Advice needed

[skahound]

So this really happened to me the other day. I know it's a long read, but I promise you it's worth it and would really like to know what I/we should do...

Last Friday our bathroom went to shite. The shower head broke off, the shower faucet knob cracked so we couldn't turn the water off completely, and the stopper in the bathroom sink refused to come back up causing water to back up in the sink. Since we're in an apartment we went down to the office to file a maintenance request. The lady said it was probably too late in the day on Friday for them to get started, but that they would be out first thing Saturday morning. Also, as they always do, she asked if it was ok if maintenance entered the apartment if we were not there, to which we said ok.

Saturday morning comes around and my gf and I got up at about 8am and went for a 3 mile run. Add in driving time to the park and we were gone a total of about 45 minutes. As we walked up to our apartment we noticed the maintenance golf cart out front and assumed that he was inside working on our request. Thinking that he left our front door unlocked I tried to walk in and realize he had locked it (or that he wasn't in there yet) so I unlocked it and we walked upstairs (it's a 2-story building and we have the upper floor).

As we got to the top of the stairs I noticed the maintenance guy in our living room (which seemed odd) fidgeting with the faucet knob. We talked back-and-forth for a second and then I went into my office area and my gf went to her computer in the den. The guy goes back into the bathroom and continues working. A few minutes later he comes by my office door to tell me he has to run to get another piece.

While standing there he says (in accent), "Friend, you have many movies."

I got up and peeked around the corner to see him staring at my collection of DVDs and said, "Yeah, there are quite a few."

He then got down on his hands and knees and said, "I'm just gonna sit here and go through them one-by-one."

I thought it was a weird thing to do/say, but I went along with it. I went back into my office. A few seconds later I hear a sound that I recognize as the VCR or DVD player ejecting something. I figured I may just be hearing things (maybe it was my computer or the gf's computer) so I ignore it. The maintenance guy leaves.

About 15 minutes later we're sitting on the couch having some coffee and talking and I notice that my DVD player is on and 'Napoleon Dynamite' is sitting on the top of it. I asked my gf if she took it out and she said no. I then notice that the doors to our entertainment center are closed which is odd because we always leave them open so that the remote control will reach the cable box. I walk over to open them and out falls a porno DVD that we had tucked away and hidden because her mother was in town the week before.

At this point the light bulb goes off. I turn the t.v. on and sure enough it's on the 'Video 1' screen and the sound is turned all the way down. This fucking bastard was watching a porno movie in our house! I really wouldn't give a shit, except that this movie was hidden, which means he had to go rooting around through our stuff to find it.

Question is this: Should I expose this bastard for sifting through our belongings and watching porn on company time? My only concern is that he has a key to our place and can come and go as he pleases. We're moving out in less than 6 months when our house is finished being built so we don't have to be here too much longer. What would you do?

[Jibgolly]

tell the office about him. who knows what else he's done, and will do.
who cares if you have a porno. everyone does. so i wouldnt be shy about telling the office.
there are enough perverts running around WITHOUT keys yo your apt. also, change you locks. or request them to be changed as soon as you report him.

just my 1/50th of a dollar.

[skahound]

also, change you locks. or request them to be changed as soon as you report him.

Thanks jibbers. I'm not concerned about telling them, lord knows I have no shame. As for the lock-changing though, it wouldn't matter because he's the maintenance guy and has a copy of all the keys anyway. Shit, he'd probably be the one changing it.

[Jibgolly]

not if YOU change it. this is a matter of personal security and safety.
if it were me, i wouldnt hesitate reporting him for one minute.
nor would i wait around for the apt complex to change my locks. i'd do it my damn self.

[msanchez]

WORD !!

[berps]

Re: Advice needed

skahound grass the bum like someone else said u dont know what else the guy has been upto or could get upto in either your or anyone else's appartment. Surely if u complain and put across the facts that he's been searchin through your stuff his employees will see him as a liability and fire his ass maybe also a good idea to chat to your neighbours on the complex and find out if they have had any similar experience's with the maintance man. Cos frankly he sounds like a fruit.

just my two penath

berps

[Garrick]

ska - where did you hide your porn? Was it really in a place where he couldn't find it or could he have accidentally come across it while sifting through your other dvds? I wouldn't say it is a big deal unless there was no way he could have found that dvd without being more intrusive than just looking around the general area of your dvds. just because it is hidden in your mind, doesn't mean a stranger might accidentally come across it.

regardless, i'd tell the office that he wasn't doing his job and spent time meandering through your shit (porno or not). they are there to work, not get a hard on.

[skahound]

ska - where did you hide your porn? Was it really in a place where he couldn't find it or could he have accidentally come across it while sifting through your other dvds?

I have a DVD tower which sits about 5 feet away from the entertainment center. This DVD was in the bottom of the entertainment center stuffed behind the cable box and VCR underneath a plethora of wires, etc. There is NO way he would've known it was there unless he was deliberately looking for stuff (imho anyway).

[Steve Graham]

I would for sure tell the office. Regardless of where the dvd was.. that wasnt the reason for him being there. Even if he was a mate that you let come over to fix something while you were gone, sitting there watching movies in your place is an invasion. I woldnt expect him to be fired unless he stole, but he should be repremanded and restricted to outside work, and not be allowed back inside peoples apt's until he learns his lesson.

my .02

[supaz]

Re: Advice needed

I would do this:

1. Go to Wal-mart / Home Depot, etc. Buy a new lock set - NOW.

2. Then tell the office what happened. If it was a regular movie, I would of said to myself, "WTF!" But, playing a DVD that was hidden? Shady! very strange behavior...

[Pataky P]

Ohh,this is Amazing story!!!

[WilDFire]

Let's not forget, let's NOT forget dude, that he locked YOUR door trying to keep YOU out of YOUR apartment to watch YOUR movie. Definitely report him and get new locks. Sucks that it's a pain in the ass, but if that happened with my landlord, I know for sure that my wife would demand our locks to be changed...

Man - sorry about that. Truly sucks. And very strange.

[ShawnD64]

i cannot see how he cannot be fired for this. to lock you out of your own apt. to watch a p0rno. if i were his employer he'd be gone. god knows what else he'd be doing if you were gone longer. and who does this. he's a grown man, go buy your own movies. it's not like he bumped into it, he was looking for it. odd behaviour.

[skahound]

I think I'm gonna change the locks. The only thing that scares me there is the liability. Tenant contracts usually state provisions against changing your own locks because if, say, a fire broke out in my apt or the neighboring apt, etc and they needed to gain access for emergency reasons it would hinder their ability. I am afraid that we could be held liable for that. My gf is just concerned because like you guys say, who knows what else he's done or will do. She's got some really expensive jewelry, etc., not to mention we have an area that we keep money, credit cards, etc. when we're not using them.

[Garrick]

i'd talk to the office first. see what they say. maybe they will let you change the locks.