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I'm going to give you a mini history lesson. The term "Landlord" was coined about 800 to 1200 AD. What happened was poor folks where getting burned and pillaged. Some of the rich and brave Knights saw a way to make life better for all. So, they bought up farming land close to there homes and offered it to the good folks. Those folks became serfs and grew crops or what ever was needed. In exchange the Landlords would protect them. It was a win win situation.
When this country was founded, folks found out it was easier if they stuck together. If one families barn burnt, several folks would come and help. If your husband died, your family would be taken in. If you where ill, someone would help plant your crops.
Back then, if it was found you where holding back from your neighbor ( being GREEDY), in most instances you lost your life. Or, they just took all your stuff and sent you packing. Out into the cold, hard world...
Today, greed is more prevalent than ever; if you need help, forget it! People are to busy to care. The landlords, who are definitely NOT knights, rent there houses for the almighty buck. Most do not care what condition the rental is in...just pay them and they are happy.
Take my landlord (please?)...she rented this house to us. Little did we know it was a ticking time bomb. There are 25 different violations! 25 seems to be a lot, but the city rental inspector says that's nothing compared to other rentals in the area.
The electric needs fixed; the furnace replaced; windows are rotting;...you get the picture. I tried to talk to my landlady about my fears. It's cold outside and getting colder. It's almost Thanksgiving. I can not use the stove to cook on; I can not use the electric heaters.
This went on for 3 weeks. I tried to find other housing, but due to the severe cold ( at this point) and it being the holidays, there was no place else to go. Some of you might be thinking at this point why didn't you just leave? Would you? Where would I go? What about my family pictures, or the buffet my dad bought me when I was 10? I know, these are just "things", but they are our things, and we where not leaving them!
I called the city rental inspector only after I spent 3 weeks trying to be nice to this greedy landlord. I called her every 3 days. I would tell her she had a problem with the electric and that I had her rent. Finally, after it was to late, she returned my call. I immediately called her back and told her she would have to deal with Mr. Brooks.
Two days later, we received an eviction notice! Now, mind you, by this time we where broke. We bought a small kerosene heater to keep the water pipes from freezing, since you could not plug an electric heater in anyplace in the basement.
Then, when it was 12 degrees at night, we bought a large kerosene heater for 150 bucks! We had no choice, it was either buy it or freeze to death...what would you do? In the mean time, I had called churches, civic groups and all the organizations in our area. We either did not qualify, or no one bothered to take 10 minutes from there busy holidays to call us back.
Now, we are in the process of putting our personal belongings in storage. We still have no place to go; there is a homeless shelter and hopefully we can stay there.
We missed thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. My granddaughter missed us. Now, all of my house plants are gone. All of my stuff is in an old trailer. I will lose the electric, Internet and phone. I will be effectively cut off from life.
We have a week to go before he gets paid again. The sad part is as this was all going down, my boyfriend was being shafted by his place of employment. First, they went from a weekly paycheck to two weeks; then, they cut his hours. Now, we have to find even cheaper lodgings.
None of this had to happen. If my landlady had kept up this house, there would not have been a problem. But, because of her GREED, she will be being prosecuted and we have lost so much. Yes, our stuff is still our stuff, but what do we do now? We have an eviction hearing on 1/24/2010 at 2:20 PM. This is a smirch on our good name. Who will want to rent to us now?
Not many, let me tell you! I've been looking; there is nothing we can afford. I'm still asking for help, but? It's like we are on an island, set apart from everyone else. The landlady should be here, not us! SHE should have to be treated like a second class citizen, not us!
So, what's your opinion? Do you think I'm right, or do you think the landlord is? Any suggestions? Does your city/ town have a rental inspector? Do you have slum lords in your area? What is being done about them?
