A blog intensifying the flavor of life and toasting those who share in the feast, rather than settling for a dry, plain, melba toast existence.

Monday, June 1, 2015

standing against

Recent happenings in my life bring back memories of a time when I had to stand up for fairness in the face of accusation and intimidation--the kind of life lessons that build character.

Our then "Christian" landlady rented a small house to us shortly after we had arrived in town. My husband was doing everything he could to secure employment while I tried to turn a run-down rental property into a home, livable for the two of us and our small child.

The worst part of the scenario is the lack of rights we as tenants apparently had. The landlady could show up whenever she pleased without calling ahead. She could interrupt our lives in whatever ways she saw fit.

After one particularly trying day as a parent of a two-year-old, I received a knock on the door preceded by my otherwise peaceful dog growling. It was my landlady coming by to tell me that work would be done on the tub, re-grouting I think, and that we would not be taking a shower for at least a day, maybe two. We had no recourse other than to go without bathing for awhile.

When our next door neighbor, another tenant of the same landlady was about to move, we were able to move next door into the larger rental house. This house also had many issues, but the landlady seemed more amenable to my husband doing home improvement including ripping up the carpet to reveal the flooring beneath thus eliminating the odor of cat urine. We were able to live more comfortably with an attic to store much of what we were not currently using. And we had a separate room for baby number two.

But there were other problems with this house that would have to be fixed at the landlady's convenience and not our own.

I will never forget the time I came home from a meeting at night to discover the toilet in the front yard. Entering the house I went immediately to where the men were renovating the only bathroom to inquire as to when the bathroom would become utilizable again. They assured me it would not be until at least the next day or so. Good thing the bush near the house was large enough to provide some privacy the next morning.

Unsure of where our lives would take us, we opted to rent month-to-month once our year's lease was up, not understanding that it was the lease that legally prevented our landlady from getting rid of us. But she was a Christian, we protested to ourselves. Our neighbor would tell us that she was a Christian on Sundays but the rest of the time she was all business.

When we received the eviction notice, not only did we need to find another place to live, but she was known for never returning anyone's damage deposit if she could prove damage was done to her property. In the midst of a hasty inspection, she decided that a rip in the dining room wallpaper and the screen windows coming loose in the bedroom were enough to warrant withholding the deposit. She also accused us of holding onto her air conditioning unit, thieves that we were.

Our neighbor said not to fight her, that she was evil.

My pastor friend who had given us the air conditioning unit to use while we lived there said to let it go.

I would do the only thing I know to do. Fight.

So thus began a flurry of certified letters set in motion by a landlady determined to never return our damage deposit.

In the meanwhile, I consulted with a tenants' rights organization who counseled me about possible legal action. Taking the matter to small claim's court would be far more costly than the amount of the deposit. I could only take the principle of the thing so far.

We would be evicted. We would find a more comfortable rental house with a far better landlord.

But I would make one last visit to my previous dwelling before turning in the key, bringing my camera to take pictures of the so-called damage with the hope that someone would defend me. What I found when I reached the house left me stunned--the house was filled with people in the midst of renovation! The wallpaper was completely torn off. The kitchen counter tops were gone. Walls were being stripped and painted. The entire house was being re-done!

Another intimidating certified letter was sent from the landlady as she continued to threaten to withhold the deposit. My certified letter back to her would recount my recent visit to the house with a promise to send the photos to whomever was necessary to recoup the deposit owed us.

Shortly thereafter, I would receive a check in the mail for the full amount of the damage deposit.



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