Recently, I called for repairs to my condo – and when sending someone to do the repairs he also sent them to do a 6 month check up of the apartment. I wasn’t familiar with my lease (and YES I have learned) but there is nothing in my lease where they are allowed to do this – but anyway – while he was here – he noted some of my own supposed infractions – but he also said there was faulty wiring in my sons room which on the paper work he stated was a “major safety issue”, noted that the front door lock doesn’t work (which I have repeadedly reported as we live in Vegas – high crime), leaks in plumbing, and such. . .

My main issue is the fire hazard – I am not a electrician and we didn’t mess with the wiring here – how long do they have to fix a major issue?

It’s been over a month now – and they keep saying they are going to send someone.

As for the repairs on the leaking water in the kitchen- they have sent out 3 plumbers and it’s still not repaired.

Tax Deductions
I would like to know if the following items are tax deductable. If you don’t know or may think you might know, please pass. Yes or no answers only.

1. Gas to and from work. (hey doesn’t hurt to ask)

2. Auto Repair and Up-keep, interest on car loan.

3. Clothing/Hose/Shoes (job requires and company gave $250 twice a year clothing allowance. Now of course more was spent, because there no way $500 would cover clothing/hose/shoes for a year.

4. Dry cleaning for above mentioned clothing.

5. Purchased home in 12/07. Taxes paid on home is a given, but what about upgrades such as plumbing, electrical, complete rip out of bathroom, floors refinished, dangerous trees cut down (power line ran through one and the other a 70′ half dead pine that was just waiting on a good wind). Doesn’t hurt to ask this either. House closed on 12/10/2007, too late to claim closing cost, attorney’s fees, inspection, points?

6. For medical expenses other than doctor visits, how about dental, prescription drugs, test ordered by doctor.

7. Day care for son yes, but what about special fees paid to daycare for trips, snacks, supplies?
Can all be clumped together as “child care” or does it have to be itemized?

8. Son’s school fees, plus the list teacher sent home for $250+ supplies (you know the list, 2-boxes of tissue, 4-packs of notebook paper, 50- pencil, etc)

9. Son’s school clothes

10. I have a personal on-line trading account. Can I deduct losses in stock market, as well as fees to buy and sale?

I know this is a long list, but this is the first that I’ve idemized. Can I still use the 1040 form, or is that a thing of the past. If anyone knows of a website that will tell you what is and what is not deductable, without alot of double talk, please provide link. The IRS website is awful.
Thank you.

We have a situation where there is a septic system in this one house we rent. The first time this system was clogged, it cost $1500 to repair because the pump burned out. We (the landlords) paid for it and told the tenant not to flush anything other than toilet paper down the toilets.

The second time it broke down, it cost $500 to repair and the plumbers pulled out something equivalent to baby wipes (diaper liners) out of the septic pump. This is NOT toilet paper so we feel the tenants should pay for the repair this time.

We are in Oregon if it matters.

Does anyone have any idea what should happen in a situation like this? We are fair people. We also don’t want to pay for tenant negligence since we told them toilet paper only.

Thanks!
Oh… also… the tenants moved out last week and so we won’t need to worry about losing them over this. Thanks!
One more addition Most diaper liners say not safe for septic systems on the package. I am not sure about the particular brand they use, but all brands I have used do. Thanks!

Not sure even how to ask this Q. I had a plumber out to repair an outdoor faucet just outside my condo unit because it leaked and it wasn’t secured to anything solid. When he did the work he put a required valve or something between the spigot and where it normally connects to the hose. It was to ensure that in the winter, if the pipes froze, there would be some kind of release of pressure to keep pipes from bursting.

The problem now is that it leaks when I turn on the water and the ground under the faucet stays soggy and mosquito infested all summer. He did something to keep it from being easily removed. Can someone help me figure out how to remove it?

Have often used the filling loop to manually re-pressurise the system, and you hear a shisshing sound when you open the valves to allow water into the boiler, however this morning when i turned the valves on to repressurise the system, there was no water going in (no shissing sound) and the pressure stayed below 1bar. Can anyone please help, otherwise its an extortionate call out charge for a plumber. Thanks guys.