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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / May 2007The Other Shoe Has Dropped
Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a couple of months with nothing from the new landlord (not even an introductory note), today in the mail I got a lease. Now, I have been on month-to-month for *years*. Why should I have to sign a lease? And it is the most restrictive, punitive to tenants lease I have ever read. And the worst part? He requires a $250 pet deposit, and $10 extra rent a month *for each pet*! If I wasn't on pain meds, I'd get drunk tonight. I don't know what I am going to do :-( Ginger-lyn in tears > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that > the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Ginger-lyn > in tears Oh lord. Purrs for your nerves and for an easy and quick solution to this problem are on the way. Jill > Oh lord. Purrs for your nerves and for an easy and quick solution to this > problem are on the way. > > Jill Thank you, Jill. Ginger-lyn Finding out just how very difficult it is to type with Trill under my right arm and Cosmo sitting next to my left arm. > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that the > landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a couple [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Ginger-lyn > in tears Ginger You may want to review the tenant land lord laws in your area. Also since you are month to month you many want to look for a new place. I am sorry you are going thru this. > Ginger You may want to review the tenant land lord laws in your area. Also > since you are month to month you many want to look for a new place. I am > sorry you are going thru this. Thank you,. Matthew. The tenant-landlord laws are pretty much tilted almost exclusively toward the landlords. :-( There used to be a Tenant's Union, but they disbanded quite some time ago. I dread the idea of looking for another place. I'd need a miracle to find one that rents for as reasonable a rate as this one, has two bedrooms, a basement, etc. I've lived here 22 years; it long ago quit being an apartment; it's my home. Ginger-lyn >> Ginger You may want to review the tenant land lord laws in your area. >> Also since you are month to month you many want to look for a new place. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Ginger-lyn Home is where the heart is. I know what you are saying. I wish I knew a way to help. I am going to send you a email to find out where you are in the world so you don't have to make it public unless you want to and maybe I can find something online for you or know someone that can lead you in the right direction if that is ok >>> Ginger You may want to review the tenant land lord laws in your area. >>> Also since you are month to month you many want to look for a new place. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > can find something online for you or know someone that can lead you in the > right direction if that is ok Sure -- I can use any help I can get. ty, Ginger-lyn >>>> Ginger You may want to review the tenant land lord laws in your area. >>>> Also since you are month to month you many want to look for a new [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Ginger-lyn I sent you an email Did you get it ??? > I sent you an email Did you get it ??? Nope -- unless you're Russian or selling something I don't want or need ;-) I have my address slightly munged -- did you use the "reply-to" address? Otherwise, the Black Hole in the Internet probably ate it ;-) Ginger-lyn I will resend it when I get home later >> I sent you an email Did you get it ??? > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Ginger-lyn > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that > the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > And the worst part? He requires a $250 pet deposit, and $10 extra rent > a month *for each pet*! Maybe you don't have to sign it. Over here sitting tenants have rights that can't be nullified by a change of ownership, there may be something like that where you are. Is there a citizens' advice bureau (what we call it - a public agency to tell people what their rights are) in your area? Meanwhile, *don't* sign it. Requiring a new deposit from a sitting tenant would be a criminal offence here. It's called extortion. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 > > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that > > the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > And the worst part? He requires a $250 pet deposit, and $10 extra rent > > a month *for each pet*! > Maybe you don't have to sign it. Over here sitting tenants have rights > that can't be nullified by a change of ownership, there may be something > like that where you are. Is there a citizens' advice bureau (what we > call it - a public agency to tell people what their rights are) in your > area? This goes by city in the US. Some cities - getting fewer by the year - have what we call "rent control", a set of restrictions on landlords over rent increases, evictions, etc. In cities with rent control, there is an official rent control board, where she could address complaints such as this. But in those cities without it (which is the vast majority), there may be a grass-roots organization (ie, not a gov't agency) that has researched local tenancy laws and can advise tenants of their rights. Since Ginger-Lyn lives in a city, there is likely some sort tenants- advocacy group there, but I don't know. I think it's good advice, whatever it's called. :) Ginger-Lyn, do you have any advocates you can ask about your rights? This seems extremely unfair. Joyce > > > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that > > > the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] >have any advocates you can ask about your rights? This seems extremely >unfair. Piggybacking here because this is just what I was going to say. Purrs for your nerves and a quick solution. >Joyce Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh Make Levees, Not War >>>> Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that >>>> the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > Piggybacking here because this is just what I was going to say. Purrs > for your nerves and a quick solution. Thank you, Joyce. Purrs are always welcome, especially now. Ginger-lyn >> Joyce > > Theresa > Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh > > Make Levees, Not War >> Piggybacking here because this is just what I was going to say. Purrs >> for your nerves and a quick solution. > Thank you, Joyce. Purrs are always welcome, especially now. Actually, the piggyback purrs were from Theresa (technically, from Stinky and Dante :)). My gang is purring too, though. And Roxy sends some snores from the top of my monitor. Joyce > > Kreisleriana wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Joyce Oops. Shows how attentive I am right now. Thanks for pointing that out, and for the purrs, and thanks to Theresa, too. Ginger-lyn On May 16, 7:34 pm, jXwXeXrXmXoX...@sonic.net wrote: > > > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that > > > the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Joyce There should be two separate brochures, "Tenants Rights" and "Landlord's Rights" available. You just call and ask for them and they mail them to you. I don't remember which agency it was, but it came from the state capitol. I bet that info is available online too. Good, longterm tenants should be taken care of by the landlord, because they don't come along every day. Her landlord should know this. Maybe if Gingerlyn just had a good talk with him there could be some compromise or he'd make an exception. It would be worth a try. Sherry > On May 16, 7:34 pm, jXwXeXrXmXoX...@sonic.net wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > Sherry Thanks, Sherry. I wish this guy would realize that someone like me *doesn't* come along every day. I've interviewed prospective tenants, and sometimes it was a pretty pitiful bunch. Okay, *often* it was pretty pitiful. Right now, I can't talk to him. I would end up screaming at him and crying, which I don't want to do. I have until June 15th to sign the lease. And I hate to say it, but he comes across as very arrogant. I also think he's used to dealing with more high-end rental places, and does not have a clue how to deal with those of us who live here, in a very old building (around 100 years oldO) and where our relations with landlords have mostly been very laid back. there's another clause that says curtains must have a neutral color. OMG -- in this neighborhood? I think he is a fool, and I hope he realizes this before 4 groups of good tenants move. Ginger-lyn > does not have a clue how to deal with those of us who live here, in a > very old building (around 100 years oldO) and where our relations with > landlords have mostly been very laid back. there's another clause that > says curtains must have a neutral color. OMG -- in this neighborhood? Next he'll be circulating a CC&R. :) > I think he is a fool, and I hope he realizes this before 4 groups of > good tenants move. Any possibility you all could work together on this? Joyce > > does not have a clue how to deal with those of us who live here, in a > > very old building (around 100 years oldO) and where our relations with > > landlords have mostly been very laid back. there's another clause that > > says curtains must have a neutral color. OMG -- in this neighborhood? > > Next he'll be circulating a CC&R. :) Okay -- what's a CC&R? You got me on that one. > > I think he is a fool, and I hope he realizes this before 4 groups of > > good tenants move. > > Any possibility you all could work together on this? > > Joyce Possibly 3 of the four of us could (the 4th is an animal abuser). Ginger-lyn >>> there's another clause that >>> says curtains must have a neutral color. OMG -- in this neighborhood? >> Next he'll be circulating a CC&R. :) > Okay -- what's a CC&R? You got me on that one. That was a joke. Some very upscale Homeowners Associations and gated communities have sets of rules that people have to follow regarding the color of the house, what you can have on your lawn, how/where to park your car, etc. It stands for something like "Commitments <something> and Rules" - I'm not sure, exactly. Maybe someone else knows? >> Any possibility you all could work together on this? > Possibly 3 of the four of us could (the 4th is an animal abuser). Yuck. I guess you can leave them out! Joyce > > jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > <something> and Rules" - I'm not sure, exactly. Maybe someone else > knows? If you have enough money the Homeowner's Association will pretty much ignore their "rules". Where my parents live there was (allegedly) a very strict code regarding what colour your house could be, etc. All the homes were tastefully painted in shades of brown and green to blend in with the native flora and fauna. That is, until some mega-millionaires decided to build a huge PINK monstrosity overlooking the intracoastal waterway. Apparently if you have enough money to spend the Homeowner's Association goes on an extended vacation! Jill >> > jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Jill I would refuse to live where a home owners association was They have tried that where I live a group purchased a lot of the land and some vacant homes in my neighborhood. They started a home owners unit. they sent out notices to all the neighborhood about 20 other homes and told us what problems they had at our house and if we did not fix them they would take us to court. They wanted to gate off a public road and make it private. The county told them no way about the road and a group of lawyers that live in the neighborhood showed them the light of the law and a lawsuit and injunction to prevent them from future actions. > I would refuse to live where a home owners association was > They have tried that where I live a group purchased a lot of the land and [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > in the neighborhood showed them the light of the law and a lawsuit and > injunction to prevent them from future actions. If my neighborhood had an association like that we'd be booted right out. We have no tidy little landscaping - we had most of the shrubs outside removed. Now one ginormous wild rose is in front of the house and only gets trimmed back if my bi-polar daughter comes up and gets into a serious manic period. Then she whacks it back to a normal looking bush and it repeats the overgrowth cycle... We also have, gasp, dandelions and wild violets (the latter of which I'm trying to encourage to take over the lawn. :D) The steps are broken and the siding is aluminum and dirty as sin. And, God knows what they'd do if the saw the inside. :-) I'm sure some folks would think of my house as an enormous trailer, from one of those southern stereotype trailer parks - even though it's a 2-story colonial in New Jersey. LOL... I wish you the best of luck. BTW, the SSDI may take a lawyer's help,Ginger-lyn ... Lots of purrs and prayers, Kathy >>> > jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net wrote: >>> [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > that live in the neighborhood showed them the light of the law and a > lawsuit and injunction to prevent them from future actions. I worked with a woman who lived in a "gated community" with a homeowners association. Someone on her street painted their house an unapproved shade of paint. The neighborhood association hired a painting contractor, had his house repainted while he was at work then sent him a bill for $1000. Excuse me?! > > jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > <something> and Rules" - I'm not sure, exactly. Maybe someone else > knows? Covenants, maybe? Sam, closely supervised by Mistletoe >> It stands for something like "Commitments >> <something> and Rules" - I'm not sure, exactly. Maybe someone else >> knows? > Covenants, maybe? That sounds right, yeah. Joyce >> On May 16, 7:34 pm, jXwXeXrXmXoX...@sonic.net wrote: >>> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >>> landlord (not even an > > introductory note), today in the mail I >>> got a lease. > > Now, I have been on month-to-month for *years*. >>> > Maybe you don't have to sign it. Over here sitting tenants have >>> rights > that can't be nullified by a change of ownership, there [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > along every day. I've interviewed prospective tenants, and sometimes > it was a pretty pitiful bunch. Okay, *often* it was pretty pitiful. John is a landlord and I can't begin to describe how many awful tenants he's had to deal with! Good, stable long-term renters are very hard to find. He finally sold one of the (Victorian era) houses he had 3 apartments in. He still owns one but is very anxious to get out of the land-lord business! He'd *kill* (well not really!) for a tenant like GL! > there's another clause that says curtains must have a neutral color. OMG -- >in this > neighborhood? I think he is a fool, and I hope he realizes this > before 4 groups of good tenants move. So now he's trying to pull a "housing association" thing on the decor of the apartments? If he wants to go that far he should supply the window treatments himself! Jill > > > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that > > > the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Joyce Nope -- they disbanded years ago. One of the members is now my tax person, so maybe she's kept up on things and still knows. I got the brochure on tenant's rights at ComFest a couple of years ago, skimmed through it, and it looked very unfairly tilted almost exclusively to the landlord's rights, not the tenant's. There is no rent control here -- I really wish there was. Ginger-lyn > Nope -- they disbanded years ago. One of the members is now my tax > person, so maybe she's kept up on things and still knows. I got the > brochure on tenant's rights at ComFest a couple of years ago, skimmed > through it, and it looked very unfairly tilted almost exclusively to the > landlord's rights, not the tenant's. There is no rent control here -- I > really wish there was. That sounds like the situation in a lot of places. :( I'm sorry to hear it. Maybe your tax person can advise you, though. It does sound like a really tough situation. Purrs, Joyce >>Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that >>the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Requiring a new deposit from a sitting tenant would be a criminal > offence here. It's called extortion. Well of course, each state (and even each city) can have its own rules, here in the U.S. Until I lived here, I would have said a sitting tenant was only required to pay the regular rent increases - but then I always rented where the owner/landlord lived in the building, or in the house next-door. However, as those of you who've read my tale of woe in another thread know, whatever landords can legally demand of TENANTS, they are under NO restriction when it comes to discontinuing previously supplied amenties (concierge service, etc.) no matter how long they have been supplying them. (Not unless they are actually part of the lease - and previous owners were clever enough to list them in a separate document given to new tenants, nothing about them appeared in the lease itself.) > ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== > Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 > <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 > stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 > Maybe you don't have to sign it. Over here sitting tenants have rights > that can't be nullified by a change of ownership, there may be something [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 > stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 I am not going to sign it right no matter what. Sadly, here in the States (and can vary state by state) there is very little in the tenant's favor. Here, a landlord can pretty much set things the way he/she wants them, tenant be damned. we had a Tenant's Union years ago, but they disbanded. I wish it was that way here. But it isn't. Maybe I should move to England . . . . Ginger-lyn >> Maybe you don't have to sign it. Over here sitting tenants have >> rights [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > Ginger-lyn The more I read of problems like yours, the more glad I am to live in England. Continuing purrs that things work out for you.  SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that the > landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a couple [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > If I wasn't on pain meds, I'd get drunk tonight. I don't know what I am > going to do :-( How will he know how many pets you have? Can he come into your house and check? If not, in your situation I would lie. Tell him you have two cats. Or move if you can. This is when I am glad I own my house. Try not to panic. Is the 250 a one off or every month? Tweed >> Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was >> that the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Tweed The $250 is a one time thing, then $10 per month per cat (and there is often a limit regarding the number of cats). And yes, landlords can enter your dwelling as can any of their maintenance staff. Jill > The $250 is a one time thing, then $10 per month per cat (and there is often > a limit regarding the number of cats). And yes, landlords can enter your > dwelling as can any of their maintenance staff. This is an example of something that varies from place to place - which is why she should consult whichever local authority or non-profit group advises tenants on what the local law is. Under *my* local law, the right of a landlord (never mind maintenance staff!) to enter rented premises is extremely limited - there must be an emergency, or the tenant must have abandoned the property, or notice of termination must have been given, with both reasonable notice given to the tenant (4-24 hours, depending on the situation) and entry made at a reasonable hour to show the property to a new tenant or buyer. We also don't often seem to have pet deposits or pet rent, or didn't, last time I was looking for a place to rent. Landlords seemed to either forbid pets altogether or allow them without additional fees. Sometimes, they limited the kind of pet by size or type or number. Housing rules and customs seem to vary considerably by region. SignatureCheryl >> The $250 is a one time thing, then $10 per month per cat (and there >> is often a limit regarding the number of cats). And yes, landlords [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > which is why she should consult whichever local authority or > non-profit group advises tenants on what the local law is. Good point, although where I live the landlord must *always* have a current key. Granted, they can't come barging in in the middle of the night just because they feel like it but they must be able to access the premises. My last apartment was upstairs (never again! LOL). The adjoining neighbors had gone away for the weekend or something when the tenants below them complained about water leaking through their ceiling. The landlord *had* to be able to get in without their prior permission to ascertain what the problem was in order to have it repaired. > Under *my* local law, the right of a landlord (never mind maintenance > staff!) to enter rented premises is extremely limited - there must be [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > and entry made at a reasonable hour to show the property to a new > tenant or buyer. Fortunately the apartment where I live is usually good about sending notices of routine scheduled maintenance. However, every three months or so the maintenance guy will knock on the door to change the heating/air conditioner filter and replace the smoke alarm batteries and test the fire extinguisher without any notice. Only more complex maintenance requires advance notice. When I was working I'd often come home to find a pink "receipt" sitting on my kitchen counter outlining the work they'd done in my absence. > We also don't often seem to have pet deposits or pet rent, or didn't, > last time I was looking for a place to rent. Landlords seemed to > either forbid pets altogether or allow them without additional fees. > Sometimes, they limited the kind of pet by size or type or number. Here IF they allow pets there is always a pet deposit but not always a monthly pet rent in addition. The deposit covers potential damage by pets and is non-refundable in all cases. > Housing rules and customs seem to vary considerably by region. This is true. And I agree Ginger-Lyn should find out what the local laws are. Having said that, she's apparently been very lucky with her month-to-month tenancy with her prior landlord. Where I live, if you go month-to-month the landlord has every right to raise the rent *every single month* the tenant stays there. For this reason alone (again, where I live) it only makes good sense to sign a 6 or 12 month lease. I don't like the fact that this new landlord is suddenly requiring a pet deposit. It's not like he went through and replaced all the carpeting, flooring, etc. and now has to worry about damages to new items he put in place. Jill >> Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that the >> landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a couple [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Tweed He toured the building before he bought it, so he already knows I have 9 cats; with that many, I don't think there is any way I can lie (plus I tend not to do it because I'm very bad at it -- lol). The 250 is a one-time fee. Ginger-lyn >> How will he know how many pets you have? Can he come into your house >> and check? If not, in your situation I would lie. Tell him you have [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Ginger-lyn If he already knew you were there with 9 cats and set a per-animal rent, it sounds like he wants you to leave (maybe not you -- but your cats.) I think you have to convince him and show him that your cats are not a problem. Can someone else talk to him for you if you cannot? Maybe offer another inspection? Rhonda >>> How will he know how many pets you have? Can he come into your house >>> and check? If not, in your situation I would lie. Tell him you have [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Rhonda That's what I'm afraid of. I have the lowest rent of the four units in the building. He's upping the rent no matter what, but it would still be less than everyone else's. I am going to try my two ex-landlords, but I don't think they can do much. Another inspection would be a *bad* idea right now -- Since the hip fracture, I have not been able to do much, and the place is a mess. Ginger-lyn > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that the > landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a couple [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > If I wasn't on pain meds, I'd get drunk tonight. I don't know what I am > going to do :-( I know I've replied in this thread already but your situation is worrying me and I've been thinking. Is there such a thing as housing provided by the local council, authority or whatever you call it in the USA? rather than private landlords? If so, could you apply for it? Over here council and housing associations usually allow pets whereas private landlords are much more stringent and often ban children too. I've never heard of any sort of pet deposit or pet rent here. It sounds like a rip-off to me. A deposit is often required when moving in to a privately rented property to cover any damage that might be done, but that applies to everyone, not just pet owners. I am livid on your behalf, Ginger-Lyn, you've had enough to put up with recently without this. Tweed > Is there such a thing as housing provided by the local council, > authority or whatever you call it in the USA? rather than private > landlords? If so, could you apply for it? There is subsidized housing here, yes. Often referred to as "the projects". They have a terrible reputation for high crime, gangs, drugs, etc. I don't know if all subsidized housing is like that (having been lucky enough not to need it), but that's certainly the perception, as well as the reality in many places. I think many people who have even a shred of other options would take that over moving to the projects. Ginger-Lyn, could you possibly get Section 8 housing? That's disability funding (from the government) to pay the rent for an apartment in a privately-owned building where the owner has agreed to it. They have long waiting lists, but it might be worth seeing if you could start the ball rolling. I don't know if you are officially on disability, though. I know this is much harder to get in these draconian times! :( > I've never heard of any sort of pet deposit or pet rent here. It > sounds like a rip-off to me. A deposit is often required when moving > in to a privately rented property to cover any damage that might be > done, but that applies to everyone, not just pet owners. I don't mind paying a pet deposit, myself. But then, the ones I've been asked to pay were pretty reasonable, and were a one-time payment (a "one-off" as you'd say :)). It was a small fraction of my monthly rent, and it gave me some peace of mind that if my cats were to cause any damage, it was taken care of by the pet deposit. In fact, sometimes when I've been apartment-hunting, I've answered ads that explicitly said "no pets", because I've learned that it really means no *dogs*. If, after I said I had cats, they were still adamant about that policy, I would offer to pay a pet deposit, which sometimes worked. Then again, I've never had to pay extra *monthly* rent for my pets, and paying per pet is ridiculous. There should be one deposit (but $250 sounds very high), and that's it. Joyce > > Is there such a thing as housing provided by the local council, > > authority or whatever you call it in the USA? rather than private [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > shred > of other options would take that over moving to the projects. In my area the subsidized housing is all located in parts of town where you wouldn't want to visit without a gun, let alone live in! This is backed up by crime statistics shown on the local news all the time. Note to visitors: avoid the southwest Memphis area. > Ginger-Lyn, could you possibly get Section 8 housing? That's > disability funding (from the government) to pay the rent for an [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > though. > I know this is much harder to get in these draconian times! :( This is a good suggestion! Of course, government red tape and all that but still worth pursuing if GL meets the qualifications. > > I've never heard of any sort of pet deposit or pet rent here. It > > sounds like a rip-off to me. A deposit is often required when > moving > in to a privately rented property to cover any damage that > might be > done, but that applies to everyone, not just pet owners. The pet rent situation was new to me when I shopped around to move in 1998. Before I moved into this apartment community it was very rare to see an additional monthly fee for pets. Now it's very common. > I don't mind paying a pet deposit, myself. But then, the ones I've > been asked to pay were pretty reasonable, and were a one-time payment > (a "one-off" as you'd say :)). It was a small fraction of my monthly > rent, and it gave me some peace of mind that if my cats were to cause > any damage, it was taken care of by the pet deposit. I've never encountered a rental situation where some sort of pet deposit or fee was not required. > In fact, sometimes when I've been apartment-hunting, I've answered ads > that explicitly said "no pets", because I've learned that it really [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > and paying per pet is ridiculous. There should be one deposit (but > $250 sounds very high), and that's it. I've seen apartments listed with pet deposits (or non-refundable fees, in many cases, thanks again to Karen for pointing out the wording) as high as $500! Mine was very reasonable, $125. Jill >> > Is there such a thing as housing provided by the local council, >> > authority or whatever you call it in the USA? rather than private [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > visitors: > avoid the southwest Memphis area. Hmm. My idea was not such a good one then. There are nice estates of council houses here and I just thought it might be a possibility in the USA. What a pity. Tweed >>> > Is there such a thing as housing provided by the local council, >>> > authority or whatever you call it in the USA? rather than [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Tweed Sometimes I *really* wish I lived where you do, Christina! Jill >>>> > Is there such a thing as housing provided by the local council, >>>> > authority or whatever you call it in the USA? rather than [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > Sometimes I *really* wish I lived where you do, Christina! Do you? I like it here. Don't get me wrong, there are some really bad places here too. I've worked hard all my life so I don't have to live in one of them. Some say I am lucky to live where I do. I am not lucky. Lucky is if you are given it on a plate. I spent all my early life working for it and now I have it. Safe environment for me, my kitties and my hens and duck. Apart from the foxes that is. I once bought a bottle of wine and I put it down at the side of the porch while I got my key out. Totally forgot about it. I remembered about two weeks later "didn't I buy some wine?" went outside and it was still there. Tweed >>> > Is there such a thing as housing provided by the local council, >>> > authority or whatever you call it in the USA? rather than private [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Tweed Sure wish it was. Ginger-lyn still thinking about moving to England . . . . >There is subsidized housing here, yes. Often referred to as "the projects". >They have a terrible reputation for high crime, gangs, drugs, etc. I >don't know if all subsidized housing is like that (having been lucky >enough not to need it), but that's certainly the perception, as well as >the reality in many places. I think many people who have even a shred >of other options would take that over moving to the projects. The rent on government subsidized housing is the same everywhere even though the cost of living differs. This makes them fairly useless in low cost of living areas. We have subsidized housing in my town, but because we have a low cost of living here most people call those buildings the high rent district. The government charges $200-300 dollars more per month than local private landlords charge. The private owned places are bigger, and have less rules. Debra in VA See my quilts at http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere > > Is there such a thing as housing provided by the local council, > > authority or whatever you call it in the USA? rather than private [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > ball rolling. I don't know if you are officially on disability, though. > I know this is much harder to get in these draconian times! :( Yes, it is. I applied for SSDI (Social Security Disability Income for non-USAers) in what, December 2005. They turned me down, I took the next step (whatever that was). Then they wanted me to see a back doctor in Springfield (a good maybe 40-50 miles from here). I have no car. It's scheduled for morning. Pretty much all of friends work during the day. What was I supposed to do??? So I didn't go, and I also didn't try a third time because I looked at all the paperwork the lawyers sent me, and just felt like I could not deal with this anymore. So I let it drop. > > I've never heard of any sort of pet deposit or pet rent here. It > > sounds like a rip-off to me. A deposit is often required when moving [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > and paying per pet is ridiculous. There should be one deposit (but > $250 sounds very high), and that's it. I agree totally. > Joyce > I applied for SSDI (Social Security Disability Income for > non-USAers) in what, December 2005. They turned me down, I took the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > me, and just felt like I could not deal with this anymore. So I let it > drop. Yes, they're counting on you letting it drop - they make it very difficult for people to get to appointments and to deal with the paperwork and legal bullsh*t, and this is all directed at a population that is already debilitated by whatever medical issues they have. I've always heard that they automatically turn you down the first time, and that it takes 3 tries before you're even seriously considered. (Kind of like converting to Judaism.* :)) A good friend of mine was an SSI advocate many years ago, and she helped people just like you, trying to get on SSI/SSDI and couldn't deal with all the hurdles. I wonder if there's such a person in your area? Joyce * Traditionally, rabbis require a potential convert to ask 3 times before they begin the process of conversion. This is to filter out people who are doing it for less than serious reasons. e: > Yes, they're counting on you letting it drop - they make it very > difficult for people to get to appointments and to deal with the > paperwork and legal bullsh*t, and this is all directed at a population > that is already debilitated by whatever medical issues they have. I know :-( > I've always heard that they automatically turn you down the first > time, and that it takes 3 tries before you're even seriously > considered. (Kind of like converting to Judaism.* :)) A good friend > of mine was an SSI advocate many years ago, and she helped people > just like you, trying to get on SSI/SSDI and couldn't deal with all > the hurdles. I wonder if there's such a person in your area? I don't know if anything like that exists. I can try to find out, although here the advocate is usually your attorney. I never even *met* my attorney in this. > Joyce > > * Traditionally, rabbis require a potential convert to ask 3 times > before they begin the process of conversion. This is to filter out > people who are doing it for less than serious reasons. Yup, know about that. Once worked for a rabbi :-) Ginger-lyn >> A good friend >> of mine was an SSI advocate many years ago, and she helped people >> just like you, trying to get on SSI/SSDI and couldn't deal with all >> the hurdles. I wonder if there's such a person in your area? > I don't know if anything like that exists. I can try to find out, > although here the advocate is usually your attorney. I never even *met* > my attorney in this. My friend was a lawyer, but she worked for an agency. I'm not sure what kind of agency it was, it could have been run by the state, or the county, or maybe it was private non-profit. This was quite a few years ago, around 1993 or so, and I've been out of touch with this friend for quite some time, too, so I can't ask her. But you might also look for advocacy agencies of one sort or another. Maybe even a google search would help - even if you find something that's not in your area, they might be able to refer you, or, since SS(D)I is a federal program, maybe it wouldn't matter where you live and where they are. Joyce > > I applied for SSDI (Social Security Disability Income for > > non-USAers) in what, December 2005. They turned me down, I took [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > paperwork and legal bullsh*t, and this is all directed at a population > that is already debilitated by whatever medical issues they have. Indeed. They turned me down flat. A psych eval (took all of 15 minutes and mostly consisted of me trying to count backwards from 200 in increments of 7 - did I ever tell you I am terribly bad at math?) indicated I don't suffer from depression or any sort of agorophobia. (Never mind I rescheduled the appointment twice because I couldn't get myself to leave the house.) Oh, and I have arthritis in my hands, yes, but apparently not bad enough to prevent me from lifting 25 lbs. Excuse me, I couldn't easily lift 25 lbs. *before* I got arthritis! The application process is a joke. > I've always heard that they automatically turn you down the first > time, and that it takes 3 tries before you're even seriously > considered. > Joyce I may give it another shot or three :) Jill >> Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that the >> landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a couple [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Tweed Thank you {{{{{{Tweed}}}}}}. As others have mentioned, there is Section 8 housing here (I think two apartments buildings right near me are Section 8). Problem is, I don't think I qualify, plus there is a long list and a long waiting time to get into them. Not an option for me :-{ Ginger-lyn I am sorry, Lee > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that > the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Ginger-lyn > in tears > I am sorry, Lee Thank you, Lee. >> Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that >> the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >> Ginger-lyn >> in tears Ginger-lyn Still with a Trill, paws resting on keyboard and under my arm. > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that > the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Ginger-lyn > in tears I know you're probably exhausting all the possibilities, but is there any way you could be 'grandfathered' in, in your current situation? IOW, as long as you stay and pay your rent and abide by other rules, you would be exempt from the "new rules." Once you vacate, the next tenants would be obliged to adhere to the new rules. Just a long shot, but there are circumstances even here in New York City where sitting tenants have certain rights when a building is sold. SignatureJoey DoWop Dee Remember: It is To Laugh > I know you're probably exhausting all the possibilities, but is there any way > you could be 'grandfathered' in, in your current situation? IOW, as long as [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > New York City where sitting tenants have certain rights when a building is > sold. That's probably the first thing I'm going to do, and hope that he will agree. But I'm not holding my breath. Ginger-lyn > Some of y'all may recall that among my myriads of difficulty was that > the landlord was selling the apartment building. He did, and after a [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Ginger-lyn > in tears Lots and lots of purrs and best wishes for a solution, Polonca and Soncek |
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