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Considerations on moving and such
My apartment building has been condemned by the city because of extreme, malicious negligence on the part of the landlord. Between the leaking roof, leaky plumbing, faulty wiring, cracked foundation walls, mold infestation the likes of which have never been seen outside of a horror movie or Rush Limbaugh's jockey shorts, holes in the walls, and general disrepair, the city has decided (after failing him on four inspections in as many months) to revoke the landlord's license. So, all of us tenants need to find other housing.
Stressed? Me?
Actually, no. Not so bad. In fact, once I got over the initial "oh shit"ness and got a plan going, I started feeling pretty darn good.
Those of you who have read me for awhile may find that surprising; as you know, I have had varying fortunes over the course of my life. The last couple of years have been very, very good, but some of you were reading me back in 2004 and 2003, which were...ehhh, not so much with the good.
In particular, in 2004 I was severely depressed, my health was shot, I was living on food stamps and what money my grandparents could send me, and things generally sucked all around. I did manage to turn things around, though, got a wonderful job, improved my health, dealt with longstanding issues of grief and loss regarding my mother, got onto a state assistance program for disabled people who need life skills coaching, and in general improved my life perhaps 1000%*.
Just how much, though, wasn't apparent until this news about the apartment came down. Two years ago, getting the news that I had to move would have caused me to freak out, shrink away from all human contact, and hide in bed for days on end. And for a moment, I did have the temptation to do just that. Fortunately, I resisted.
Instead, I started saying to myself, "Okay, what do I need to do here? First thing I need to know is what my legal rights are. Google, here I come!"
It turns out that, because of the circumstances, my legal rights are very strong. Minnesota has very good tenants' rights laws, as I discovered upon Googling up "Minnesota tenants rights". I got a handbook from the state HUD department, which was written as an explanatory guide. Then I downloaded the actual law chapter on the subject, Minnesota Statues Chapter 504b. Read up, and, once I knew my rights, started rattling some cages. I called Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota, the county social services department, the state's Rental Advocacy hotline, HUD, Moorhead's Neighborhood Services division, even a member of the city council. I've gotten some good advice and references out of it, as well as lining up all my ducks to hit the landlord with whatever legal weaponry I can bring to bear, as much on behalf of my neighbors as myself. In this case, that's quite a lot.
See, when a landlord in Minnesota has his building condemned, he's required by law to furnish copies of the notice to every tenant within 72 hours. And to refund the damage deposits, in full, with interest, within 5 days. Plus, he was directed by the city to assist the tenants in finding alternative housing, and provide us with adequate notice. None of these things have happened; we tenants only got notice of the suspension when one of my neighbors, a young single mother named Amber, passed out copies that she'd obtained from her attorney at Legal Services, on the 24th. We still have not seen a dime of the deposit money. And the landlord himself only told us we needed to leave on the 31st. (NB: According to the city, their notice to him does not count, legally, as notice to us. Nor is he permitted to use his mandatory copies of their notice to him AS such notice.)
Thing is, this landlord has become a major alcoholic since his wife died last year. I can sympathise with losing a loved one, and I can certainly sympathise with depression, but climbing back into the bottle is no more helpful in such situations than climbing back into bed. Believe me, I know.
Still, it's hard for me to sympathise when the guy continues to try and scam us for money. The other night he came by with a bogus form he wanted me to sign, which stated that I agreed if I was not out by the 3rd of November (the city's deadline to him to get people alternative housing), I would pay him a fine of $450. He is attempting, of course, to cover his losses, since any tenants who are still in the building after the 3rd cause him to face $100/per day fines, per tenant. So he must have figured, somehow, that he could maybe intimidate said tenants into giving him money, so he could cover the fines and maybe even turn a profit.
Only problem is, Minnesota law is very specific about paying rent, or anything else, to a landlord after the building is condemned: don't do it, and he can't ask for it. If he insists, he would be liable for three times the amount asked for, plus moving expenses, plus other penalties, just for making the attempt! Never mind the criminal prosecution for harrassment and fraud.
Obviously, though, affixing my signature to a piece of paper he gave me without consulting an attorney would be Very Bad, so I told him that I would do no such thing, and that I would be reporting it to the DA. He wasn't happy about that.
So, all of the above means that he is in big trouble, and I intend to give it to him. In the meantime, of course, I needed to find a new apartment. Fortunately, Google is my friend once again. I've found a nice little one-bedroom-with-office place in very good condition, in a very good neighborhood: it's one block away from Clay County Social Services, and two blocks from the county courthouse and the police station, so obviously it's in a low-crime area. And there are TREES! I haven't lived in an area with real trees in years. Heat and water are paid, everything is clean and the appliances are all new, they explicitly allow pets (and will waive the pets damage deposit since my cats are considered therapeutic companion animals), and I get my own garage for free! The landlords are very pleasant and helpful, and are expediting my application because of the need to move quickly (the condemnation of my building has made local news, so everybody knows). And best of all, I can afford it.
Not only that, though, but my social worker has pulled off another miracle: the program I'm in, SILS (Semi-Independent Living Skills), provides a fund for one-time use for moving a client into a new home if necessary. She's tapped into that fund for me, so now I don't even have to pay the movers! And I can get a new couch for free too! And a boxspring and mattress for my new bed!
Not too shabby for a week's work, eh what?
*You can so have a percentage greater than 100, when you're talking about degree of change and statistical trends. Hush up, pedants.
Stressed? Me?
Actually, no. Not so bad. In fact, once I got over the initial "oh shit"ness and got a plan going, I started feeling pretty darn good.
Those of you who have read me for awhile may find that surprising; as you know, I have had varying fortunes over the course of my life. The last couple of years have been very, very good, but some of you were reading me back in 2004 and 2003, which were...ehhh, not so much with the good.
In particular, in 2004 I was severely depressed, my health was shot, I was living on food stamps and what money my grandparents could send me, and things generally sucked all around. I did manage to turn things around, though, got a wonderful job, improved my health, dealt with longstanding issues of grief and loss regarding my mother, got onto a state assistance program for disabled people who need life skills coaching, and in general improved my life perhaps 1000%*.
Just how much, though, wasn't apparent until this news about the apartment came down. Two years ago, getting the news that I had to move would have caused me to freak out, shrink away from all human contact, and hide in bed for days on end. And for a moment, I did have the temptation to do just that. Fortunately, I resisted.
Instead, I started saying to myself, "Okay, what do I need to do here? First thing I need to know is what my legal rights are. Google, here I come!"
It turns out that, because of the circumstances, my legal rights are very strong. Minnesota has very good tenants' rights laws, as I discovered upon Googling up "Minnesota tenants rights". I got a handbook from the state HUD department, which was written as an explanatory guide. Then I downloaded the actual law chapter on the subject, Minnesota Statues Chapter 504b. Read up, and, once I knew my rights, started rattling some cages. I called Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota, the county social services department, the state's Rental Advocacy hotline, HUD, Moorhead's Neighborhood Services division, even a member of the city council. I've gotten some good advice and references out of it, as well as lining up all my ducks to hit the landlord with whatever legal weaponry I can bring to bear, as much on behalf of my neighbors as myself. In this case, that's quite a lot.
See, when a landlord in Minnesota has his building condemned, he's required by law to furnish copies of the notice to every tenant within 72 hours. And to refund the damage deposits, in full, with interest, within 5 days. Plus, he was directed by the city to assist the tenants in finding alternative housing, and provide us with adequate notice. None of these things have happened; we tenants only got notice of the suspension when one of my neighbors, a young single mother named Amber, passed out copies that she'd obtained from her attorney at Legal Services, on the 24th. We still have not seen a dime of the deposit money. And the landlord himself only told us we needed to leave on the 31st. (NB: According to the city, their notice to him does not count, legally, as notice to us. Nor is he permitted to use his mandatory copies of their notice to him AS such notice.)
Thing is, this landlord has become a major alcoholic since his wife died last year. I can sympathise with losing a loved one, and I can certainly sympathise with depression, but climbing back into the bottle is no more helpful in such situations than climbing back into bed. Believe me, I know.
Still, it's hard for me to sympathise when the guy continues to try and scam us for money. The other night he came by with a bogus form he wanted me to sign, which stated that I agreed if I was not out by the 3rd of November (the city's deadline to him to get people alternative housing), I would pay him a fine of $450. He is attempting, of course, to cover his losses, since any tenants who are still in the building after the 3rd cause him to face $100/per day fines, per tenant. So he must have figured, somehow, that he could maybe intimidate said tenants into giving him money, so he could cover the fines and maybe even turn a profit.
Only problem is, Minnesota law is very specific about paying rent, or anything else, to a landlord after the building is condemned: don't do it, and he can't ask for it. If he insists, he would be liable for three times the amount asked for, plus moving expenses, plus other penalties, just for making the attempt! Never mind the criminal prosecution for harrassment and fraud.
Obviously, though, affixing my signature to a piece of paper he gave me without consulting an attorney would be Very Bad, so I told him that I would do no such thing, and that I would be reporting it to the DA. He wasn't happy about that.
So, all of the above means that he is in big trouble, and I intend to give it to him. In the meantime, of course, I needed to find a new apartment. Fortunately, Google is my friend once again. I've found a nice little one-bedroom-with-office place in very good condition, in a very good neighborhood: it's one block away from Clay County Social Services, and two blocks from the county courthouse and the police station, so obviously it's in a low-crime area. And there are TREES! I haven't lived in an area with real trees in years. Heat and water are paid, everything is clean and the appliances are all new, they explicitly allow pets (and will waive the pets damage deposit since my cats are considered therapeutic companion animals), and I get my own garage for free! The landlords are very pleasant and helpful, and are expediting my application because of the need to move quickly (the condemnation of my building has made local news, so everybody knows). And best of all, I can afford it.
Not only that, though, but my social worker has pulled off another miracle: the program I'm in, SILS (Semi-Independent Living Skills), provides a fund for one-time use for moving a client into a new home if necessary. She's tapped into that fund for me, so now I don't even have to pay the movers! And I can get a new couch for free too! And a boxspring and mattress for my new bed!
Not too shabby for a week's work, eh what?
*You can so have a percentage greater than 100, when you're talking about degree of change and statistical trends. Hush up, pedants.
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*HUGS*
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Let us know how the move goes! I'll be praying your kitties make the move happily and safely.
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Now the only thing worrying me is how my youngest cat, Bella, will react to the move. She's only ever lived in my current apartment...
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Bella, though, is a very neurotic cat. She was abandoned as a kitten in the parking lot, you see, and was rescued by my sister. Since then she's only lived in this apartment. She hides from strangers, and the one time she ran out into the hallway, she freaked out because she wasn't in her place anymore.
So I worry a bit. Still, she'll have Yitzak and Miette with her, along with familiar furniture. Hopefully that will help.
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I would probably be freaking out about now, and not knowing what to do about the landlord *or* a new place to live, and you have taken control of both situations with authority.
I'm so glad such an icky situation is turning into something so positive. I hope the move goes smoothly for you! :)
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"it's one block away from Clay County Social Services, and two blocks from the county courthouse and the police station, so obviously it's in a low-crime area"
I'm not sure "so obviously" is the right phrase there... perhaps, "but weirdly," or "though notwithstanding that,". ;)
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