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2001-09-16 - 8:58 p.m. Things are a bit better, but still a pain. On Friday I ended up going to meet with the water code guy. From our conversation it turns out that our landlord was only allowed to have one apartment in this building (he has four) because he was allowed to live where he had a business. Now there is no business here and he never applied for permits to have it turn into a residential business. He has been informed of this plenty of times. He sent a letter that was pretending to be someone else but with his address that said the information sent was too vague and that he was out of town. Anyway, the noisy neighbors had let the investigators from the city come look at their apartment. I saw the pictures of their unfinished porch as well as the sewage violation photo. Apparently he never signed up for sewage service with the city and the sewage pipe from our house is broken so it goes directly into this water behind our house (which I have already heard is polluted, but still). The city's hands are tied and they had already sent him a ten day notice about the sewage issue. So the water will be turned off this Tuesday. That means I had from Thursday to Monday to find a new apartment. Great. Anyway, also we came to find out that our free cable is obtained illegally as well--he has only told the cable company that he has two apartments using it. So the cable will probably be shut off soon and that is a misdemanor. He has citations from the police as well, for the code violations. Ironically enough, the landlord called me on Friday morning about his rent check. He started off the conversation by saying he was calling about the rent. I immediately informed him that I put a stop payment on the check and informed him what was going on. He tried to blame it all on the noisy neighbors--including his disconnected phone. He seemed to feel that they must have cut his phone lines. I explained that it was ridicilous that in an emergency situation I had no way to contact him. I told him that the water would be shut off and I was moving. He tried to ask me if he gets it taken care of will I stay. I said there was no way. I also mentioned the kicked in railing and the smoke alarm chirping. He then asked me if I was giving notice then and how long would it be until I moved out so he could show the apartment to someone else. At this point I became almost hysterical as I just found all this out the day before and had zero time to look for an apartment. I said I didn't know and just about started crying. He tried to get me to give him a date and I said maybe a week. I also said I need my deposit back and he said no problem. Aside from that I told him he better call the woman with the two kids because she is freaking out as well she should be. He said he would and said he was contacting his lawyer about the water problem. I ended the conversation by asking where I could get ahold of him and he said his phone is obviously disconnected now so he had no way (no word on what phone he was on!) When I spoke with the water guy he told me that a lawyer had contacted him who was "thinking" about taking the landlord's case. The landlord is the worst jerk and has not contacted me since. I am obviously not getting my money back. I paid last month's rent and $500.00 deposit (not that unusual for around here, but a lot of money). Not to mention that he was such a jerk to me when basically this place is condemned by the city as not being fit for people to live in and the water will be off on Tuesday. I have a perfect right to stay until the end of the month as I paid rent until the end of the month. I can't believe he thinks he will be showing this apartment to someone else. The water guy even thought that the city might actually seal off the apartments once we all move out. Luckily I was able to find a new place to live on Saturday. I found two places but ended up going with a tiny house all to myself. It is a two bedroom but is about as small as an apartment. It is really cute though, with a yard and is in the same town. It has my minimum requirements including: peace and quiet, in town, washer/dryer hookups, and I can have a kitty if I want! My car has been acting up lately (Never, ever buy a Neon. They are pieces of crap.)so I wanted to stay close to school so if it breaks again I can walk to work. The landlady and landlord also live in town and I know where they live (unlike the other guy). She was really sympathetic and they both decided to let me have it without the credit check (which would have meant I had to wait until Monday to move in). I moved some stuff today and will move a mattress tomorrow so I can start staying there, since there will be no water starting on Tuesday. The rest I will need to get a moving truck of some sort for this weekend. I had to spend almost all of my money that I saved for if we go on strike so I am not sure what I will do if we do go on strike. Luckily the family with the two little girls also found an apartment with little trouble. We are both seriously considering sueing the landlord. Even though he knows about the broken slats he hasn't bothered to come over to even look at them, that is a huge safety hazzard. Not to mention not bothering to tell me when I am getting my money (clearly I will not get it). Another thing is that when I move I have to take the door off and don't know how. Not that he cares a single bit about any of us, apparently all he cared about was money. I don't know if I will see any money from the sueing but at least he would have something else bad hanging over him. I do think that I should sue him for my deposit, my last months rent (I can't live here for half the month without water), my moving costs, and my inconvience of having to find a new place in one weekend. I HATE HIM! Anyway, that is all I have been up to--nonstop worry and moving stuff. I really hope I don't have to miss Big Brother 2 on Tuesday due to the move. I will simply die. I am still in a big blur over the WTC. I hope nothing else happens.
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