I may be wrong, but won't your state have an accessibility program that simply pays for these modifications and your problem is getting three independent bids? My landlord, Crazy Larry, thought it was cool to have the state ramp the curb and the front two steps that went in so you could take two steps down,, gone. Unfloodable bathroom? He was tickled to death when I moved in! Any of his expenses were 100% write offs and it was less than $1500. The waiver program people were a big help but don't rely on them to find the place. I did fib a little when I told him the state would make it ultra modern. somehow, they did pay to fix his drain pipes so it the building can't backup water. Try not to start off with "ADA says you got to fix this!" He probably knew what needed fixed when he saw you get out of the van. I do wish you luck on it. Finding a place that needs no alterations just doesn't happen, but you deserve the same right to live anywhere that everyone else has. Ok I can't keep from laughing either. A judge said that! Sometimes it helps to talk to real estate agents about who they think would be a person you can deal with and which one you may want to avoid. How to present your situation in a positive light, etc. I'm fortunate enough to have a brother in law that simply underbids everyone and everyone gets a good deal. As i said before, anything the owners pay out for modifications should be a tax credit for them. It falls under medically related housing modifications. It can be a major credit with rental property, especially if they have a savy tax man that uses the over-time method and spreads a big credit out. My landlord hides here from his wife. I feel like I got lucky. Under the ADA I don't know about gutting an apartment to make it accessible. They say, "reasonable modifications". Really big rental complexes should be expected to have a percentage of properties they have modified for wheelchairs. You could easily argue 4 units out of every hundred should be available to handicapped. And it is on them to perform the work since they get the taxbreak and the upgraded results. I have never heard of a property owner with too many accessable units to rent. Most cities have fewer than 4 units per thousand that are accessable. I know Atlanta runs an incentive program. Best of luck, john 3 bedrooms, dayum!
--- On Thu, 12/11/08, KK <[email protected]> wrote: From: KK <[email protected]> Subject: Fw: [QUAD-L] Apartments - accessibility - Todd To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, December 11, 2008, 8:50 PM This is architect sons answer. He builds banks & knows all those laws. KK ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Eric Batte <[email protected]> To: KK <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 5:57:41 PM Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] Apartments - accessibility Typically no accessibilty updates are required until/unless remodeling of a certain scope takes place. In my experience I don't see how the apt owner would be obligated to pay for the alterations if this is the only work being done. Eric Sent from my iPhone On Dec 11, 2008, at 11:17 AM, KK <[email protected]> wrote: Opinion needed ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Todd Daugherty <[email protected]> To: Quad <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 10:17:53 AM Subject: [QUAD-L] Apartments - accessibility Can an apartment complex with old buildings charge me to widen a door or put a curb cut in so that I would have access to a ground level apartment? They only have one "handicapped" 3br unit that is occupied.
