I am going to step in here, because I have worked in property management before and I am a paralegal. I have taken Federal Fair Housing classes. While an apartment may be required to offer you Reasonable Accommodations if you ask in writing, the cleaning up after you is way beyond that and would require you to pay them for it. Reasonable Accommodations would include things like a ramp for a wheelchair, lowered door knobs or light switches, rails in the bathroom, letting you mail your rent rather than bring it to the office, etc. Cleaning up for you after a seizure is not a Reasonable Accommodation and they could charge you for time and supplies. I also don't understand why you still want to live there. There are assisted living facilities that are sometimes cheaper than an apartment (some go based on your income) and people have their own apartments and someone only comes to help them if needed. They have transportation for their residents daily to the stores or places they need to go. Check with your county, there are probably even shuttles offered to people who need rides to dr. appointments. And also, I am not sure that the painting would be a required repair and certainly it wouldn't be enough to warrant a complaint to Housing Authority. That is merely cosmetic. Things that would warrant that would be things you would call Code Enforcement office for, such as no heat or air conditioning, no water, mold, they had your electric cut off. Now, you might be able to stay if you offer to pay for the services of cleaning or have a cleaning service come in yourself. Them hiring a cleaning service and picking up the tab is a completely unreasonable request. I hope you get this resolved and that it doesn't cause a lot of stress. Unfortunately stress is a major trigger for seizures in myself and many people. Oh and for the visitors thing, management can request visitors leave if they are becoming a nuisance to other tenants and they cannot stay for more than 14 days without asking the management in writing and getting approval. That would be like adding someone else to the lease unofficially and all adult tenants have to be ran through a computer system to be approved. I hope that helps explain it from a person who has done the job and has training in fair housing. I am not an attorney, but I work for Legal Aid and we handle fair housing stuff quite often.
--- In epilepsy@yahoogroups.com, "fakeMacGyver" <nairbrian@...> wrote:
>
> Hi!
>
> I want to stay since it's my right and I've done nothing wrong. Also, this is close to many things I need and I don't drive. Their actions are shameful and I've been told that I am sticking up for others who maybe haven't in the past.
>
> I recently learned of another person who moved in here who was told that the management came to his door and told him that he couldn't have guests (which is ridiculous). Even worse: a statement about how they didn't like some he had visiting because she was "of a mixed race". Discriminatory statements again. Just terrible.
>
> This is a place for independent people, but some of the much older tenants aren't fully independent. As one attorney said, if they have concerns about cleaning up after me, they need to hire a cleaning service to do so.
>
> I'm on a different medicine and I haven't had any major episode for a year or so. Panic attacks and anxiety, yes, but not the major losses of consciousness.
>
> You and I are allowed to stay where we are. A medical condition is not one of the permissible reasons a landlord could evict a person. As a citizen with a disability, we have rights. Oh, how I hope that nothing I'm going through happens to you! If your landlord just writes they don't like your seizures and won't renew the lease and the HUD agrees with it, it's wrong for both parties.
>
> So, I'm not through and I'll appeal. It'll be tough (scary) to represent myself in court, but I can be up for it. The Division On Civil Rights did a bad job giving me all of the information they had, too, and so I wasn't even given a chance to respond to some things that the management said.
>
> I've stayed up really late, and it's 5:54 in the morn right now, writing to the governor, attorney general, the person who investigated my complain, the director of that division, and already started the appeal process (online, just asking an official place for more information about it).
>
> By definition, even attempting to not renew a lease because of a medical condition has to constitute discrimination. It looks like I'm not through yet. I'm shocked at the Division's lack of understanding here and that they didn't give me everything I needed to respond.
>
> --- In epilepsy@yahoogroups.com, "Millie Myers" <mylmy@> wrote:
> >
> > Brian,
> >
> > I've been wondering all this time why you want to live where you are not wanted.
> > It certainly can't be easy to live there. Have you checked into other places to
> > rent?
> >
> > Is the facility you live in for people who are independent? If I remember correctly
> > when this all started -- you mentioned that they needed to clean up for you after a sz.
> > If this is the case -- that is not independent. I can see how you could still be independent
> > if after a sz you have someone to call to be with you or clean up or whatever.
> >
> > This has got to be difficult to live there. Are you having more szs because of the stress?
> >
> > I live in an independent building and when I have a sz my daughters are called. But if the
> > facility had to clean up after I left for the hospital-- I don't think I could stay here. I live in
> > a HUD building.
> >
> > Millie
>
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