Oh, How It Backfired!
A thin white sheet of paper taped to my door.
A killing statement typed in Times New Roman:
"I am not renewing your lease. You have 45 days (until June 3o) to vacate the premises. Please send me a written notice allowing realtors to show the apartment. I wish you luck in your future endeavors."
Nightmare? No. Reality. After another screaming confrontation in which the landlords revealed that they want me out in part because I don't shovel the snow on the porch or put away the garbage barrels (which they never asked me to do, which was their responsibility in the lease, and which I would have happily done had they mentioned they would appreciate it). I asked whether I could renew the lease if I agreed to pay the $100 rent increase.
"WE OFFERED YOU THE CHANCE TO PAY $25 MORE A MONTH LAST YEAR, AND YOU SAID NO BECAUSE [imitating a whiny entitled version of me] YOU'D PUT IN WIRING FOR THE WASHER DRYER AND PAID THE REALTOR FEE." [When I tried to convey the value I added to the apartment--it had no laundry at all when I moved in and I bought the appliances and paid at least $200 to have the wiring installed--they ranted about how A DRYER IS A LUXURY. I DON'T DO DRYERS. IF YOU PUT IT IN, THAT'S YOUR DECISION AND YOU CAN'T COMPLAIN ABOUT IT NOW.]
"The milk has been spilt", they said. "You just wouldn't feel comfortable living here anymore. There are lots of great apartments. You shouldn't have trouble finding one."
They absolutely refused to consider extending the lease until 9/1, which would buy me some time and slightly reduce the panic that is coursing through my veins. In fact, they were offended by the suggestion and reiterated the hurt and distressed I caused yesterday by leaving the draft updated lease on the steps (which I acknowledge now was a very, very bad idea).
The kicker: "WHY DIDN'T YOU WANT TO TALK TO US FACE TO FACE?!" [umm ... I wonder] "ARE WE BLACK OR SOMETHING?"
Mean, crass, unfeeling .... and now racist.
Some courses of action running through my mind: ripping out the wiring for the dryer. Removing every cute feature that I've added to this place. Spewing offensive porn, rotting food, and other off-putting items all over the apartment to deter prospective tenants. Becoming very unavailable to the realtors who may want to show the apartment (my life is very busy, after all). Getting my lawyer ex-boyfriend to write a scary letter about the dubious 45 day notice clause and the fact that my carbon monoxide detector still hasn't been installed despite the law mandating this. Other ideas?
Posted by Dori at 8:41 AM
6 Comments
Well, you can't rip out the wiring, because I suspect it's become a "fixture" and is therefore now part of the apartment. Though I probably wouldn't be above snipping a couple wires as deep in the wall as you can get your shears (turn off the electricity first...).
You SHOULD be able to take the washer/dryer if you purchased it for the house. They're not considered fixtures and are thus still your property.
Otherwise, I think a strongly worded letter from your lawyer ex-boyfriend would probably make them a lot more polite and easy to deal with.
Dori,
I would suggest letting go, moving on, finding a new apartment. Apartments are cheaper in July than in September, and it's easier to move because you aren't moving the same day as everyone else. I would consider it great luck that you can stay until June 30, instead of being put out at the end of your lease. I did a lot of searching last summer, and would be happy to recommend some places to look. Better to come to peace with this than let it eat at you, I say.
Anne
Hmmm, I don't know about the whole "letting go" thing, at least not just yet. They are being incredibly mean-spirited and, let's not forget, have been negligent landlords *at best* throughout your tenancy. I say definitely take the washer/dryer and investigate the legality of taking the wiring (i mean, it's an extra that you did pay for, right?). Have lawyer ex-boyfriend write letter detailing the ways in which they have been sub-par and unsafe landlords (all the heat issues, carbon monoxide detector, etc) and send it to them after you move. Maybe even cc someone like the Better Business Bureau or whoever it is that watches over landlord/tenant stuff...
I know it all sounds spiteful, but I get so sick of hearing all these stories (and remembering my own!) of landlords getting away with completely inappropriate behavior. Tenants are in such vulnerable positions, especially in a place like Boston where apartments are so freakin' expensive.
Oh, and one more thing: make sure to be very clear about your terms when (and if?) you write a letter giving permission for realtors to show the apartment. Like, specify how much notice you want to be given before they show up, and by what means they should notify you. With our last apartment, when the landlords were showing it, they would call our home number (during the day, when we would clearly be at work) and leave a message saying that they were coming over in 5 minutes. We would come home that evening and find that people had been stomping muddy footprints through our home all day long. Not ok.
It is very handy to have a lawyer in your pocket--I'm with everyone else who says you should use him. It's not like you're afraid of burning bridges with these people--they're obviously psychotic and irresponsible, and there ARE no bridges.
Take your appliances, and get out of there.
Oh also, when some friends of mine left a crappy rental situation, they stashed frozen sausages (which I can only imagine improved with time) in various crannies in the apartment. Juvenile, yes, but so satisfying.
I too think moving on is a must. I totally understand not wanting to move more than once in a short time, but I think this kind of relationship can cost you too much emotionally.
And I'm a firm believer in the lawyer letters. They work like magic.
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