What a Bummer!!!

"Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience."
--Author Unknown

Greetings on this day that feels more like the beginning of Summer than the entrance of Autumn.  Personally, I'd much prefer the cooler weather. Took off work yesterday to meet with another real estate agent.  I never realized it was going to be this draining.  When we find a great place, they don't want pets.  Hubby says just sneak Minga in, and in the old days that might have worked, but in her old age, not only has her cry become louder due to hearing loss, but she has taken to howling in the middle of the night on occasion because she wants someone up with her.  (Yes, she is very spoiled.)  It's been 15 years since I last moved, and real estate took us to one home, this one, and here we are. 

The first stop, of course, was to the incompetents who sold us on an already rented apartment.  They owed me the $500 I had put down to hold the already rented apartment.  They really didn't want to see us go and tried real hard to sell us on the first apartment they had shown us this past Saturday. I don't think I told you about that one.

On first glance, it was just what we were looking for.  I loved the view of the Verrazano Bridge and the water.  The price was definitely in our range, cats were welcome, lots of windows, closet space...all seemed so perfect...until.  The kitchen was long and huge.  I'd checked out the  counter space, cupboards, stove, refrigerator, etc.,  but then before leaving went in to check out the view from the two windows.  Needless to say, it is a good thing I ventured further inward because  the ceiling and wall above one of the windows was covered with black mold.  Immediate turnoff.  

"The landlord is going to take care of it." the agent said.  Hubby replied, "How, by painting over it?  That won't take the problem away, it will only cover it up."  To which I piped in, "Black mold is dangerous."

"Come," he said, "I want to show you the laundry room."  Of course, hubby and I both knew that he was trying to steer us off the subject.  What follows could have been in a comedy show.

One of the male tenants was down there doing his laundry.  "Are you planning to move in here?"  he asked.  "We're thinking of it" to which he replied, "Do yourself a favor.  You can get a lot better than this at a cheaper price." The agent, face reddening, put on the spot, could only say, "Let's go back to the office and talk about this."

Hubby and I didn't see anything to talk about.  We weren't going to take this place, but the icing on the cake came when we got on the elevator with the super who was boasting about how great the building was.  And, before the elevator door shut, the gent with the laundry entered and immediately asked the super, "When are you going to come and take care of my bathroom?  I put the requisition in 3 months ago, and you haven't even looked at it.?  Then he looked at us, "Black mold.  I've taken pictures of it and sent it to the city."  Oh gosh, if I had only had my camera so I could show you the agent's face at this point.

This man's apartment was on the first floor in the front of the building; the apartment we looked at was on the 5th floor in the rear.  The entire building is obviously infested with black mold.  And they continue to try to push this apartment on us...even yesterday when we went to pick up the money we had left with them to hold the already rented apartment.  Tried to tell us it was just from the steam.  Yeah, and I was born yesterday.  .

Meanwhile, when we got home, the son who lives upstairs came knocking on the door to announce that he is now half owner of the house and went on and on...And I want you both to know that I am going to go before the judge, and tell him that she (my landlady) doesn't pay her bills and has done nothing to improve your apartment, so I am going to ask him to have your rent money handed over to me, and I will start doing the fixing up on your apartment that she never did. I'm not my father, and she's soon going to learn that I mean business.  She's sending a couple guys over to check out the basement on Saturday.  Don't let them in.   You can stay as long as you like. Sounds dandy, doesn't it?....but...a judge will never award him our rent when she owns our half of the house...and secondly, and probably most importantly, how is he going to pay all the bills on his $68.50 every two weeks from welfare? 

I know some of you may be wondering how I lasted 15 years here, but it wasn't always this bad.  When the old man was alive, it was mainly little nuggets about her paying the bills, etc.  He'd nag me to pay the bill rather than the rent.  I got to the point where I'd chuckle when I saw the oil bill hanging on the door  with a late fee. I rarely heard from her and sometimes a year or two would go by before I got a call, and it was always about what they were doing and how hard they are to live around. And both would always talk about how much they disliked each other and try to get me on their side. You know, pesty little stuff, nothing really stressful... 

...But now the war has finally begun in earnest, and I continue looking.  Already I am being placed in the middle, and I refuse to become their collateral damage.