The Domicile of Despair (long, epic, get your popcorn)

[XCashier]

You need to write a book about this. This story is just amazing.

I just finished reading The Sociopath Next Door and your landlord definitely sounds sociopathic. Getting his jollies off of making a target suffer, seeing how far he can push the envelope and how much he can get away with. He doesn't seem smart enough to properly cover his tracks, though, and I sincerely hope he got the Ultimate Karmic Smackdown.

Eagerly awaiting the next part (conclusion?)

[lupo pazzesco]

It's officially bedtime here. So technically, for ME it's tomorrow.


You LIIIIEEEEEE, Seraph!!


Or, if you wait to post until AFTER I'm in bed, you're mmmeeeeeeeeaaann!!! T_T


Just sayin'.

[Lurking Sockpuppet]

It is now 11:03 pm. Only one hour remaining till tomorrow. Whine... Ok, done now.

At least I got the satisfaction of telling my hubby to not read this tread under any circumstances until I tell him it is finished. He didn't listen and is now just as frustrated as I am. That will learn him.

sockpuppet

P.S. Is there any chocolate remaining? I need chocolate, NOW.

[Seraph]

Part Rin Ten Ten, Canine Cop.

We're gonna skip ahead a bit, its now two years later....

Nah, I'm kidding yall.

Anyways, so I've discovered Slumlord's special...stash...of stuffins. I screencapped away, and proceeded to get all my ducks in a row about what we were going to do next.

Didn't get too far with that, actually. Couple of days later, in the middle of a raid in Everquest 2, I went into labor.

...They kicked me out of the raid too. I told them I had at LEAST a few more hours! Meanies.

So, off to the hospital we go! Friend of ours promptly swung by to pick up Kyo, as we couldn't trust Slumlord to not suddenly pop in with the opportunity of a lifetime in his grasp.

Few days later, we arrive back with out brand new lil' bundle. All seems to be going quietly for a couple of days, actually, and even the receptionist ooh'd and awww'd over our baby girl.

Slumlord, though, saw this as his shining moment.

Not a week after the baby arrived, I was served with a final eviction notice. Not really a notice so much as “your lease is up. Get out. Now.”

I went to Slumlord's office, and pleaded with him to reconsider. I explained how rough it was going to be for the next month, and couldn't they at least work with us on that?

The cherry on the cake?

Slumlord had a warrant of sorts out, and posted notices that if I was spotted on the property, to call the police, they were already told I was to promptly be arrested for trespassing, and charged with intent for breaking and entering.

And then he followed up with this: “Guess your husband will just have to learn how to bottle feed the brat, won't he?”


That was it. That was the straw.


I went back to the room, pretended to pack my bags to go, and in actuality had a friend take most of my stuff out to a storage, so that I could stay, in secret.

For the next two and a half months, I hid in that room, only coming out in the dead of night. If they stopped on by to check for me, I stayed hidden in the bathroom until they left.

And I worked. And prepared. I even located us a new apartment to stay in.

I know Slumlord suspected, probably even knew, but he couldn't barge into what was now CG's room, especially with the baby. He probably realized that things were about to hit the fan.


The day of freedom came. CG went and got a visitor's pass for me, so I could actually move around in the daytime and help pack up the rest of the stuff.

Slumlord watched me the entire time I helped move things out, and I grinned like a confounded Cheshire cat right back at him. Poor Rex just sat there, wagging his tail so hard his whole body shook, because the poor pooch apparently missed me. (Did I mention that after Slumlord yelled at me to stop feeding his dog, Rex mysteriously was getting slices of ham and turkey? Bwahaha)

And that was it. We loaded up the car, the baby, and shook their dust from our sandals, and never, EVER went back again.


Epilogue

So, what happened after that, eh?

Well, once we got our stuff unpacked, we made a quick stop at the college. I went to the nearest computer and promptly sent off an email from a disposable account, with a massive amount of documents and a description of what was going on, to the college board, and to the personal account of the college president. (long story, but had to send it anon, I was no longer welcome at the college either)

And after someone I was acquainted with drove on past and checked to make sure it was all still there....

The local police got a tip a couple of weeks later about someone “distributing large quantities of underage and bestial porn to college students, and potentially minors.”


Slumlord knew it was me, though.

He actually got with the CEO of the company, who promptly sent a collection agency out after me and the husband for a false debt. Their allegations?

1. Two rooms, covered in cat feces and urine. Carpet destroyed, and to the point of replacement and a floor scrubbing.

Now, Kyo was a “sheddy” cat, but we vaccuumed daily, and he never, EVER, went outside his litter box. Not only that, but he was only in my room, EVER. And as I've said...neatfreak. So the allegations that he also destroyed CG's previous room, before he moved in with me, was sheer insanity.

2. Unpaid rent.

Don't even need to cover that, it was their standard tactic of “misplacing” the pay stubs.

3. Stolen fridge, valued at $300.

This one made me laugh the hardest. Yes, they tried to charge me for my own fridge. Even still, $300? Really? My fridge only cost $150, theirs was actually $110. So I'm not sure why they tried to claim $300....maybe there was a gold nugget hidden inside of it somewhere!


The first collection agency stopped short when I politely asked that they provide proof of the debt claims. And never contacted us again.

Slumlord then hired a second. And then a third.

The third and final agency, I sent a registered letter detailing that if I was going to ever, EVER be harassed again regarding this, I wanted detailed documents and photos explaining the debt, and the charges. And that if they couldn't provide it within 60 days...the debt was invalid, and that I'd better not see it on my credit history anymore.

They couldn't provide ANYTHING. I called them up to confirm that it was done, and the lady was, albeit sounding a bit bitter, quite polite. She confirmed that no documentation was ever submitted, even though they pressed for it, and that the note on our credit history was going to be removed.

As a nice sidenote, she commented that apparently Slumlord and his CEO didn't actually pay them for their time, and the collection agency was probably going to go after them now!


After that, I forgot all about it, because we honestly had some problems to take care of with the new apartment. (We didn't stay at them long, either, haha)

However, when I did remember to look again, ohhhh happy day.

According to a newspaper article I found online, the complex had been busted several times by the police on various drug raids, etc, etc.

But, the final straw came when the college got an anonymous tip (hehehe) about the conditions and the situations occurring there. A surprise investigation revealed that the complex was falsely advertising themselves as the college's soon-to-be-official dorms, and as fully endorsed by said college.

The college pulled up all stakes with them, and actually sued the company for it.

Slumlord was fired over an “internal scandal” (their words, not sure what happened to him exactly), and had disappeared.

CEO's company folded, and he had to declare bankruptcy, because word got out to all the other colleges near the other locations, and they all closed up, one after the other.


So in the end, it was honestly a frustrating, horrible experience, but I'm the better for it.

I know now how to handle myself under pressure, and I realize how important it is to keep myself informed, and to read up on ways to help myself. I don't have to roll over and cave over things like this. I used many of the things I learned from that experience, with the next apartment, and the troubles I went through. I learned to read through my lease, and the next time, we weren't trapped when we needed to get out. So it helped, in a strange, roundabout way. I went through it for a reason.

And plus? If I hadn't been there? Hadn't gone through this?

I wouldn't have met my husband, and I wouldn't have a wonderful family, and now be in a better place.


Although, then I wouldn't have to deal with so much laundry.

Fini~

[fma_fanatic]

*snifflesniffle*
So that's the way we gonna roll, yo? Dissassociate yourself from me? I'd curse you with forthcoming crazy shopping trips, but i'm not that mean.

Heh, well I think I have a good luck charm. DaDairyDruid has been grocery shopping with me. Seeing as he has a perpetual frown on his face, I think they steer clear of him.

[Lady_Pigeon]

Like the ending!



Congrats on finishing the story without being killed by an angry mob!

Some unanswered questions I have:

1. What happened to Rex?
2. What is that poster on the second pic of the thrashed apartment? The anime-looking one?
3. WHAT HAPPENED TO REX???

Seriously, great story! Kept me in suspense the entire time. for surviving.

[Aethian]

Why weren't you allowed back at the university?

[Seraph]

Some unanswered questions I have:

1. What happened to Rex?
2. What is that poster on the second pic of the thrashed apartment? The anime-looking one?
3. WHAT HAPPENED TO REX???

woooooo I LIIIIIVE.

1. Rex probably lived out his days with Slumlord. I never saw him again, sadly. Good dog too, loved him to bits while I had the chance.

2. Its a picture of an anime called Fruits Basket. One of the main character, not the grey haired dude in the pic though, is called Kyo, and turns into an orange cat.

3. I know, I know. I miss him too. ;_; I miss Kyo bunches as well, he was a good kitty. Writing this brought up a whole lot of good memories of him.

<huggles back>

Why weren't you allowed back at the university?

Whole 'nother story in which I tick off the wrong people, AGAIN. Maybe I'll tell it later, LOL.



As an aside,I just want to let you all know I didn't expect it to get like this. I was just originally posting this for pedersen, because he wanted to hear about it, and I didn't have time to type the whole thing up. I mean, this is a good 15 pages in the doc I have it backed up in. <.<

But yeah, had no idea everyone was going to be pouncing on it, LOL.

And also, hi and welcome to the boards, matchstickman.

[Ryooshi]

I enjoyed this so much that I actually kept a tab open just to monitor the progress!
Thank you for such a good read and I'm glad you're out of there!

[Aethian]

As in the 13th kingdom...


Tell the tale...tell the tale...

[LillFilly]

You know, until I began reading this site I honestly had no clue that stuff like this could possibly happen in the real world. And then this post went and SHATTERED my new expectations. How and why you ever had to put up with that load of crap is beyond the power of my mind. It's just, crazy.

Yes, the word epic has to be used a lot. And in red. Dripping blood.

[Pixilated]

*WHEW*

Well, thanks for wrapping it up, Seraph! I couldn't believe that story kept getting worse and worse and worse ... I've hit some PITA superintendents and apartment owners (the latter mostly due to their not giving tenants their legal interest on their last month's rent) but GAWD!! I can't believe Slumlord got away with so much for so long! Although most of his unhappy tenants probably just got out of Dodge as quick as they could.

Congratulations on both surviving it and on *ahem* becoming a force for J*U*S*T*I*C*E in the process.

I think I would have been livid. I'm not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination, but it's one thing if I make the mess and another thing if someone else makes it.

Exactly, LOL. It may be a mess, but it's MY mess!

[Draper Mel]

Ho-lee crap! It would take me years of therapy and Xanax to get over that. At least you feel like you learned something from it.

And here I thought I was going to get in trouble for plastering the nail holes in my old apartment. My property manager had been going on to some prospective renter how they could move right in! but please, I'd been there six years. Even without the nail holes, there were smudges and dirt on the walls. I certainly would expect fresh paint if I were moving in.

[eltf177]

The word "epic" doesn't even begin to describe this. At least the end was what I would have hoped for, except for Slumlord getting new digs at the Graybar Hotel instead of just getting the axe.

Should definitely be nominated for WAR STORIES. Hope to hear the tale of college sometime, but only if we get it all at once and not be teased to death!

[SongsOfDragons]

There are official procedures for War Stories, though I would be SHOCKED if poor Raps didn't already have an entire tidal wave of requests for War-y-ness for this tale.

*peers in the office* Y'all right in there Rapsling? *hears a muffled 'heeeelllp me I think the paperword is breeding again!!'* ^^

Seraph...OUCH. Is all I can say. Well done indeed for being able to deal with that muppet and his annoyances... *gives hugs*