Volume XCIX: The Super Scandalous Sun Day Edition; Seedy Slum Lord’s

Hello every One, and welcome to the Super ‘Scandalous’ Sun Day Edition, thank King You for joining Me!

I’m not really sure if scandalous is the right Word but I most certainly have an interesting Story to tell.  In My last report of events in My Microcosm, I had mentioned that I was war King on securing a new apartment.  I was presented with an offer:  if I could complete a few ‘little’ maintenance requirements before the first of January, I could move in right away, providing I could come up with first and last month’s rent deposit, which is paid by the city.

The landlady who presented this offer is also the landlady at My current address (she manages several properties), so she already has a relationship with the city, [My] rent is paid to her directly.  She put tremendous pressure on the individuals working for the organizations that facilitate My subsidy.  One individual is now on emergency medical leave and I would not be at all surprised to discover it was a direct result of the pressure applied by this particular landlady.

I also have a history with this lady.  She was the one who initially interviewed Me at the Salvation Army and agreed to rent a room to Me when I was rather abruptly ‘barred’ from the facility a week later.  When I moved into the room where I stay now, this is also the lady who insisted I spend one last night in the previous room in case My cat returned sometime during the night.  I said, ‘no’, and she basically had a nervous breakdown and called Me names I Will never repeat.  Her dog was also overnight at the vet near death, so I just Writ the whole thing off, figuring she was just venting considering what was going on with her dog.  We hadn’t spoken at all since then until just before Christmas when she handed out Christmas cards to all the tenants.  I said, ‘thank You’, told her I thought it was a thoughtful gesture and she immediately mentioned she might have a more suitable apartment for Me.

It’s important to know at least a little of the history because I genuinely thought this was some kind of peace offering.  I also genuinely believed she is honest and would never Willfully attempt to deceive someone, much less Me.  As it turns out, there were a number of other issues with the apartment she was hoping to rent to Me that I’m reasonably sure she was aware of.  It’s not a legal address, so it can’t be set up for hydro or internet, which was an immediate deal breaker.  She also put the wrong address number on the lease, which may or may not have been an honest mistake, but she took first and last month’s rent deposit for an address that doesn’t exist.  The ‘correct’ address can’t be legally rented for ‘other’ reasons.  When I expressed these concerns to the landlady, she said she ‘couldn’t deal with Me’, and asked Me to direct all future correspondence through the city’s representatives.  I was more than happy to oblige.  And Trust Me, this story gets SO much better!

This landlady was very intense about getting the first and last month’s rent deposit in her hand, and making sure the lease was effective January 1st.  The total sum is $2080.00 for first and last, and despite the fact that she was putting tremendous pressure on the city to get this money together for January 1st over the Christmas Holy Days, she also insisted that she would not be able to reimburse My last month’s rent deposit at My current address because ‘it would be impossible to re-rent on such short notice’.

After I had asked the landlady about not being able to connect utilities at the address on the lease, she told Me to direct My Quest-Ions to the city directly.  The city told Me that she had decided she no longer Wishes to rent to Me.  I was relieved (and so was the city).  However, she didn’t Wish to give back the deposit!  Then she told the city that she Will give back the deposit so long as My last month’s rent is considered inclusive with the amount and I agree to vacate My current address February 1st.  Why she believes one has anything to do with the other is beyond Me, and because the lease she presented is no Good, I have no reason to leave where I am.  She was basically trying to unlawfully evict Me for not signing a lease I wouldn’t have been able to sign anyway.

Thankfully, the city is now well aware just how ‘crazy’ this woman can be and I don’t like to use that term because I’m sure there are plenty of People who would Love to call Me crazy, too.  I haven’t really had the freedom to write about this until now, either, because We (My Self and those advocating on My behalf of the city) believed she might actually try to change the lock to My room while I’m out and about running errands.  It wasn’t until Friday the landlady told the city she wasn’t going to call the police if I was still in My apartment February 1st!  She would have had no grounds to call the police, but let’s face it, the police haven’t been known to Act in My best interest or defend My rights.

But here’s the kicker.  The whole time I had no Idea what this lady’s problem with Me might be.  Even when she blew up at Me so many months ago, I didn’t retaliate, I didn’t call her nasty names in return – I Truly believed she was grieving and figured she’d come around.  No, as it turns out, the new land owner has been trying to evict her!  She has a private lease and rents rooms out to People like Me, her landlord doesn’t like the arrangement and wants everyone out.  She negotiated a deal to have everyone out by the end of February, so long as they were compensated $2000.00 each plus moving expenses.  I’m the only tenant she was keeping this from.  Why?  Because she made this deal without consulting any of the tenants and she knows that if I knew about it, I would let the tenants know they should have had a seat at the table.

As it stands now, the landlady doesn’t know I know, and I still haven’t given notice to vacate, so it Will be very interesting to see what she does now.

Just to put this in financial perspective, this is what she was hoping to achieve:

First and last month rent for a new lease starting January 1st – $2080.00

Rent for both January and February at My current address – $1300.00

Settlement cash if I don’t hear the deal and had moved into a new place February 1st – $2000.00 more for the landlady.

$5380. total ‘earning’ potential.

At this time, she has still not returned the $2080.00 deposit.  I’m not sure yet how the city Will choose to proceed, as news of the settlement was Given Me by fellow tenants in the building.  It appears she did not ask any of them to Keep the information from Me, as they were all happy to share.

It’s really sad to see what CAPITALISM does to People…

I Will Keep You posted, but never a dull moment in My Microcosm!

Love and Blessings,