How to Deal with a SlumLord like Phil Ballo

This society of medicority has enable many many incompetant jerks and massachusetts does it best, no question. In Waltham, MA the king is one of the most popular slumlords in town Phil Ballo of Ballo Family Trust.

A year ago my stove caught on fire and Phil told me he'd fix it needless to say a year later I had to call the Waltham Board of Health to get Phil out of his chair at FoxWoods to DO HIS JOB!!

Here are two sample letters to the Waltham Board of Health which you could use as a template if in a similar situation.

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Good Morning Waltham Board of Health.

I came home to find a huge sticky guey mess on my floor in the shape of drag marks from the stove being moved. Two hours later I received a note under my door stating that the "fire hazard" of an oven will not be replaced but instead the same part that caught on fire was replaced. The note states that the Board of Health involvement made the stove repair an "emergency" and that is why the repair was done without proper notification. The note went on to demand rent in full for this month and refused to allow me any repayment of my monies I have been forced to spend to eat as I have been unable to prepare food in my apartment for six days as of today. Note continues to lie about having tried to call me and I have my phone records to prove it as I have repeatedly provide my correct phone number.

Please advise on any further action needed on my part to bring my apartment into health code and fire safety compliance. Also I am now having complications with my renters insurance due to this situation and need replacement stove immediately.

Have a good day,

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Hi Waltham Board of Health,

Thanks for the return call Monday and I did get your notice in the mail. Thank
you.

Just wanted to check in as I came home today to find some sort of electrical
meter in my apartment kitchen on the counter and the fuse box open. I have not
received any calls about work being done or a working stove being installed.
However the stove is still not fixed plus now the burners or outlets in the
stove are not able to be used. If anything else happens, I will let you know.

Also now that I do not have any kind of stove I am going to hold onto the rent
until I do have a working stove as that is my understanding of my rights.

Thanks again and have a good day,