Well, the sh*t just hit the fan

[Pixelated]

UPDATE: So there really is a Good Witch of the East. Or Albus Dumbledore was watching from some other realm. Or something.

I have an apartment. Not only that, but it's a lovely one-bedroom -- in a seniors' building! (Well, I am 63, LOL.) The cats are welcome. The rent is a bit higher than I had wanted to pay but includes everything, so ...

The bulk of my stuff right now is going into storage units because time is running REALLY short and I need to get out of the house. However, the extraordinary friend who drove five hours and will have stayed five days by the time she departs has warned me that she will come back and kick my butt if (1) I just leave the stuff sit in storage without culling it, and/or (2) I let my apartment get into the same horrendous state as the house (think hoarder/clutterer).

*hugs you*

Is there anything I can do?

Thank you, RootedPhoneix, just the hugs and good wishes were great!

If I wasn't too many hours, and in a whole another country, further south then you are, I'd tell you to come stay with me -- cats and all. I've got a spare room that isn't being used, I already have kitty litter from when I was catsitting last month, and I'd spoil your cats too much.

Hope everything turns out okay.

Thank you, Android Kaeli; it's enough to make me wish I could've taken you up on that offer! But yeah ... international border ... and I have no passport ... Maybe somebody could've smuggled me over in the trunk of their car ...

"Hello? Legal team? Unless my stuff is moved out of here, I'm not going to leave without it, and you'll have to have me evicted." That ought to do it.

Unfortunately, I spoke to a landlord/tenant lawyer, and they said that 30 days after the close is normal ... despite the fact I didn't even GET 30 days, but it was a matter of five or six days, so the dispute would've cost me more than it was worth.

I had asked for an extension but they got no response so we had to assume the answer was no. I asked for that within two or three days of my brother's Feb. 3 email.

Guess what I got today? An email from the new owner. "Sorry, but I've taken time off work effective March 1 to start renovations, so ..." Fuck you, buddy, you wait SEVENTEEN DAYS to give me the courtesy of a reply?? I hope the roof falls on your head.

And I'm also pretty damn bitter about my brother's part in this. Could he not have negotiated a better deal, one that wouldn't put me into such a nightmare of a position? At one point I thought I might need a co-signer for an apartment and I asked him. He said yes ... but with various strings attached. I could understand most of them (although when he went on about "I'm not writing a blank cheque" and "I'm not subsidizing your storage fees" I wanted to say "Who the fuck asked you to subsidize ANYTHING?? All I need is his name and credit rating to get me into an apartment!

So then I send him the forms -- and he has to fill them out as if HE is the primary tenant. So he sends them back and says "They don't need my SIN (social insurance number) or references or [something else that I can't remember]; if they won't accept it without those things, look elsewhere." This was less than 2 weeks before my move-out deadline.

He definitely did not offer to come down and help me pack and move.

So yeah ... definitely not happy with him.

Although I'm sure you can imagine the relief at having somewhere to go at the end of the month. AND without my brother's strings attached.

[morgana]

Yay! Good news!

Pix, is your brother always this much of a dick?

[Pixelated]

Yay! Good news!

Pix, is your brother always this much of a dick?

No! That's partly what shocked the hell out of me! Like, seriously, WTF was he thinking?? Why would he give me such a tight timeline when he knew my circumstances??

I wouldn't even have minded so much if it had been a "Sorry, but this is the timeline, and here's why" email, but it was basically just a "You've got until the end of the month to find a place and get out" (and not EVEN the end of the month because the estate people want to send a cleaning crew in BEFORE the new buyers take possession.

As my friend pointed out, he really also hasn't bothered to contact me to ask how things are going (although he did ask in one email about two weeks ago and I didn't respond because all I could think of was "How do you fucking THINK it's going??"

I want to get this friend an very special gift for all her help. Will be looking for suggestions from you guys. She does do a lot of e-reading, if that helps ...

[greek_jester]

I want to get this friend an very special gift for all her help. Will be looking for suggestions from you guys. She does do a lot of e-reading, if that helps ...

Depends on your budget. If you have the cash and her e-reader is a few years old, perhaps get her a more updated version (or casually drop hints in the conversation to get her talking about what model she's got her eye on).

If that's a bit above your price-range, getting her vouchers for whatever platform she reads on would work. Heck, if she downloads off of Amazon, how about buying her a Kindle Unlimited subscription? They have a pretty decent lending library, and I don't know about over the Pond, but over here it's £7.99/month.

[Pixelated]

Great ideas, greek-jester, thanks! A new e-reader is a bit above my touch but a subscription or a gift "card" would be great. I know one of the sites she reads from is BookBub but they don't seem to have any way to buy a gift 'card' or subscription or anything ... if I'm wrong, somebody please let me know.

Otherwise I'll look into Amazon but I'll have to check to make sure it fits her e-reader ... although I thought she said it did.

[dbuzman]

Book bub book recommendations are usually sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or googles ebook site. You could get her a gift card for 1 of those.