MGL! I'm so sorry. I have absolutely no experience in this area and thus no advice. I can merely offer you my heartfelt sympathies that this is happening to you. That is really unfair of them. You wanted to renew your lease and they never did and now they're kicking you out for it? Is that even legal? Whatever it is, it's complete bull.

::hugs for mgl::

You want I should break their thumbs?

That is awful mgl. Talk to the landlord. At the very least they should be giving you a very good reference.

WHAT? That's a terrible shock, mgl. I'm so sorry; you seem to really like your place.

they never got around to giving me a new one last summer even though they said they would

They probably already had this planned, sad to say. Ugh!

I wonder if you can get your last month's rent forgiven in view of improvements to the property?

Good luck and keep us posted.

There must be a Tenant's Rights organization in your area that can advise you about your options.

Since they've opened with a salvo of unpleasantness, you have nothing to lose by returning fire. At the very least, you can hold them to every last letter of the law.

Begin by documenting the date time and names of all further communications with them. If you can document the earlier request for a lease, so much the better.

I have an ex-roommate that was able to stay nearly a year beyond the nominal eveiction date when our slumlords decided to flip the house (the new owners are currently suing said slumlords over the undisclosed mold infestation, but I digress..) Anyway, the law is on your side.

Fight. Like. Hell.

{{hugs}}

let us know if we can do ANYTHING. seriously. been there.

landlord bastardos!

mgl, how frustrating and sucky.

Good luck mgl, things will work out.

Do you have any really expensive plants or just a lot of plants in general? You could try to dig up and save the most expensive/most cherished stuff. Would they be considered improvements to the property-owner's property and therefore the property of the homeowner? That might even be why they want you out, the place is all landscaped pretty and they think they can take advantage and get a bunch more rent for that. I'd try to find that out too.

I would have thought (hoped) that there could be some level of recourse on this. Maybe the lease is the way to go? Is there an implied agreement if they don't supply one in X amount of weeks? I'd definitely see if you can get some good advice on this as this sucks badly.

weretable, good points.

My sister was in a similar situation. She didn't have a lease, and was asked to vacate a great house she was renting. The owner wanted to sell. I think it's the owner's prerogative if ample warning is given, and there isn't a lease. I could be wrong.

:-(

Oh that sucks, mgl. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry to hear that, mgl.

So sorry, mgl. I do agree with the advice to get thee to your local tenants' right organization ASAP, just to find out exactly how the law applies in your situation. And also to say that even with sucky credit, if you've never missed paying your rent in 6 years with the current owner, you should at least be able to get a good reference from them.

See if it's been filed or if they are just trying to get you to move out. This is all subject to your local laws but if they haven't actually filed, this is an illegal tactic to get you to leave. You could probably legally stall them up to six months to a year depending but it just sucks, the prospect of finding lawyers and moving and everything out of the blue.
Maybe we can form a mob and scare the bastard.

I'm so sorry, mgl! That sucks.

I know from dealing with my last bastard landlord that even though there is no written lease for month-to-month tenants, you still have rights. Unfortunately, I also know from the BF's last bastard landlord that even though you have a written, year-long lease they can cut your lease short to gut rehab the building and sell it as condos.

I'd ask for a reason, even if it's just to make me feel better about it. I'm sorry that this is happening to you.

I'm a landlord. (Shhh. It's alright.) Here in Wisconsin, the law says that if you have a lease, it automatically renews -- that is, they cannot change you from "X month lease" to "month-to-month" without a written agreement. If you were on a 12-month lease through last July (say) then you are on a 12-month lease now until this July. But that's Wisconsin.

They probably deliberately "forgot" to give you a lease, with this in mind. Note that in most states landlords have limited rights to evict without cause to put a family member in the apartment.

North Carolina Landlord-Tenant Laws from the ABA doesn't address this particular point but has a Resources section with phone numbers.

Shame about all the nice landscaping work you've done for free.

Apropos of absolutely nothing whatsoever, have you noticed that this Wikipedia article "is missing references or citation of sources."

Remember, you can help Wikipedia by introducing appropriate citations!

Man, that sucks. Maybe you could consider moving to, say, Kansas?

I am so sorry to hear this. I hope it all works out good for you.

Ah, gah. GAH! You treated this place as your home, and wanted to make an offer on the place, as I remember. I can't imagine what you must A - be feeling and B - have to get together and deal with. I'm really heartbroken for you.

If I had a place, my couch, air mattress, and sleeping bags would be available to you. Sorry to hear about this, but I think you can fight it.

This happened to us a few years ago (we are in NC too, and my husband IS in Real Estate.)

First, are these private owners? If they are going thru property management, the company will more than likely be happy to help you find something else. (That is what happened with us. Even got us in the "right" school district, which was a miracle. And yes, we were broke at the time.)

Second, go talk to a realtor-you might actually qualify to buy, and you would pay LESS than rent. There are low-income programs out there you might qualify for.

Third, at least get a letter of recommendation from your landlords-you have been a good tenant. I used to work for a rental department and good tenants are worth their weight in GOLD. Even if your credit IS merde, it really is up to the rental manager to make a final decision, and such a letter could go a long way. They just wanna plug a good tenant into a good place. And trust me when I tell you that MANY if not MOST people have crap credit.

*hugs* I know this sucks. But 60 days is thirty more than we got, so at least they don't hate you.

There are low-income programs out there you might qualify for.

Yes, definitely speak to your local housing authority and local helps groups. The waiting lists can be long but in a situation like this they can speed it up and often do. Best of luck!

grr mgl, I'm so sorry and angry for you. Take the plants!

Like stilicho said above, I know that in Rhode Island, so long as the landlord is accepting payments from you, you have all the rights and responsibilities as stated through the lease, whether or not it has been renewed. So, yeah, look up the laws in your state. Many states also have access to free legal services for tenants, especially when being evicted.

If you want to relocate to Vegas, my place is yours. I'm sure BP will vouch for my character and integrity.

Everyone else has said what I would have offered, so I can only say I'm sorry, MGL, this is really crappy.

What awful news, MGL!

Also - heed the advice above. Try all your options - tenant's rights, buying, etc. Good luck!

Thanks, y'all. This means a lot. I think they are on shaky legal ground about this but I don't think I'm going to fight it, because I think they'll just win and I won't have a reference, and that reference - never having even been late on the rent for over six years - is what I need to get a new place. I could probably eke out another 6 months to a year of legal fighting and anger but I don't think, in the long run, it would be worth it, so I'm just going to leave.

I'm devastated and heartbroken and yeah, I did ask them if I could buy this house about 3 years ago and they said they wouldn't sell. If they do put it on the market I have a lawsuit (sitting tenant supposed to get first right of refusal; I have a friend who managed to get her house that way) and I'll pursue it; otherwise, well, it's just time to move, is all. Which sucks badly but there's really nothing I can do. Anyone want to rent a 2 bedroom house to a woman with a pyromaniac teenage son, 2 dogs and bad credit?

And yeah, they're private owners, there's no management company involved. They're old hippies; the annoying more perfect than thou kind, and they never fix anything or do anything but they talk a good line. Also, the husband is a city housing inspector, which is how this below code house manages to have an occupancy certificate, which is something liberal Asheville pushed through a few years back.

Ah, that's sucky. I'm sorry to hear it!

Well, if you wanna come to Maine, sure. That's really rotten. It sucks to lose your home and garden. When you find a new place, we should all send you plants for the garden.

I'm so sorry to hear this, MGL. Make sure you know exactly what your legal rights are even if you choose not to fight for them.

But I'm impressed by the sympathy, support and varied advice in this thread.

Fuck with one bunny, fuck with all.

I'm sorry, mgl.

Oh, man, this is awful. It's happened to us twice: once in New Orleans, where they sold our building to make it into a guest house and once here, where against odds, the landlady suddenly decided to move back from Germany (after having lived there for like 20 years!). Both times it was places that we really, really didn't want to leave. I know how you are feeling; you don't want to fight to stay in for another year or whatever, because that whole time you are there you just feel insecure and temporary. Now's the time to totally wring your network; get everyone you know in on the house hunt, and even people you don't know that well - your grocer, your favorite waitress, everyone.

For me, that "taint" time between when you find out you must leave, and before you settle on your new place is perfect hell, so I put every bit of my energy into looking for the new thing. Every trip out of the house is an expedition, and I never go anywhere at all without sizing up possible housing opportunities. I may not see the doubledecker bus bearing down on me, but my eagle eye will spot that tattered "for rent" notice with one last rip-off phone number attached.

Anyway, it must be a bunny thing - you will be joining occhiblu, bunnyfire, deborah and I in the new-house club. We are the newhausfraus, and we are mighty. Good luck, sweetheart, keep us updated on everything.

Dear bunnies. I have something to ask of you.

I'm going to jump right out and be honest, since Felicity (MGL) and I kind of talked about it - in that we've had the same idea before, so I think we're pretty much on the same page about what I would like to say, but I hope I don't annoy or crowd her with this at all - it's not my intent. It's not like her life isn't chaotic enough already. Bear with me. This is a bit unconventional and isn't exactly easy...

As some of you may know, Felicity and I have been talking for a while. And, well, flirting and crushing. I'm guessing that we started quietly mutually crushing on each other as much as a year ago - I know it's been about that long for me, since before I left Arizona for Portland. (Heh, I'm not sure if MGL really knew that yet. Hi there. :) I don't know why you're so surprised it's mutual.)

If you've been paying attention there's been a few comments that have surfaced here and there.

I think she's really cool, and I'm pretty darn sure I like her just the way she is, chaotic life and all. She worries about that a lot - that it is somehow frightening or unattractive to me - and, well, frankly I find it all too familiar and perhaps even comforting. It's pretty much all stuff I actually know how to deal with, as opposed to that stuff you folks call normalcy or something. ;) I grew up in the boiling foam of the ocean and learned to surf it easily, ran my first running steps barefoot on sand and grass and as a young adult baptised my mind, body and soul in the scintillating iridescence of entoptic fractals, and as a maturing adult I have deliberately sought out high weirdness.

Chaos doesn't bother me. It's the fabric of the universe, and I breath it easily.

So, while things are, well, rather complicated and are at this point ostensibly little more than words and flirting, the energy is very tangible even at such a distance. Apparently it's so tangible that a friend of mine was engaging in what is known in modern, contemporary Tantra as "energy work" on me (which is something not entirely unlike a contact-free backrub) and unprompted or unbidden, and totally undiscussed she'd noticed and observed that there was a connection from the point that would be called my "heart chakra" to some far-flung eastward point.

And, well, Felicity and I believe in such hippy things, and there's a lot here and there I just can't even begin to properly put into words.

Coming from me - hardly ever at a loss for any words, nay nearly always drowning in them, that says more than anything I could possibly say.

But as you can gather we're a whole continent apart. And we're both disorganized and perpetually broke. And frustrated. And, frankly, maybe a little scared, too. By the chaos in each of our own lives, by commitment, by the risk involved, everything. I know I've teetered on the edge of sheer terror and vulnerability and such, and she's expressed similar feelings.

And, well, we'll never even know unless we do meet. But chaotic stuff keeps happening. And I'm dreadfully worried that something that just might be very good is being missed because of at least my own ill planning and slackerliness... and neither of us is very fond of asking anyone for help of any sort.

And as I'm currently about as unobligated and unhindered as I could probably ever hope to be, I have offered my assistance in helping her pack and deal with stuff there. If I can find a way there.

I'm just about on the edge of making myself an "Asheville-or-Bust!" sign and sticking out my thumb, but I don't know if I have the fortitude or luck for that kind of adventuring, and she's already expressed that the very idea of me going and doing such a fool thing would terrify her.

Heck, I damn near took off for Asheville on my bike last fall. I even went so far as to calculate how many miles I thought I could ride in a day, how many calories that would be per day and exactly how much oatmeal and rice would I have to carry to make it there. (From where I calculated it in PDX: 2,600 miles, approx 50 miles a day, approx 52 days, 5,000-8,000 calories per day. Which at 300 kcal/cup is about 15-25 cups of dry oats per day, which is of course drastically high and physically impossible to carry or eat, and I can't eat just oats because I'll go totally mad (I'm already plenty Scottish!) but it's a good visualization exercise anyway - and the reality it described probably prevented me from taking off underequipped on a crappy, unfitted bike on some damn fool's errand in the beginning of winter off an epic bike ride of epic bike rides. At least now I know why the Inuit eat seal blubber with such relish.)

Sorry, dithering. I'll get to the point.

So.

Since help is rarely given to those that don't ask - I'm asking:

Are there any bunnies that would like to financially help get me there (and hopefully back?) for what will hopefully be a double-whammy of helpful goodness? One: Crisis mitigation, cleaning, cooking, emotional support and packing. Two: It could possibly be love.

Oh, and a possible third: I could see the east coast for the first time, and vice versa!

This depends entirely on whether or not she accepts my offer of help and company, of course, and hasn't run away in total embarrassment or hates me forever. Or whether anyone who wants to help is able to. Or if we even deserve it. I'm really terrible at this, if you haven't noticed. I don't like sales. I don't even like money, which is probably why I try to keep so very little of it around. I try really hard to not ask for help if at all possible. The fact that I'm asking for help cleverly disguised in the form of offering help to someone else in need makes it easier for me.

If anyone does want to help please allow me to state up front that I would actually prefer to go Greyhound, as it's just logistically easier and cheaper. I don't mind going slow, and frankly it uses less fuel which is a very big important deal to me, and I have lots of patience, and I frankly just find Greyhound to be an endless source of amusement, which of course probably means I'm a bit sick in the head but you all probably knew that by now.

And I'm dithering and tangenting again.

I can't promise anyone fairy tales and rainbows and roses and some kind of great human interest story with a never-ending happy ending. I can't promise true love. I can't even promise that we won't totally loathe each other on first sight.

For one, I'm not the One in charge of this crazy stage show. For two, it's certainly not all up to me anyway, the least of which being as I'm kind of surprising Felicity with this post and she just might tell me to go well and thoroughly soak my head because of it.

Which I can totally accept if it makes her happy. I gather and hope that it wouldn't, though.

I can promise I'm mostly harmless and not secretly a strangler and that you won't read about it in the papers unless her son sets me on fire or her dogs eat me. I can promise that I will work hard and make myself otherwise useful to her in mind, body and spirit. I promise to help even if we discover that we actually can't stand each other, assuming she still wants the help.

And speaking spiritually, I can promise to (continue to!) be totally open and honest with her and do my best to take care of her.

And I think that about says it.

*takes a deep breath, hits post*

Damn MGL that's terrible. I bet Asheville's Craigslist can help. Man that just sucks. Maybe you should obtain about 1000 dandelion seeds and scatter them all over the whole yard. Bamboo's good too - it takes over and has been known to grow through floors of houses.

Sorry, MGL.

And, erm, sorry. I know MeCha isn't for begging. I so do not wish to ever be a UN Owen. I do realize I run the risk of having my account banned and deleted, which is a risk I'm willing to accept. It's that important to me. I've thought about it alot and I decided that many folks here would want to know, and, well, damn.

Also, I do have some skills and am totally willing to work for this. I do graphic design, tech support and can train and teach and such. I'm open to being nabbed en route for a layover (hah! try that on a plane!) or doing contracting remotely.

And thanks, everyone, for everything and just being there for each other and making a community.

I once took a leap of faith to travel thousands of miles to meet someone in person that I'd grown to known and like very much over the internet and phone. So, yay, loquacious, go for it.

I am sorry this is happening to you

Oh, jeez, MGL- this sucks!! What an upheaval to have dropped on you. And that house is so you- you've totally made it into a home rather than a house.

If I can do anything to help, let me know... I've got a pickup truck, after all, and am not that far away.

*hug*

update: First actual voice phone chat with mgl. zomg. I should have done that months ago. And, uhm, I seem to be grinning an unnatural amount. I think it's safe to say spirits were mutually lifted.

Wow.

sorry to hear this mgl. Many hugs. I wish I could help.

Ooooo, I like the dandelions idea. Or ivy! Or kudzu! Just let me know and I will be happy to send you a bunch of Florida's worst :)

Bamboo takes years to attain any real size and even then it is not as bad as people think it is. Basically it just keeps going so if you have a large pretty grove and ignore it, eventually it will be coming up on the neighbor's, through cracks in sidewalks, etc. But it takes years.

That's a brave post you made there, loq. I'm glad you and mgl have had a chance to talk and she doesn't seem too displeased from what you've said.

My advice is as long as you're both up for it, go for it. Don't regret what you didn't do.

I met the mister over the 'net and, although the move was semi-planned anyway, moved 2500 miles to be closer to him to see what would develop. We've been together since December 1999.

Whheeeeew.

I've got advice.

If there's a possibility it's love, it'll flourish a LOT better if you're both stable in your own lives, not seeing this as now-or-never, sudden-dramatic, once-in-a-lifetime. That's heady stuff, but not likely to make anyone feel more secure in a few months.

Don't add to the present drama both of you are experiencing by laying over it the additional drama that you feel when you fall in love.

Solve today's problems today. You won't miss anything. Get yourself both in a solid position where no one has to beg or do grand gestures, where you're on equal footing with an equal amount to offer one another, and then talk together as two grounded people who think they feel something. Breathe.

There's going to be enough happening without increasing the pressure and sense of dual obligation that you may feel if you 'help' one another in this way.

There's no rush.

Best wishes.

Miko is so wise. And nice. Because all I have to say is: You know better than to ask us for money. Seriously. That is not what we do here, and for good reason. But good luck to you, just the same.

Oh dear. Is this me? No? So sorry to hear you're in similar boat. My heart goes out to you.

I got the exact same letter about 2 weeks ago. I'm a single mother, just bought a business which I took over at the start of Jan 2006, and I have MS. I'm in a bit(!) of debt due to stupid decisions made during a bad relationship, and chose to leave my last rental property cos it was mildly expensive & i wanted to find somewhere cheaper, esp now that I'm paying rent on my business premises as well as my residence.
So we've been living in this little shoebox(as nice as it is, it's small). We had a 12 month lease, which expires May 31, which is also the day we have just been told to be out by.
The landlady wants to renovate the bathroom, kitchen & repaint all over. I assume she'll either sell, or put the place back on the rental market asking much more $$ than I am currently paying.

The rental market is insane in Melbourne at the moment. 30 - 40 people showing up at open for inspections and bidding for leases. The bidding thing has been legislated against, but I doubt that will stop unscrupulous & desperate people.

What's going on? Apparently development is slowing. Many people have recently sold their investment properties and stuffed the money into their super due to upcoming tax relief in superannuation laws.

My landlady has also decided to be nice, and had said that if I find a place before the end of the lease, she won't expect me to pay rent after I vacate.

I don't have any close family (other than my child), but I do have some wonderful friends, and I have been offered 3 places to stay should we become homeless. Of course, our belongings would have to go into storage, and logistically, none of the samaritan accomodation is at all easy for my daughter & I to get to work/school/sports, so unfortunately, is we did take anyone up on those offers, wee'd be like refugees in our own city. I dont want to relocate the 13yo from her school, or her social/sports circles. She's been relocated before, and while she has recovered, it's not something I want to put her through again. She has a lovely circle of friends, who I trust and feel comfortable with her hanging out with.

I got a voicemail on Thursday from the property manager of the place we are currently renting - she ONE property coming up - a 2 br unit near where we are now, current tenants breaking lease to move interstate for work. It's a bit more $$, but wOuld I be interested? It hasnt been advertised yet.

HELL YES!

We went and had a look, my daughter is in love with it and I think it's perfect. I'll be calling the property manager first thing Tuesday morning ready to hand over the bond to secure the place.
The last two weeks I've been devastated, the last few days I've just been anxiously waiting for the holidays to end so i can get an application in & secure the new place.

Anyway, I just wanted to commisserate say I know exactly how you feel....I hate the feeling of not knowing where I'm going to living in a few short weeks, made even more stressful by the thought that I'm somehow failing my child by not providing her a secure home life.
I've had many pieces of advice, some useful, some irrelevant. I spent an hour last week with someone who gave me advice on what to do in worse case scenarios, such as not finding a place, or fighting the eviction,etc. The information I was given may not be relevant to you, especially with different laws, but if you want to discuss anything in more depth, or just have a moan, let me know.

Anyway, hugs to you. Good luck!