Bring me your horror stories about basement apartments

Well, that is what they BILL their time at...not what they are paid, of course!

Horror stories re. basements?

MWUUUUHAAAHAHAHAHA!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Reginald_Halliday_Christie

......"Christie murdered four women over the next three years, including his wife. He moved out of 10 Rillington Place in 1953. Soon after, a maintenance man discovered the bodies in the cellar. A citywide manhunt ensued, ending weeks later when Christie was arrested while looking for dock work.

While in prison, Christie confessed to murdering all of the women found in the celler, as well as Beryl Evans. He was found guilty of murdering his wife and hanged in 1953."

Now THAT is a freakin' horror story! Scary!

Kicky- My son lived in a basement apartment for a number of years. Every time there was a hard rain, the drain would clog, and water would come into his apartment.

On the day that he moved, there was a pouring rain, the water came in about 2" in the apartment, and he had to throw out a lot of his things.

To add to the basement dolor review, my ex house in northern california has a basement, and it floods via the city storm drain when the drain can't handle the load. In my time there it never flooded more than, say, 1/2", and, knowing about it, I had the shelving up on refrigerator rollers - but, hey, since I left there have been some devil rains.

Besides, top floor all the way. guy...

Wow, when I started this thread, I didn't expect so many horror stories. ****, I'm really glad I decided to pass on that place.

Crisis averted!

But hey, if you want to keep adding stories, feel free, people!

By the way, Osso, how you doin'? I saw that you moved, but I have been so damn busy lately I haven't been keeping up to date. Did you move out of Dys and Diane's place yet? Is life good? Are you liking your new place?

You new place sounds stylin' Kicky. Glad you're going for the above ground one.

I'm in an apt. right now that isn't basement level, but one floor up. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are injured and need to get out of the apt fast!
There's the friendly neighborhood bum who likes to hang around near the basement apts and knock on their windows. I don't have to deal with it unless he gets in the apt complex, but it sucks for them!

I'm in escrow on a small house, Kicky. I'll probably be at D & D's a couple of weeks past that..I'm liking it here in Albuquerque just fine.

Oh Kicky you silly man. A top floor apartment also has horrors. One day the roof will spring a leak...take my word for it...and for two years every time there is a drizzle you will get wet. Soon it will spread across every square inch of your abode and the ceiling particles will form into a wavy mess and chunks may even commence to falling. What happens in a torrential downpour or a week long rain is almost unbearable, prepare to have a lot of energy to move things to the few remaining dry spots. Maybe you can pitch a few tents in the apartment that'll help keep things dry and give you a campy feeling too (unless you are into dripping water).

And you don't want to stay out of the place for any length of time either. Years back when I lived in New York in a 5th floor walkup, I was informed by the fire insurance agent who also wanted to sell me theft insurance, that burglars cut through the roof and the ceiling of top floor apartments. He then refused to give me theft insurance since I had no windows facing the street, only in the rear of the building, which was an added risk. Only state or federal insurance would cover theft insurance (this is more than a quarter of a century ago so maybe it is not as bad now).

Anyway, the break-ins came, but you will be glad to know they were not cutting through the roof. Many roofs in New York have either a metal rail running along or a brick parapet wall...these are excellent for attaching a hooking device and then a rope with which the burglar lowers themselves down to your apartment window and in they go...unless you have a gate on every window.

On the positive side, I never had to worry about an upstairs neighbor forgetting to turn the water off in their sink or tub.

More about top floor apartments...no, you may not have upstairs neighbors however what is worse is when other tenants in your building visit the roof for summer time morning parties, or people from the next building over decide that your roof is perfect for setting up their sound system.

I don't even want to go into the horrors of the people in the next building having a roof garden...that led to the great ant invasion.


Oh well, good luck in your new home Kicky, I am sure it will be nice.

Thanks for mentioning that leak stuff, Sturgis. Don't you realize what a worry-wart I am?

That was one of my main concerns when I looked at the apartment the second time. the realtor had mentioned that the super had just fixed a leak in the ceiling, so I wanted to check one more time before I signed the lease, and it seemed that everything was okay. Not that I can tell whether he really fixed it or just put some plaster over the spot to make it look fixed, but it looked okay, I guess.

I'm worried about that though. But I just have to hope for the best. You never know what you're getting into with lower-priced NYC apartments, you know? It's such a damned crapshoot.

Yaaaaay!! Very cool, Osso. I wish you the best, as always.

Thanks for the support, flushd!

I think I'm actually moving in this Monday. Talk about fast! Two weeks ago I didn't even know I was moving!

Lived in one in Princeton NJ and it had these millipedes all over the place. It was that house with the haunting. Escept instead of flies it was millipedes. I collected a bunch in a jar and took em to the lab and ran a purge and trap (dont ask). Themn suckers give off CYANIDE.

I hated to have to move and keep my motorcycle outside. It had a special paint job and a hand forged pussy bar.