I'm so furious I don't even know where to begin. For times like these having my Tengaged blog is really theraputic because if I acted on my emotions right now, somebody would be hearing a very fucking pissed off Belmont.
I rent an apartment, live on my own. This is the first time I've lived all by myself, and I tell this story as hopefully a warning to any young females, or really ANYBODY renting for the first time. Not to discriminate, but I know I was treated like shit because I'm a girl and I know I'm not the only girl that's happened to.
At the end of January my toilet was clogged yet again (background: my super has had to snake it many times and has told me it's been problematic since before I moved in) and so my super called a plumber. Plumber came, talked to me like I was a fucking idiot and bitched the whole time he was there. He did a lot more extra work then was necessary (by his own "test" standards) and was extremely aggressive and rude to me. By the time he left I was in tears and felt violated, like who was this guy to come into my apartment and treat me like crap. He's getting paid to do this, this is his job and I know if I pulled the shit he did at MY job I would be fired!
I called my super to tell him about the plumber, again I was still SO upset and just shook up. My super came over right away (a nice gesture I thought at the time). The minute he entered I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He tried to "console" me by grabbing me and planting his lips on mine. I pulled away and he pulled me in again. I told him to stop and he must have snapped to it so he left pretty fast, but not before trying to offer me free lights. He didn't try to rape me or anything like that, and I know it could have been worse, but he did act very unprofessionally and NOBODY should have to put up with unwarranted sexual advances.
This was now the second male in my apartment, in one night, my super being the one I SHOULD be able to trust, to come in and leave me feeling completely unsafe. My super especially- this guy has a set of keys to my place and access to all of my things but most importantly my cats...it's such an unnerving feeling to feel so unsafe in your own apartment.
I was absolutely distraught by then. I called my mom who advised me to report the plumber and my super to the building owners the next day. I put in a phone call, didn't hear back and I decided to let it go, thinking that I had learned a lesson a very hard way, and that hey now I know to not let ANYONE in my apartment without someone else there with me.
So let me tell you how shocked I was to come home at the end of February to find an invoice for almost 200 dollars slipped through my door, from my building company looking to be reimbursed for the plumbing charges. I immediately called the office, miraculously got through to someone but was then told they couldn't help me. For 2 weeks I went back and forth trying to get someone to speak to me about this. The building owner finally called me back, and we agreed to schedule a time to meet to discuss this. Not before he accused me of lying about what my super did. He tried to tell me that I only complained about it when they sent me a bill. I told him he was wrong, and that I'd called the day after it happened. My building company didn't call ME back until I was telling them I wouldn't pay! This takes us to March Break, building owner went away, I was expecting to hear back from him this week as I left 2 messages for him.
No no Belmont, you won't hear back from him. Silly me. Today I got home from work and what was waiting for me? EVICTION PAPERS.
I have already sought legal counsel on this matter, there are TONS of tenant advocacy groups that will provide advice free of charge because there are a TON of landlords that try to take advantage of people that don't know their rights as tenants.
I already know that my building company doesn't have a leg to stand on.
I know that I cannot be evicted, as I have always paid my rent and did nothing to cause these plumbing problems. The onus is on the building management to PROVE that I willfully caused damage, and they simply can't when this toilet has a history of being problematic. I sure didn't take a hammer to my toilet; it clogged because it's an old building with probably cheap amenities.
Even though I know my rights, and even though I know this is a scare tactic, well, it DID scare me. Again, I was in tears about this stupid thing that should never have happened.
Tomorrow I'm speaking with a lawyer, and we'll see where this goes.
My point of all of this, if anyone is still reading, is that if you're renting, don't forget to:
-document EVERYTHING & leave a paper trail wherever you can
-read up on your rights- you don't have to own a house to have rights to the place you live
-take advantage of the available resources. Tenant advocacy groups, legal clinics etc.
-have a friend or family member with you if ANYONE is to enter your apartment, even the most innocent of people or those you think you can trust can turn on you, and having a witness is always better.
At the end of the day, even though I know if they take me to the Landlord and Tenant Board, I KNOW I will win and can even ask to be compensated for my landlord causing me to not enjoy my tenancy (people have been successful in this matter many times), I hate that this happened.
My apartment is a 5 minute walk from where I work and you really can't beat the commute I have. It sucks that the people who I give my hard earned money to every month have to be such assholes.
But they sure picked the wrong girl to try to take advantage of.
thank you markuskaus for calling and listening to me vent ily < 3 #casting
Comments
You need to call the better business bureau or whatever it's called! I hope you're okay!
