Some of you are aware of our lovely renter situation. For those of you that aren't, let me fill you in, and maybe you or someone you know can help us.
Last September we moved to Massachusetts. It was quite sudden with Eric losing his job at the end of July and getting all packed and the house ready to rent and me being pregnant and all it was a little crazy of a time.
We decided to go with the renters we did for a few reasons.
One, they would pay the higher rent because they wanted a furnished place, and they wanted their animals there.
Two- They told us they didn't have good credit because of some hospital bills when they were trying to figure out was wrong with the husband D* (we are keeping names anonymous, just in case). We have people we know with this problem, so it seemed like a valid reason at the time, and they seemed SOOO nice and like they would be honest with us.
Third reason- We got a glowing recommendation from their last landlords. (It seems now that it was probably just a friend that was lying for them, but maybe they were excellent tenants at their last place, and the complete opposite here, people can change right?)
That was one of our first problems we trusted too much. We didn't get their social security numbers and birthdates, because we also had never rented before, and they told us their credit was bad because of those hospital bills so why would we check it? Oh, so naive of us.
Long story short, they got all caught up on rent by January or we would have kicked them out and found new renters when we were out in Utah then. They said they had never had money problems like this before, and they just needed a little more to get on their feet. We're nice merciful, naive people, so we said o.k. When we visited however they only had half the rent for January. So we told them again they needed to be caught up on the rent by February 15th, and pay a higher rent to get caught up on the deposit, or they would be evicted. They said of course they would, no problem, etc.
Then they said they had mailed the money order with the rent for February and the rest of January. Two weeks went by, we heard and saw nothing. Called them, they said they had mailed it and would look into it. They then told us somehow it was in Michigan. Then a few weeks later they said that someone had cashed it in Orem. Really, what was that discrepancy, it was in Michigan and then all of a sudden cashed in Orem? Confusion. A money order, I thought you needed two forms of ID to cash that. But regardless of that it's not really our problem. We still need our rent. When you have someone steal from you, you don't tell the bank sorry I can't make my payment this month someone stole from me. They don't care, so we still needed the money. This was the beginning of March, we obviously didn't receive any check for March so we sent an eviction notice on March 16th. We needed all the money by March 31st or they would have to be out of the house by April 16th.
Many people were asking why we were waiting until April 16th but that was in our contract, we wanted to honor what we had promised. A novel concept to some people! And we promised them thirty days to leave the property, so we were going to honor it.
Eric tried calling D*. He didn't pick up for a week on that number, so we used my phone and low and behold he picked right up the first time. I talked to him, told him we needed the last three months rent regardless of their problem, and we wanted the house clean like we had left it for them in September. I also said specifically if he didn't get the money to us, that would be like stealing from us- and it's not like we have a lot of money what with Eric going to school and providing for his family of two small children. D* promised it would be clean and said they were on their way with packing up right then.
I posted the house on craigslist. (Anyone know any good renters out there that need a house in Provo?) We had our amazing friend Jenn showing the house, and promising the would be renters the house would be clean and ready by April 16th. Jenn could tell they were moving out with all their stuff leaving the house slowly, and then all of a sudden on Tuesday when she showed up a hispanic family was living there. What the??!!?? They said D* and L* had to go somewhere and asked them to "watch their stuff" for two weeks and then on April 16th they would be there to pick up the rest of "their" stuff. Jenn told them they had to move out by Monday, they hadn't contacted the owners about this arrangement, and it wasn't o.k.
Jenn obviously immediately called me and told me everything, and I told her to go back and tell them they needed to be out that night. My mercy was gone.
I called D* on our home line because he wasn't answering my phone or Eric's phone anymore, and he picked up again right on the second ring. I said this is Brooke, we need to know your forwarding address where you're living right now. He said he didn't know they were just staying with some friends. So I told him to ask his friends what the address was, and he hung up.
But then of course it just keeps getting worse.
When she went back she asked the family what "stuff" they were watching. They proceeded to show Jenn they were watching OUR washer and dryer, OUR dressers and bookcases. Jenn said our bed was gone (our amazing soft awesome bed we couldn't afford to ship out here) and lawnmower, air conditioning unit and big black storage bins that were in the shed. Rocking awesome right?
Well our good friends the Hakes immediately changed the locks on our doors after the Hispanic family left, and I contacted the police about the theft of our missing items.
The police told me I only have probably suspicion of who took it. I obviously know who was living in the house before my items left, and now my renters are gone, and so the reasonable conclusion I came up with was they must have taken it.
Did any of you in Provo see anyone take my bed out of the house, an air conditioning unit, two big black storage bins, or my lawn mower? If you have any information about this, or where I can reach my previous renters, that would be great. We also need to contact my renters to collect for the past three months in rent as well. So if you have any information about this, that would be so helpful.
Or if you know a good attorney in Provo that works with these kind of cases, and could help us find them and or get our rent back, that would be great.
I think the hardest part about all this is I feel so blind. I can't be there to clean up the crazy messy house and yard. I can't be there to show the house and find new renters. I have to rely on people's kindness to me. And me being independent, that's really hard for me to do. I know people are willing to help and serve and give, and I need to be accepting of that, but I also want to be able to give back, and many of these people that are helping, I won't be able to compensate them even remotely close to what they are doing for us (Jenn especially!!!!).
These friends and family have such a different mentality from the leaching mentality that some in this world have.
Last September we moved to Massachusetts. It was quite sudden with Eric losing his job at the end of July and getting all packed and the house ready to rent and me being pregnant and all it was a little crazy of a time.
We decided to go with the renters we did for a few reasons.
One, they would pay the higher rent because they wanted a furnished place, and they wanted their animals there.
Two- They told us they didn't have good credit because of some hospital bills when they were trying to figure out was wrong with the husband D* (we are keeping names anonymous, just in case). We have people we know with this problem, so it seemed like a valid reason at the time, and they seemed SOOO nice and like they would be honest with us.
Third reason- We got a glowing recommendation from their last landlords. (It seems now that it was probably just a friend that was lying for them, but maybe they were excellent tenants at their last place, and the complete opposite here, people can change right?)
That was one of our first problems we trusted too much. We didn't get their social security numbers and birthdates, because we also had never rented before, and they told us their credit was bad because of those hospital bills so why would we check it? Oh, so naive of us.
Long story short, they got all caught up on rent by January or we would have kicked them out and found new renters when we were out in Utah then. They said they had never had money problems like this before, and they just needed a little more to get on their feet. We're nice merciful, naive people, so we said o.k. When we visited however they only had half the rent for January. So we told them again they needed to be caught up on the rent by February 15th, and pay a higher rent to get caught up on the deposit, or they would be evicted. They said of course they would, no problem, etc.
Then they said they had mailed the money order with the rent for February and the rest of January. Two weeks went by, we heard and saw nothing. Called them, they said they had mailed it and would look into it. They then told us somehow it was in Michigan. Then a few weeks later they said that someone had cashed it in Orem. Really, what was that discrepancy, it was in Michigan and then all of a sudden cashed in Orem? Confusion. A money order, I thought you needed two forms of ID to cash that. But regardless of that it's not really our problem. We still need our rent. When you have someone steal from you, you don't tell the bank sorry I can't make my payment this month someone stole from me. They don't care, so we still needed the money. This was the beginning of March, we obviously didn't receive any check for March so we sent an eviction notice on March 16th. We needed all the money by March 31st or they would have to be out of the house by April 16th.
Many people were asking why we were waiting until April 16th but that was in our contract, we wanted to honor what we had promised. A novel concept to some people! And we promised them thirty days to leave the property, so we were going to honor it.
Eric tried calling D*. He didn't pick up for a week on that number, so we used my phone and low and behold he picked right up the first time. I talked to him, told him we needed the last three months rent regardless of their problem, and we wanted the house clean like we had left it for them in September. I also said specifically if he didn't get the money to us, that would be like stealing from us- and it's not like we have a lot of money what with Eric going to school and providing for his family of two small children. D* promised it would be clean and said they were on their way with packing up right then.
I posted the house on craigslist. (Anyone know any good renters out there that need a house in Provo?) We had our amazing friend Jenn showing the house, and promising the would be renters the house would be clean and ready by April 16th. Jenn could tell they were moving out with all their stuff leaving the house slowly, and then all of a sudden on Tuesday when she showed up a hispanic family was living there. What the??!!?? They said D* and L* had to go somewhere and asked them to "watch their stuff" for two weeks and then on April 16th they would be there to pick up the rest of "their" stuff. Jenn told them they had to move out by Monday, they hadn't contacted the owners about this arrangement, and it wasn't o.k.
Jenn obviously immediately called me and told me everything, and I told her to go back and tell them they needed to be out that night. My mercy was gone.
I called D* on our home line because he wasn't answering my phone or Eric's phone anymore, and he picked up again right on the second ring. I said this is Brooke, we need to know your forwarding address where you're living right now. He said he didn't know they were just staying with some friends. So I told him to ask his friends what the address was, and he hung up.
But then of course it just keeps getting worse.
When she went back she asked the family what "stuff" they were watching. They proceeded to show Jenn they were watching OUR washer and dryer, OUR dressers and bookcases. Jenn said our bed was gone (our amazing soft awesome bed we couldn't afford to ship out here) and lawnmower, air conditioning unit and big black storage bins that were in the shed. Rocking awesome right?
Well our good friends the Hakes immediately changed the locks on our doors after the Hispanic family left, and I contacted the police about the theft of our missing items.
The police told me I only have probably suspicion of who took it. I obviously know who was living in the house before my items left, and now my renters are gone, and so the reasonable conclusion I came up with was they must have taken it.
Did any of you in Provo see anyone take my bed out of the house, an air conditioning unit, two big black storage bins, or my lawn mower? If you have any information about this, or where I can reach my previous renters, that would be great. We also need to contact my renters to collect for the past three months in rent as well. So if you have any information about this, that would be so helpful.
Or if you know a good attorney in Provo that works with these kind of cases, and could help us find them and or get our rent back, that would be great.
I think the hardest part about all this is I feel so blind. I can't be there to clean up the crazy messy house and yard. I can't be there to show the house and find new renters. I have to rely on people's kindness to me. And me being independent, that's really hard for me to do. I know people are willing to help and serve and give, and I need to be accepting of that, but I also want to be able to give back, and many of these people that are helping, I won't be able to compensate them even remotely close to what they are doing for us (Jenn especially!!!!).
These friends and family have such a different mentality from the leaching mentality that some in this world have.
Comments
Seriously, we would love to help in any way that we can.
PLEASE call or email or whatever and we will do anything we can to help.
Richard
I don't know any lawyers in Provo that do such cases. But if you need help with your homeowner's claim for the stolen items let me know--we have some experience with theft....lame. So sorry about this all.