Even though I live in a big urban area, there's only 2 - that's right, just 2 - companies that provide high-speed Internet to my part of town. And one of them just wasted 8 days of my valuable time only to tell me they can't install it.
I called this provider on August 29 (the same day the problems with my dialup account began), and they said it would be another 8 days before they could come over to install the service. They said they'd come by between noon and 5 PM. (Gee, that narrows it down.)
They did arrive within that time frame, but then the man said he can't install it because he said the law requires the company to obtain the landlord's written permission first. I doubt if I'll have much trouble obtaining permission from the landlord, but that's not the point. The point is, there is no such law. In fact, state law says the exact opposite. I know this, because I checked beforehand!
Kentucky law says residential tenants don't need permission from the building owner before installing high-speed Internet. That's the law, and it was ignored.
Even if the law did require me to get the landlord's permission, the Internet company should have told me to get his permission when I first called them instead of waiting 8 days. Furthermore, when I called them, they said there was already a line hooked up to my apartment. But actually there isn't, so they have to install a whole new line - something else they didn't tell me until it was too late.
So now it will probably be that much longer from now before I can get my high-speed Internet up and running. I'm still assuming I'll be able to get permission. If the landlord doesn't grant permission, then I'm up Bunk Gas Creek as far as getting high-speed is concerned, all because the high-speed company decided to make up its own laws.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
8 days down the toilet
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There's a law that grant's everyone the right to cable television? Yes, I know it's used internet, but it's really cable television. And of course you need the land lords permission before knocking holes in the wall.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the law in Kentucky, but here in NY the law pretty much says the same thing, that being that a tenant does not need a landlord's approval to get cable.
ReplyDeleteWell the Internet cable company needs a kick in the ass then..because I would be very surprised if not only Kentucky has a law that says tenants don't need permission, but all 50 states.
ReplyDeleteI have high speed, and did not have to get permission from the apt. owner.
The landlord's rights are not absolute. They have a legal right to charge rent according to market value (as long as they do not collude with other landlords), but once a tenant starts paying, most of the rights go to the tenant. That is because they are PAYING customers.
If a tenant uses their apartment for unreasonable purposes, then that would be a different story. I would not consider getting high speed Internet an "unreasonable purpose".
This looks more like Blogga Blogga Blog material than something for the high-brow Online Lunchpail.
ReplyDeleteStill, Tim, you should have checked with your landlord first. I doubt they would object, they can just add "high speed internet available" to for rent listing if you ever move out. It's probably a cable company policy to prevent hassles with difficult landlords.