating that my rent was more than 5 days past due and that I now owed them $50 in fines. However, I don't pay my rent, my bank does so automatically: every month, on the same day. So, I knew for a fact that my rent was not late, and if it were, it would be my bank's fault.

I called the Forward Management secretary, and she claimed I still owed money. So, I printed off a bunch of stuff from my online bank account (like a copy of the check they deposited, a copy of my bank statement showing when the money was withdrawn from my account, etc). The next day, the office manager called saying that I was correct, nothing was overdue.

I'm guessing this mix-up had to do with the fact that they addressed the letter to Apartment #104 (not my apartment number). Maybe they mixed up names and apartment numbers? I'm getting so tired of having to jump through hoops.

Forward Management of Pittsburgh Owes $7,624.59 to Peoples Natural Gas

Apparently, Forward Management of Pittsburgh is still not paying its Peoples Natural Gas bill. I found this notice from the gas company taped in the entryway. $7,624.59 is a lot of money to owe. All three pages that were taped to the wall are below (I've blurred out the address a bit).

Oh. And they're going to shut off our gas in November. What has happened to Forward Management?

Two Problems for Forward Management Pittsburgh: Peeling Ceiling and Toilet Handle

Two maintenance requests today (Wednesday, October 13). No answer when I called, so I left a message. I called sometime last week and there was also no one to pick up.
[Edit 10/14/10: Received a call from Forward Management's secretary this morning, confirming receipt of the maintenance request.]
[Edit 10/18/10: Came home from work and the peeled-ceiling-paint was repainted and the toilet seat handle was fixed and replaced with a plastic handle.]

The first, a problem I had last year. Whenever it gets humid in Pittsburgh, my ceiling paint starts to peel. The edges of last year's fix is beginning to peel again as well:





The second problem: the toilet seat handle appears to have dislodged itself from whatever was holding it in. It still functions, but you have to hold it down until the water refreshes.

Giant Trash Heap

The trash situation here is less than par. I can't say for sure whether the trash heap appeared before Wednesday, 8/11, but let's start recording now...

By the way, it smells pretty terrible, too. And the flies...

[Edit 8/17/10: The trash mountain has finally disappeared.]

Photos taken 8/16/10.

No Hot Water

Woke up at 11am today and there wasn't any hot water. Cold water will come out of the cold-spigots, but nothing comes out of the hot-spigots.

[Edit 4:20pm: Hot water is back.]

Forward Management Doesn't Pay Its Pittsburgh Gas Bill?

Today, taped to my building door, I found several copies of this letter from Peoples Natural Gas to tenants at [my] building managed by Forward Management in Pittsburgh, PA. You can read for yourself, but it seems that Forward Properties has run up a gas bill of $1,336.40 and the gas company is forcing tenants to pay it, or risk having the building gas shut off. Great.

I think now is the appropriate time to remind you to check LandOrSlum Pittsburgh before choosing a landlord.

Fixed: Bathroom Leak #5

After [regrettably] having to curse at the Forward Management secretary [whose fault this issue isn't], one day later the secretary calls me to say that the maintenance guy and a worker have fixed the leak again. 15 minutes later, I get a call from the Forward Management office manager and she tells me that maintenance fixed the leak by going to my upstairs neighbor's apartment and dealing with it there.

From the look of some new caulk in my bathroom, my guess is that they fixed the issue by re-caulking the upstairs neighbors' bathroom. They also repainted the drip spot that was re-appearing on my wall.

Let's hope this sticks.

Photos taken 1/24/10.

Called Landlord Today, 11:28am

Called Forward Management today and submitted another maintenance request to the Forward Management [landlord's] secretary. 1/20/10 11:28am.

Explained to Forward Management that this is the 5th time I am calling and that the past 4 times the repairs have only been cosmetic. Painting my ceiling isn't going to fix the leak. Replacing the dry wall isn't going to fix the leak.

Letter to Forward Management

Sent 1/20/2010 to forwardmgmt2008@gmail.com

To whom it may concern at Forward Management (preferably the manager or landlord):

I have been a tenant of Forward Management at *************** since August, 2008. I am aware that email is not the proper mode to alert you of maintenance requests; however, this is the [fifth] time I have requested maintenance for the same problem. Today/Wednesday 1/20/10 I will be calling you at 412-687-3777 to speak with the landlord about this chronic problem that your repairmen are unequipped to fix.

Since October 2008 I have been troubled by a leak in my bathroom ceiling that appears every single time my upstairs neighbor takes a shower. This leak has been "fixed" four times, to no avail. Additionally, the light fixture has been replaced (since the leaking water landed directly on the light bulb). Please check your maintenance records to confirm all the damage and time wasted on fixing the same problem four times.

Having dealt with this issue now for over a year (on and off) I believe it is beginning to get closer and closer to causing health risks: either through the moldy and rotting wood in the ceiling, or through the potential dangers of water landing on a lightbulb.

So, I present to you a public blog in which I've been keeping track of the problems and repairs. I regret that I do not have photos for every instance, but I believe the photos I do have are convincing enough to inspire you to some action. The wood could not get this moldy, nor could the hole in the ceiling get that large without serious neglect of the problem's cause.
-- The blog address is here: http://pghleak.blogspot.com/
-- Posts that contain photos are here: http://pghleak.blogspot.com/search/label/photo
-- All "leak" posts are here: http://pghleak.blogspot.com/search/label/leak
-- All "fixed" posts are here: http://pghleak.blogspot.com/search/label/fixed
Of particular note is the most recent issue I am encountering, Bathroom Leak #5 (http://pghleak.blogspot.com/2010/01/bathroom-leak-5.html). This most recent leak is what I will be calling about today. I may need you to refer to this email and the blog photos during the phone call.

Having to constantly deal with this bathroom leak is a major hassle for me and your cooperation in fixing the cause instead of just the symptoms would be greatly appreciated. I feel this might be the most cost-effective solution for both your business interests and my frustration with your handling of this issue. In the meantime, you may contact me at ****************** or call me at ************.

Sincerely,

- ***********

Bathroom Leak #5

The ceiling leak appears, directly above the shower curtain pole where the wall meets the ceiling. The leak occurs EVERY SINGLE TIME my upstairs neighbor takes a shower.

As you can see in the below photo, the giant ceiling hole was patched adequately when Leak #4 was fixed, however, as you can see from the wet spots in the spackle the leak is reappearing.

I will call Forward Management (landlord) tomorrow. This is getting ridiculous.

See the other bathroom leaks: [1], [2], [3], [4], and [5].

Photos taken on 1/20/2010.

Fixed: Bathroom Leak #4

No photograph this time, and just an approximation of the date. Forward Management will have to check your maintenance records for this.

I returned from winter break, and the giant hole in the ceiling had been fixed. There was, however, bits of rotten wood on top of my mirror, in my bathroom cup, in the bathtub, and all over the floor. There is new lumps of spackle slopped above the sink and the Forward Management maintenance guys tracked sidewalk salt all over the floors.