UCI On-Campus Housing Problems

On Aug. 23, I got this nice email:

Monday, August 23, 2004

Joachim Feise

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Irvine, CA 92612

Dear Joachim Feise :

It has come to our attention that you are in violation of the Palo Verde Housing Rental Agreement with your installation of a window mount room air conditioner in your apartment Window. We request that you remove your air conditioner and return your apartment to a normal condition.

According to Section 13: Care of Premises, "Repairs, painting, or other alterations to University facilities or grounds shall be made by University personnel and its authorized agents only. Resident shall not make or attempt to make such repairs or alterations without prior written approval from the Palo Verde Housing Office." In addition, Section 15: Safety states, "Resident is responsible for keeping the common and exterior areas of the apartments in a clean and orderly
condition for the health, safety, and benefit of all residents."

As our maintenance staff has replaced the bulb on several occasions your cooperation to abide by this regulation is appreciated. If you have any questions please contact me at [phone number].

Sincerely,

Bryan McCormick

Associate Director of Operations

Palo Verde Housing, UCI

Cc: resident file

It is immediately obvious that the stuff about a bulb is non-sensical here and apparently a left-over from a cut-and-paste operation...
And, I am allowed to have an air conditioner in my apartment window, anyway.

So I fired back an answer:

Mr. McCormick,

thank you for your email.
However, I think you addressed this email to the wrong person.
First, an email is not an official notice. I do not consider your email in any way or form official.
Second, I do not live at xxxxxxxxxxx Road.
Third, the rental contract I signed does not contain the Section 13 you quoted. Nor does it contain the section 15 you quoted.
Fourth, your letter seems to be composed of multiple unrelated parts. May I ask what an air conditioner has to do with replacing bulbs?

The air conditioner that I indeed have is a temporary installation without any damage, structurally or otherwise, to the interior or exterior of the building. It is therefore allowed according to the rental agreement I signed.

Regards,
-Joachim Feise

I later got a written letter with essentially the same content as the email (I am posting it once I have scanned it in) tacked at my front door.

A couple hours later I got another letter, which no longer had the cut-n-paste leftover. It quoted sections of another version of the rental agreement, which still is a different one than what applies to me.