Sept 1: Unpleasant home and tenant dealings

As any homeowner knows, it's always something with a house. And as anyone knows, things seem to come in clusters. And if it involves a house then it's generally an expensive cluster....

The windows in my kitchen and dining room section, which is 'L' shape, desperately need to be replaced. They are very old and very drafty. I spend a lot of time here, as a TV is mounted up in a corner of the dining room, so I do all my computer time at the dining room table in addition to all my scrapbooking, crystal stuff, etc. Most of the windows have large storm windows which don't come out, only a couple with screens. All of them are plain glass, which isn't very secure and easily broken. Since they are off the patio this has been a security concern. I picked Power Windows, knowing they were more expensive, but because their windows are top-rated for energy, have UV protection and are almost impossible to break. My dream has been a bay window in the DR, knowing that would increase expense but would help for re-sale. Well, this has turned into an issue because when the installer came out he discovered something strange in the structure. Long story short, this was an enclosed porch with windows up to the roof, and when they turned it into a room they merely took out the glass from the top panes, replaced with plywood, then put paneling with no insulation up over the rest of the windows. The ousdie they just plastered over. When Bidge re-did this room he didn't go under the paneling, just put drywall over and painted. No wonder the temperature is always an issue in here. So now it's going to take a building contractor to frame out the space for a new window, increase support (fortunately there isn't a second floor over this part) and insulate, also requiring re-drywalling and painting. I'm waiting for the estimate....

This may cancel out replacing the kitchen windows because of the cost. Added to that....

Noticed wetness in one of my clothing closets Friday before last. It ended up being the seal on the upstairs apartment toilet. The tenant claimed he thought the water was from the shower door. But contaminated water through the insulation, down into my closet. All the clothes and shoes have been removed and seem to be fine, the closet has been sprayed with bleach repeatedly and looks like no black mold. Now will have to be dealt with by using Kilz, repainting and etc.

While the plumber was here he informed me that he thinks the pipe coming in from the city water supply is lead. Awaiting water tests, have call in to the Borough. Will probably get a blood lead test done as well. Trying to avoid the expense of having a new line put in from the street, which would involved digging, etc. Fortunately more evidence is mounting that he's wrong, but still holding my breath.

Saved the worst for last. My friend Marilyn comes over and takes care of the cats when I'm away, I do the same for her. She, however, only has two and neither one of them is an attack cat like Chester, so I'm definitely getting the better part of the deal. She called me Monday night, which was my last night at Susan's, starting with the phrase "I really hate to tell you this, but someone tried to break into your house." She got there about 8pm and found the rear door partially kicked in with the glass broken. I told her to call the cops. They came, discovered there had been no actual entry, which is why the alarm system didn't go off. I don't have glass break alarms, but the doors are alarmed and motion detectors throughout. After the cops searched she entered and found Zerla and KC, who are in this section with timed food feeders (Chester and Tabitha in the other sections and porch with food out all the time) huddled and shaking down in the basement. She and the cops said I didn't need to come back that night (which would have been about 2 am) but ASAP the next day.

Arriving yesterday the damage to the door was worse than had been explained. Someone kicked it very hard, split the wood around the lock on the handle, the dead-bolt held on, but the wood splintered around that as well. On opening the door the entire lower part would bend, the glass was broken by the force of the kick. The cop told me he was amazed that the door held together: "They don't make them like that any more." It will have to be replaced, and because it's an odd size (of course) will need to be custom done, although will be a door cut down to size. This will cost me between $650-1,000. But that's nothing in comparison to my fear.

The cops were here, they spoke with the neighbors, and it seems that my tenant had a loud argument with a guy 2 nights before. The confrontation was in the street in front of my house, so the other guy would have known this is where my tenant lived, but not that it wasn't his house. Circumstantial evidence indicates that this guy probably came back, less than 24 hours after the argument, and vandalized what he thought was my tenant's house. But nothing that would allow charges to be pressed. No one is admitting to seeing or hearing anything, didn't enter so no fingerprints. He clearly wasn't going for burglary, because the windows could have been easily broken, and the two in the living room were open (they're newer).

So what do I do? I feel threatened and scared and vulnerable.

My tenant has not been perfect: didn't report the toilet issue before damage was done, is often loud at night and has woken me several times, lied to the cops on being questioned, and I've caught him in a couple 'fibs' as well in the last couple months. He's also never paid his full security deposit. I saw him driving on the street last week and he was very aggressive, ended up going the wrong way up a one way ramp to avoid traffic. The other concern that came out is he has a police record in Texas, did time for stealing a car--or that's all he's admitting. What if he gets into another confrontation with this guy up the street? What if this guy comes to my house again to settle the score? How much danger am I in? While the obvious solution is to evict him, how angry would he be? Would he lash out at me? Damage the apartment?

The last 24 hours have been full with many conversations, consults and suggestions from a lot of people: the cop from last night came out again to talk to me, Marilyn, my friend Rick, Bidge, the window and construction guy to name the major players. I'd been thinking of asking him to leave and would even be covered for serving him with a 5 day eviction because of the security deposit and other issues which are against the rental agreement. My decision was to give the tenant a 60 day notice as opposed to a 5-day eviction. This seemed the most fair as there is no direct evidence, and shouldn't make him as angry. With some trepidation as to his response I spoke with him this morning, gave him a written memo of breaking the lease with 60 days notice. While I told him that I'd felt that my best defense was listing all the issues the main issue was the argument with the guy up the street and what seemed to be the consequences. Totally unintentionally I started crying as I told him how scared and frightened it made me, that I didn't feel safe in my own home. He took it well, was upset, apologetic for any of his actions leading to the vandalism and admitted my giving him 2 months notice was more than fair. He said he understood how scared I was, and that there was cause. Bolstering my position was the rear door, which Rick had to secure with 3 inch screws around the frame in order for it to stay shut before being replaced, obviously making it unusable. The conversation went as well as it possibly could. I really don't think he's a bad guy, just doesn't always make the best decisions.

I'm still jumping at every sound, looking out the windows all the time. I slept with the alarm on last night, which is a pain because the door to my bedroom has to stay closed and even going to the bathroom could trigger, so have to push other doors close.

My plan is to take a walk up the street and talk to whomever I can, tell them he is a tenant, that kicking in the door had no effect on him and let them know he's been evicted. I'm counting on it getting around the street grapevine. To clarify: while most of the street is made up of houses like mine, the end closest to the cemetery is not as nice. Kind of run down, a lot of kids hanging out, loud cars...you get the picture. Since it looks like the damage to the door was retribution from the argument I'm hoping letting it be known that it didn't affect the tenant will deflect any potential violence towards me or the house. Everyone thinks that it's over and done, but I'd rather get it out there and avoid any further issues.

It's going to take time and an awful lot of money for this to be resolved. It could have happened to anyone else and been just as scary and nerve-wracking. But I needed all this like I needed another hole in my heart.

Will update a hopefully calmer, although expensive, follow-up to all this as things develop. Laurie