I have been a caregiver / girlfriend of a 71 yr old man with COPD and signs of dementia for 7 yrs now. We recently lost our home and are now living on somebody else's property and they charge us rent and we're supposed to pay half of the electric. We have not seen an electric bill in the 7 months we have lived there. The landlord just tells us how much we owe each month and we pay it directly to the company. We have five things including a portable AC unit his oxygen machine a freezer a light in a TV plugged in at any given time in our camper. Our landlord has four people living in a three bedroom home with AC running and lights on at all times and we're still supposed to be covering half of the electric bill. When I asked to see the bill because I think we are being told the wrong amount for what we use of the electric and I also ask for proof that they are paying on their part of the bill and I was refused answers to both questions. I was also told that I had no right as a caregiver to ask that of them because it's their bill their business not mine, even though we're paying half of it supposedly. The the guy I take care of and live with was told by them the same thing and was convinced by them that I had no right as a caregiver to ask those questions and kicked me out. Upon further research I found out that they don't even own the property. Supposedly her uncle signed it over in a quick deed to her before he passed away but the courts are not recognizing it and it still says it is under her uncle's wife's name which is also deceased. My question is did I have a legal right to ask such questions of let me see a bill or can you prove that you have paid your half like we can prove that we paid ours. Cuz it is my understanding that they haven't been putting anything on their end they just do a payment arrangement over to the next month and our payments actually paying their half from the month before and it's been going on and on and on for months now. Not to mention we have a bunch of stuff that is designated in the backyard that belongs to us but they have told us that we can only go back there if we let him know we're going back there at all times and I have noticed that there is stuff coming up missing and now all of a sudden they came up with a couple hundred dollars the first I've heard of them paying I don't even have a exact amount to the electric company but now our scrap metal is missing from them back it makes me think that that's how they paid it. The vehicles that we had that were not running back there they have been siphoned of gas. Trailers have moved while the tires were flat and now are off the rims. The man I take care of is on oxygen 24/7 so he doesn't get out of the camper very much and he is being told by our landlord that it's all in my head and that I'm a drama starter and he kicked me out subsequently because of it now I'm on the streets and I'm worried they might end up doing something shady like I believe they did with their uncle. Did I have a legal right to ask those questions in the welfare of the guy I take care of.
And/ or you can call APS , Adult Protective Services, ( anonymously if you wish) and report the patient circumstances. APS will do an on site visit and go from there.
Your profile says that you live in Florida. I don't know if your state has the same rules applying to handicapped people and utilities as mine does (Connecticut).
In my state if a person is on oxygen or physically handicapped, utility companies by law cannot shut their power off regardless of what's owed on it so long as someone makes a token payment towards the balance every now and then.
Check and see if your state has this rule. If it does then most likely the landlord doesn't want you seeing the bill because he's collecting everyone's money and not paying them anything using your boyfriend's health conditions as the reason why the lights aren't being shut off.
If I were you, I would move out of the camper (which is a pretty ridiculous living situation for a handicapped senior on oxygen) and find an apartment in a senior community. You're in the state of Florida. That's the senior community capital of the world.
I'm assuming that you live off of your partner's income. The two of you should get married. This way you would be his legal representative and next of kin. You would also be allowed live with him in a senior community where the rent is based on a person's income. You would also be allowed to stay if he passed away.
Your landlord is not going to stop screwing the two of you over. Get married and move into a senior community where you pay ONE bill every month. The rent. The utilities and everything else is included with the rent in most senior communities.
Just because you're in a long-term relationship with someone doesn't give you any rights. If he didn't assign you as his PoA you don't have any legal ability to advocate for him. He may be ill, but if he isn't deemed to be incapacitated, then he gets to call the shots for himself. If you don't have a written care contract for employment, you don't have any power. The landlord has no power, either, unless your BF gives it to them or your BF is impaired enough to be taken advantage of, or the landlord sees your BF needs more help that they can give and reports him to APS.
If you're that worried about him, report him to APS as a vulnerable adult to get him their radar, but realize that he can keep them away unless that agency believes he is a danger to himself or in danger. In that case, the county can move to acquire guardianship of him and then they will remove him to a facility where he will receive care, and the county will be in 100% control of his decision-making and management of his affairs.
Call a scrapyard to buy your scrap metal and junk cars and stop turning our planet into a dump.