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Whoa what a moving experience and one I do not want to
repeat. I had to leave me previous house by the 31st
of August. While I was vacationing in Alvinston, my son had
a flood and a small kitchen fire. As soon as I got back
home, I was faced with an eviction notice and from there the
fun began.
It was not the landlady that wanted me out, in fact we are
still friends, but her hands were tied. The apartment below
me was severely damaged. The insurance company refused to
pay unless I left. The landlady felt really bad and said she
didn??™t know it would come to this, but of course she could
not risk losing her insurance as she owns multiple
properties. In fact, she would have repaired the damage
herself if she could have. It was just too much for her
handyman to take care of. The ceiling downstairs is about to
collapse and the kitchen cupboards are all welted from water
damage.
Imagine coming home from vacation to face an eviction. I
had to leave with just three week notice. Now for anyone
that is stress enough. But the battle had just begun. I
had to find a place that I could afford. It was not easy.
The rent I was paying no longer exists in
Montreal. I knew that my rent had not been raised in four years
where I was living and I knew that I would have to pay
more. I figured it would be approximately a hundred dollars
more a month for another dwelling. I was in for a rude
awakening. There was absolutely nothing out there in that
price range.
The rents were atrocious. Even in the slums they were at
least two hundred dollars more a month. I was seeing rents
of eight and nine hundred dollars a month and I simply could
not afford that; of course out of the ghetto the rents were
as much as nine thousand dollars a month.
My son was walking the streets looking for ???for rent
signs???. We figured all the apartments I was seeing in the
paper were upper range and we would have more of a chance
finding a house with a for rent sign on the door. Usually
these houses were cheaper and the landlord saved on the cost
of advertising in the paper. At least that was how it
worked in the past. Very few landlords advertised in the
paper and always managed to get their places rented by the
locals. Such was not the case now; all places advertised or
not, were again eight and nine hundred dollars a month.
Resigning to the fact that I would have to pay a higher rent
whether I liked it or not, I did find places within the two
hundred dollar increase. Then, much to my dismay, I found
that I was facing another battle. Since I am currently on
unemployment insurance, nobody wanted to rent to me. The
landlords all gave me the same story. Their mortgages were
due on the first whether their tenants paid them or not. I
had always known that it was tough renting an apartment when
you are poor (imagine people on welfare), but this was the
first time I was hearing it from the landlords who were also
having a hard time. Everything is just so difficult here in
Montreal, the queen city of huge taxes!
We saw a place not far from where we lived and were willing
to take it, even though it was really too small for us.
Furthermore, the outlet for the washer and dryer would be in
my bedroom of all places. I really did not like that. I
would not be able to fit my bedroom set into the room and we
would have to get rid of other furniture just to accommodate
the apartment.
Yet, we were desperate and my son and I agreed to take it
for a year. If we didn??™t like it we would move again. What
other choice did we have? I filled out the application form.
The landlord scoffed at the fact that I was not working and
said he would get back to me in two days. He did get back
to me, only to ask for an additional day to decide. He
decided; I did not get the second promised call.
Now we are back to the drawing board knowing time was
running out. I saw a sublet in the paper. The original
tenant was giving up the lease and her subletee would resume
the lease until it expired. Normally, I do not go for this
sort of thing. I am very leery of them. A few years ago my
son??™s girlfriend at the time, was robbed of her money that
way. She gave the tenant 800 dollars for the rent and had
not signed anything. He left town. She called the landlord
to find out when she could move in. He told he did not know
her, did not receive any money from her, and was not renting
the house to her at all. She was out 800 dollars and still
no place to stay.
My son told me to go see the place anyhow and to be
careful. I did and I fell in love with it. It was a bottom
flat. You might say so what. But believe me when you live
on the third floor and you have to drag groceries up the
stairs and garbage down the stairs, especially in the winter
on slippery stairs that can cause you to fall and hurt
yourself, a bottom flat under those conditions is pure
heaven. It also had a back yard and private place for
parking. In
Montreal these features are a premium and sought out by all.
I told the lady I wanted the place right away. But given
that she was only the tenant, she told me she would submit
my name to the landlord who would be making an entire new
lease. He was also interviewing for the place and would
call her if he needed anyone else. I panicked. I couldn??™t
let the place slip out from under me. I asked her to call
him right away and to tell him I was willing to pay two
months rent up front. The lady agreed and then the waiting
game began.
A week went by with no call from the landlord and no new
prospect for an apartment either. One can only imagine the
stress I was under. I thought the apartment had been rented
out for sure. One evening, out of the blue, the call came
in.
The landlord was concerned because I did not have a job. I
went through his concerns one by one: my son would help me
with the rent, I would be looking for a job shortly, and I
had income from writing. He did not seem convinced. He
asked for my present landlord??™s phone number to confirm I
paid my rent on time. He asked if he could call me in two
days and at that point he would make his decision. Since
this is the second time around, I am expecting him to say
that anyhow.
Just like the other landlord before him, he was true to his
word and called me back in two days. He said he had
contacted my present landlord and she confirmed that I paid
my rent on time and that none of my checks bounced, but he
was still not convinced I had the ability to pay the rent in
full each month.
Again I tried to convince him. I once again reminded him how
I was willing to pay two months rent. Like the previous
landlord before him, he too asked for an additional two days
to think about it and would call me back as well. Given I
had already gone through the same procedure with the first
would be landlord, I no longer took much stock in any
landlord??™s word to call back a second time. My son came up
with a whole barrage of well you should have said this and
you should have said that. As far as I was concerned, I
said all I could say at that point; he would either rent it
to me or he wouldn??™t and I was not about to hold my breath
for his call. I had given up on him as well.
The call did come through as promised and what was even more
surprising was that I got the house over the five other
applicants he was considering. But I was out of the woods
yet - not by a long shot!
Somehow or other the communication got mixed up between the
person who was going to move us and me. In fact, he claimed
he didn??™t even know he was supposed to move us and he didn??™t
have a truck. We were supposed to be moving on the first,
and then it was ???get your own U Haul???, followed by he would
do it on Saturday, which was later revised to Friday. My
son had to change his plans several times with his friends
who were going to help him move. You see our driver who
couldn??™t make up his mind is my stepfather. He had a heart
attack and wears a pacemaker. He is not allowed to move
anything.
Friday night rolled around. Steven, my son had two guys
helping him move and my stepfather waited downstairs. His
job was just to drive the truck and nothing more. However,
the guys had trouble getting my furniture down the narrow
stairs. They struggled and my step father complained that
they were taking too long. Finally my son said to the
guys,??? it??™s enough already, take what you got and we will
come back the next day for the rest???. By this point all the
big appliances were out of the house and ready to go in the
truck.
The next day more problems occurred. Steven??™s friends did
not come back. My son, his girlfriend, and I were left to
carry stuff by foot from the old house to the new. I cannot
say I moved, but I did help. I have arthritis and dragging
the bags was literally pushing my aching back to the limit.
The kids did a great job. They must have taken about 25
loads of things like dishes, pots and pans etc. They are
still not finished. It is almost two weeks later and I still
have stuff left in the old apartment. Thank God the old
landlord understands. She says to take our time. She is not
going to rent the place out for awhile anyway.
I tell you this is the last home for me in Montreal; the next move is the big move to Alvinston.
Carol
Roach, M.Ed, B.A. psychology
winterose@videotron.ca
Author:
Picking Up the Pieces: A Woman??™s Journey, Angels Watching
over Me
Newsletter Publisher: Storytime Tapestry:
http://subs.zinester.com/98907
Carol Roach
winterose@videotron.ca
A Native of Montreal, Quebec, Carol
is a graduate of Concordia, and McGill University. She
holds a bachelor in psychology and a Masters in counselling
psychology. Carol Roach is a published writer and
newsletter editor. You can purchase her book: Picking up
the Pieces: A Woman's Journey at
www.publishamerica.com,
or
www.amazon.com. You
can also go to your local bookstore and order it there as
well. Carol??™s second book: Angels Watching Over is
currently looking for a home. Stay tuned for details.
If you are interested in other
stories feel free to join her newsletter: Storytime Tapestry
at:
http://subs.zinester.com/98907
, or email her directly at
winterose@videotron.ca
and she will be glad to accommodate you. Carol enjoys email
and responds to every inquiry. |
