Would you clean it?

I'm currnetly renting a condo that used to be an apartment building. It was converted . I moved here this past January. It has an underground parking garage and every unit has assigned parking. The parking spot assigned to my unit (along with every other spot) is nasty looking. Oil/grease stains all over it. It look's like it hasn't been cleaned in like 5 years. Well, the HOA has sent me a violation for my vehicles leaking oil. I know for a FACT that my vehicles do not leak oil. This mess was here prior to my move in. Conveniently, the management company took pictures of everything EXCEPT the parking spot prior to my move in.

I talked to the guy at the management company and told him this wasn't from our vehicles. he said he would contact the HOA and get back to me.

So I get this email from him:

"Regarding the HOA violation on the oil problem, the easiest way to get the oil stains off is to put some cat litter on it, let it sit and then


dispose of the remains. This should help and the HOA should be ok with it. Although it might not be your car, unfortunately it's your spot.[FONT=&quot] Thanks for your help on this in advance."[/FONT]

Ok, this kind of bugged me. Even though I do not feel responsible for this crap, I figure what the hell... it's easy to lay it & sweep it.
So, I reply with:

"I thought about the cat litter before I said anything to you. I would have done that off the bat, but that normally only works with wet/fresh stains doesn't it? These are dry stains that look really old in our parking spot. I don't know if the cat litter will work, but I'll give it a shot."

^ After sending this email, I put cat litter down.



The next morning I get his reply:

​

"That's a great question; I didn't know the answer so I "Phoned a family member". Ha-ha. My uncle said that there is a chemical bottle that’s called “Purple Power” that works really well. Lots of auto places have this and is a super degreaser meant for oil stains. Check any automotive location or a Wal-Mart, target or something, they should have it. If its super dry you may need to get a little dirty and scrub a bit but the degreaser should work pretty well"
​

Really??? You want me to get on my hands & knees and scrub this shit?? At this point I'm reviewing lease agreements & HOA rules and getting info from dca.lacounty.gov before I reply because this pisses me off!!

At this point I do not know if I'm legally responsible for cleaning it, but I intend to find out.


Thanks for reading my rant

 

I think that is crazy, the parking space even though assigned to your unit is not part of your unit. It is their property and should be maintained by the landlord. Unless it says in your lease that you are responsible for it then you are kind of SOL.

 

This is in the lease:

Maintenance: landlord is responsible for all exterior ground maintenance to the leased premises except as stated in this paragraph. Tenants responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following: mowing and watering of lawn, raking leaves and debris from lawn, walkways and driveway and all snow removal. tenant is responsible for shrub trimming, tree trimming, weeding, and extraordinary landscaping matters. Tenant agrees to notify landlord in the event any extraordinary landscaping is required.


So would oil in the parking spot be considered debris? This is the only thing so far that could make me responsible...

 

Depending on what you find out you're legally responsible for, I'd respond with something like, "In regards to my previous correspondance, I had agreed to use kitty litter in an attempt to remove the stains to avoid further conflict. I have expressed my concern that these stains were not caused by me and I do not feel compelled or liable to put forth any further costs or efforts associated with the removal of the stains."

FWIW, put down kitty litter and use your shoes to grind it into the stains so it's like a fine powder. That would be your best bet in removing an older stain. Also, some chemicals can stain concrete, I wouldn't go that route cause that would be the next thing they'll bang you for.

 

Is your parking spot considered your driveway? If so...then you just might need to clean it? That might be a point to argue.

 

Don't know. That paragraph is kind of vague and gives both parties points to argue I think.

 

I was going to say something of the sort (depending on my findings) but it wasn't as well worded haha. Thanks

I will try the kitty litter stomping too

 

Sub'd

 

use a block of wood (2" x 4", etc) under your foot and grind the littert around over the stain...

 

Found this:

Landlords’ responsibilities

Landlords have obligations to the tenants. The law requires landlords to keep the premises safe and in good condition and to:

• Fix water leaks from the roof, doors, windows, or walls.
• Repair plumbing, gas, heating, and electrical problems.
• Keep the grounds outside your unit clean, safe, and free of pests such as mice and roaches.
• Supply enough trash bins.

http://www.dca.lacounty.gov/tsResidentialRepair.html

 

Sometimes life isn't fair, even though you didn't do it, it is really worth getting the HOA pissed of at you for something that might cost you $10 and 30 min to fix? I agree I would be a little pissed as well and not want to do it, but those HOA can turn into a nightmare. I would just try and avoid making it into a bigger problem than it really is. GL

 

I would just clean it, mainly because it would bug the crap out of me. Once you clean it, it will be done and you wont have to worry about it again. If it becomes a re-occuring thing then I would fight it.

 

Thought about this too which is why I gave in with the kitty litter at first, but that's about the extent I will go to kissing ass. We are already planning on leaving when our lease is up so I don't really care about getting them all PO'd.

 

Be careful with HOA's, I fought something with a large rental company and ended up in court over it. Even though technically I was in the right, I learned really quick that they have a lot more resources than I do... Definitely one of my younger, dumber ideas. I'd try the kitty litter but would caution you about the purple power for the reason stated above. If you are going to try the degreaser, I'd express the concerns with discoloring the concrete to the HOA so they're aware of it up front. Also, keep expressing that the stains were not caused by you and although you don't mind helping any way you can, you do not want to be construed as being responsible for it.

 

If you are leaving soon, then I agree, I would just say F**k it. You did what they asked and that wasn't good enough. Now they can do it themselve if they want it done differently.

 

We're already planning on leaving when our lease is up so it doesn't bother me that the spot looks like shit. Even if we were staying, It wouldn't really bother me. It's not like it's my own garage. It's one big underground parking garage. I'm not allowed to hang out in there and drink beer & work on my truck.

 

This is why I refuse to rent or live in townhouse/condo/co ops. Such unneeded bullshit.if it's only drop cat little down and clean it up,just do it.but fuck power washing it or any shit like that. I would fight it out of principle.any landlord should have pics of place before each renter moves in as each renting should take pics to protect themselves against assholes like these.

 

the HOA company will fine the management company who will then pass the fine on to you. They will deduct it from any returnable deposits you have when your lease is up. Because you don't have any pictures, they've got you by the nards. I'd definately voice your displeasure over the mgt company's failure to provide you with a clean parking space from the outset, but after you take the exact measures to clean the spot.

What a bunch of A-holes.

 

I would say the exact opposite since the OP is leaving. It's a lot easier for the management company to backcharge you and send you a bill. If you live there, they have to deal with you for the duration of your lease. If they already know you're moving out, they could be a-holes, mail you the bill and then you're dealing with their lawyers. I know this is kind of the opposite of what I said above, but the fact that you're on your way out of the lease kind of changes things in my mind.

 

All good points...