Power out, no one answers apartment 24-hour line, WTF

[kyleb]

After coming home from work today and getting home around 8 PM PST, I walk into my apartment and notice all the power's off. It's just my apartment, though; everyone else seems to be up and running, as are all the lights in the building. At 8:15, I place a call to Seattle City Light, who told me that they couldn't do anything after all the basic diagnostic crap (cycle the breakers, mainly) because the main breaker was likely in a locked closet that only management has the key for. After speaking to them, I called the emergency 24-hour line for the apartment and it went to a cell phone's voicemail, WTF? I left a message, waited 10 minutes, and called back. Sure enough, it's the voicemail again.

Normally this wouldn't be a huge problem, but I left work fairly early tonight to get home and work on a significant project for a side consulting job, a large portion of which that required talking the client through a few things via IM and phone. Since all of the requisite files were at home, I was unable to complete the tasks necessary.

I left messages with the 24-hour line every 30 minutes or so, and called a few times without leaving one just to check. It's now 1:45 AM and I'm back at my office where I plan on sleeping.

My question for OOT is this: How much can I milk the apartment complex for? I clearly left work early with the intention of doing consulting work for a client, which was semi-high value and is going to be a huge bitch to reschedule. We have a work history together, so I can produce receipts that show we do business together at not-insigificant dollar amounts. Should I check to make sure that it was indeed the apartment complex / manager's fault, then present them with a bill for 6 hours of my time plus punitive considerations (e.g. pain/suffering)? I kept a very detailed log of all of tonight's events (I saw that it was helpful on a TV show) and can very easily prove what my hourly rate is with documented receipts.

What should I expect to receive in compensation here?

EDIT: I know the title is not very descriptive. Sorry.

[tagtastic]

I'd be v surprised if you get anything out of this.

If you do, my old apartment complex owes me a ton of money.

[kyleb]

The thing is, it's not online poker. I can very clearly prove that they were negligent with regards to turning my power on, and in this hippy-ass state, there is probably some pro-renter clause about needing to be attentive 24/7 for basic needs (utilities would almost assuredly fall under this category). Since they were negligent, it directly and negatively impacted my ability to work from home, and they know I work a lot from my apartment.

[frostbrn]

I used to work in RE management in the Seattle area. Just have all of your stuff together (documentation), and talk directly to the management company, not the on site manager. Tell them you'd like to avoid any legal proceedings and ballpark them a high number. They will most likely counter-offer, then give them a "take it or leave it" middle number before you go the legal route. Odds are they will most likely take it.

[El Diablo]

kyle,

"What should I expect to receive in compensation here?"

$0

[kyleb]

frostbrn,

Thanks, that was basically what I was planning on doing.

El D,

stfu

[Kneel B4 Zod]

depending on your desire to fight with mgmt/potentially be on bad terms with them, you could withhold a portion of your next months rent.

[kerowo]

I would be surprised if you get anything. You aren't a business customer so no one cares if you missed work or not.

Your building doesn't have a live in super whose door you could bang on?

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
kyle,

"What should I expect to receive in compensation here?"

$0

[/ QUOTE ]

The remote control for my cable TV broke tonight. I can only change channels by going over to the box and hitting the up/down buttons. More importantly, I can't watch the On Demand channels.

Kyleb, I think I've got about as much of a claim for $$$ as you've got.

[hiho]

[ QUOTE ]
frostbrn,

Thanks, that was basically what I was planning on doing.

El D,

stfu

[/ QUOTE ]

[censored] happens. Have a back up plan if it is that important. Did you try calling the client and reschedule do to the power outage?