Off Topic..Scared and Alone

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-25-2004
Off Topic..Scared and Alone
5
Fri, 03-11-2005 - 11:47am
I'm scared. And I'm all alone. My husband won't be home until 5 and he's been sent a bit of a way out of town for some service calls..My friends are at work so they are not available. The missionaries are out about town. There are no other neighbors home. If I screamed, they wouldn't hear me because they are not there. A week ago, these people moved in to the apartment upstairs..The woman who lived there moved out, kept the lease, and moved her daughter and her boyfriend in. They are scaring me. They were reported for energy theft by me on a hunch. I had a gut feeling, I stuck with it. I think they know that I did it, but my feelings are that if I have to pay for my electricity, then they should too. They've been harassing me when my DH isn't home. They will look out the front door to see if his work van is here. If it isn't, they will repeatedly stomp across the floor, stomp on the deck upstairs, they will walk down the stairs and peer in the window on the way down. I keep the blinds closed now. I like the sunlight, but I can't do this anymore. Today, I went to the landlord because I can't take the noise and the harassment. This morning they woke me up at three a.m. because they were in the bedroom above mine stomping, slamming, banging, and yelling. DH slept right through it, but it kept me up for 45 minutes. I went to the landlord. I've been nice. I did the nice neighbor thing and kept my mouth shut. Now, I'm scared. The landlord is going to have them evicted because of their behavior. The landlord knows I'm pregnant and spend the day alone by myself when I'm not in school. His secretary is handling the problem. She said that when she saw them, she had a bad feeling about them and knew that they are up to no good. But, I'm scared that they will find out I did it. With me being alone all day, I'm scared they'll attack me. I've got hockey sticks by the front door and a machete in my bedroom. I took martial arts, but I'm pregnant. I'm not as quick as I used to be either. With two of them, I'm scared they'll hurt me to the point my baby will die..What should I do?
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2004
Fri, 03-11-2005 - 12:09pm

If you reported them, they should not have been able to find out who reported it.


bounxh0a-1.gif picture by dillbyrd

Avatar for katmandoo2001
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 03-11-2005 - 12:46pm

Document what you've done so far. Write down your complaints to the landlord with dates, times, and details. Call the police and report this as harassment or disturbing the peace. Explain the situation and at least, get this on report with them. That way, if you have to take further action, you'll have documentation to back up the complaint.

You could also ask for a patrolman to come by to give them a warning, too, so that they know that someone has contacted them.

As Tish mentioned though, they have no way of knowing who reported the possible energy theft so don't allow yourself to become paranoid. After all, it's only been a week.




Edited 3/11/2005 12:58 pm ET ET by katmandoo2001
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-25-2004
Fri, 03-11-2005 - 3:57pm
There's no possible about the energy theft. When I contacted the company with whom I have electricity through, the woman said, "Without telling you too much, I can tell you that there is to be no service there. Are you telling me there is?" I told her that yes there because the lights were on and the heat pump was running and not but two weeks before hand, the woman who did live there was bragging about her electricity being turned off. I keep my distance from them. I'm the only one that lives below them. And the man that lives beside them makes frequent trips to Alabama and right now, he isn't home. Thanks, though. I will do as you suggested.
Avatar for katmandoo2001
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 03-11-2005 - 4:34pm

Yes, typically, apartment complexes do not shut off electricity when an apt. is vacated, they just close the account for the occupant. The apt. has to be shown so frequently until it's rented again, so it's just not practical to turn the power off and on. Sometimes, the property owner has a main control on site that they can physically turn off themselves when an apt. is vacated though.

But it's the landlord's responsibility to make sure that the new occupant has set up all residential services in THEIR name, so that THEY, the landlord, won't be charged after the new lessee moves in. And all that's usually asked and confirmed on the lease contract and upon the first rent payment.




Edited 3/11/2005 4:36 pm ET ET by katmandoo2001
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-25-2004
Fri, 03-11-2005 - 9:15pm
The way my landlord has it set up is between tenants, he keeps the water and power in his name so that, should it be winter, the pipes won't freeze and so on and so forth. When a new tenant moves in, they are responsible for having the utilities switched into their names. My landlord will wait until this is done. The woman that lived above me never did it. She was laughing about it to me and another neighbor that lives two doors down from me. She said that they (as in the power company) came and shut the power off and now all her food was going to go bad. She moved out of the apartment leaving no water or power because the landlord had those utilities shut off. She never broke her lease. When you move in, you sign a year lease and give the landlord a $200 deposit plus the first month's rent which is $595/mo. Should you break the lease, he keeps the deposit and refuses to let you rent from him again. Between tenants, he send his man in to inspect the apartment for damage and cleaning. He then has the apartment cleaned out, doesn't matter how long you've lived there. The woman that lived above me just left and then three weeks later allowed her daughter and her boyfriend, her stepson and his girlfriend to move in. The stepson/girlfriend moved out last week. The daughter and boyfriend are still here. When you fill out the application for the apartment, you are asked to provide the names of all those living in your apartment (i.e.-when DH and I moved him, he listed me and DSD). She listed none. Believe me, I've heard this woman's life story in trying to be the helpful, friendly neighbor who is understanding and patient. Now, I beat on the ceiling with a hockey stick when the freaking River Dance practice goes on upstairs. Technically, those people are living an apartment that is not their's. My landlord is strict about the people living in his apartment. He is very picky, too. I've seen the tenants that live here. They are all very nice, very quiet people who are mindful and respectful of the people around them. Except for those miscreants upstairs. There's something really fishy going on upstairs..The secretary even thinks so. I'm going to proclaim my "innocence" in all of this. I'm keeping my mouth shut. I complained about a noise problem because its being going on for two weeks and disrupting my life and the life of my child. What the landlord does is his business. But, if they come after me being a good tenant, I'm ready to protect myself and my children in any means neccessary. When it comes to my relationship with my landlord and my relationship with those creeps, I value the one with my landlord. I never know when I'm going to need another rental property from him again. I feel better now. I've got DH and I've got common sense. I know how to dial 911 and I know self defense.