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Here is a fun story for you to pick apart: Drama.


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And if I'm wrong in anyway, please point it out.  I'm trying to see where I owe this person anything.  Be honest.

 

I rented a dilapidated house in Pittsburgh.  It hadn't been lived in for roughly ten years but it was suggested by my old boss who is the ex husband of the landlord that I move in.    I wanted Inge to have a back yard to play in.  It seemed like a good deal at the time.

 

I payed the rent on time, every time.  I've even had to ask her if she received the check in the past because it wasn't cashed.  She lost one of the checks and I had to cancel it.  Meh, no big deal.

 

Today I received a text from her that I left the house in a bad spot.  Mind you, she sent me a text July 3rd stating that the house looked fine and thanked me for not smoking cigars in the house.  I have that text saved off in case I need it.  Now that I've left, I'm receiving text messages that the house smells like smoke.  I've never once smoked in the house.  I've always smoked cigars in the back yard.

 

Things I did while I lived there:

 

There was a tree that I had to have cut down.  It had been dead for years.  In fact, she told me the neighbor next door neighbor asked her several times to have it cut down so it wouldn't fall on his house.  I had it professionally cut down, chopped the wood myself and neatly stacked it in the driveway.   I even created wood forms and stacked it.  She now wants "Her" wood removed.  My old boss says he will take it as that's how he heats his house.

 

I replaced the toilet and bathroom sink upstairs.  I turned off all water to the other toilets and sinks in the other bathrooms as I didn't use them.  I'm a one toilet type of guy.

 

Over those two years I mowed the lawn, fertilized the lawn with weed and feed, took care of the overgrown shrubs I wasn't allowed to cut down and took care of most of the issues around the house.  I also housed her brothers crap in his old bedroom rent free.  He never came to remove any of it.  Neither did she.

 

The reason why she may be smelling smoke:

 

The roof needed replacing 10 years ago.  Even her ex husband told her she need to replace it.  She asked me if I would and I told her no. That was before I signed the lease.  I fall easy.  Gravity is a cruel mistress.    Anywho, as a result of the leaky roof, I'm sure there is a musty smell in the house now that the AC has been turned off.  It's the only thing I can think that she may be smelling; if that is the case,  I would have never smelled it as I always kept the house at 70 degrees with the AC.  I'm assuming that here.  I've never had to deal with a leaky roof.  Well, maybe a tent in the UP of Michigan one stormy night.  But that's okay, I was drinking at the time.

 

So, I'm asking what you guys what I may owe this woman.  Should I have the house professionally cleaned?  I cleaned it myself.  Washed down the walls.  Cleaned the wood floors with pine sol.  Dang, I scrubbed near everything several times before I left and maintained a very clean house while I lived there.

 

Drama.

 

Couch

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If all you say is true,  I don't think you owe her a single thing. It sounds like you did a lot more than you needed to. As a house renter myself, I would not replace sink/toilet, had the tree taken down, etc... That would be the owner's responsibility. I think you did waaay  more than you should have to begin with.

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Save all the letters/emails/texts and pay her nothing unless the court forces you to.

It sounds like she's a nut.

 

She's a sick person trying to get well, I think.  I've tried helping her along with other family members regarding personal issues.  I can't really go into detail due to the nature of my program.  

 

She is sick.

 

Couch

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And if I'm wrong in anyway, please point it out.  I'm trying to see where I owe this person anything.  Be honest.

 

I rented a dilapidated house in Pittsburgh.  It hadn't been lived in for roughly ten years but it was suggested by my old boss who is the ex husband of the landlord that I move in.    I wanted Inge to have a back yard to play in.  It seemed like a good deal at the time.

 

I payed the rent on time, every time.  I've even had to ask her if she received the check in the past because it wasn't cashed.  She lost one of the checks and I had to cancel it.  Meh, no big deal.

 

Today I received a text from her that I left the house in a bad spot.  Mind you, she sent me a text July 3rd stating that the house looked fine and thanked me for not smoking cigars in the house.  I have that text saved off in case I need it.  Now that I've left, I'm receiving text messages that the house smells like smoke.  I've never once smoked in the house.  I've always smoked cigars in the back yard.

 

Things I did while I lived there:

 

There was a tree that I had to have cut down.  It had been dead for years.  In fact, she told me the neighbor next door neighbor asked her several times to have it cut down so it wouldn't fall on his house.  I had it professionally cut down, chopped the wood myself and neatly stacked it in the driveway.   I even created wood forms and stacked it.  She now wants "Her" wood removed.  My old boss says he will take it as that's how he heats his house.

 

I replaced the toilet and bathroom sink upstairs.  I turned off all water to the other toilets and sinks in the other bathrooms as I didn't use them.  I'm a one toilet type of guy.

 

Over those two years I mowed the lawn, fertilized the lawn with weed and feed, took care of the overgrown shrubs I wasn't allowed to cut down and took care of most of the issues around the house.  I also housed her brothers crap in his old bedroom rent free.  He never came to remove any of it.  Neither did she.

 

The reason why she may be smelling smoke:

 

The roof needed replacing 10 years ago.  Even her ex husband told her she need to replace it.  She asked me if I would and I told her no. That was before I signed the lease.  I fall easy.  Gravity is a cruel mistress.    Anywho, as a result of the leaky roof, I'm sure there is a musty smell in the house now that the AC has been turned off.  It's the only thing I can think that she may be smelling; if that is the case,  I would have never smelled it as I always kept the house at 70 degrees with the AC.  I'm assuming that here.  I've never had to deal with a leaky roof.  Well, maybe a tent in the UP of Michigan one stormy night.  But that's okay, I was drinking at the time.

 

So, I'm asking what you guys what I may owe this woman.  Should I have the house professionally cleaned?  I cleaned it myself.  Washed down the walls.  Cleaned the wood floors with pine sol.  Dang, I scrubbed near everything several times before I left and maintained a very clean house while I lived there.

 

Drama.

 

Couch

She is probably smelling PineSol and does not know the scent so she assumes it is smoke.

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If all you say is true,  I don't think you owe her a single thing. It sounds like you did a lot more than you needed to. As a house renter myself, I would not replace sink/toilet, had the tree taken down, etc... That would be the owner's responsibility. I think you did waaay  more than you should have to begin with.

 

Most of these things were applied to the rent but I did the work.  For example, I paid for the toilet and she deducted it from the rent.

 

I think I feel bad because she is scared that she no longer has someone paying rent and no one else in their right mind would rent from her.  I feel for her, I really do.  But I'm try to find out where I may be at fault here.  For whatever reason, I always have a guilty conscience.  

 

Couch

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She's a sick person trying to get well, I think. I've tried helping her along with other family members regarding personal issues. I can't really go into detail due to the nature of my program.

She is sick.

Couch

it sounds like you've done more than required, and it's time for you to cut ties with her. It sucks about the $1000, but do you really want to fight her to get it back?
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Most of these things were applied to the rent but I did the work.  For example, I paid for the toilet and she deducted it from the rent.

 

I think I feel bad because she is scared that she no longer has someone paying rent and no one else in their right mind would rent from her.  I feel for her, I really do.  But I'm try to find out where I may be at fault here.  For whatever reason, I always have a guilty conscience.  

 

Couch

You can't fix other's problems and if they have 'issues', you often get burned when even trying. BELIEVE ME ON THIS!! FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE.

 

Just let it go. 

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I have no desire to fight for it.  Yes, it's a good chunk of change but not worth my time.

 

Couch

 

You should have punched her in the vag.  Can you go back and do this?  I would appeal to her to pay the deposit back and cc everybody that is in on the situation.

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You can't fix other's problems and if they have 'issues', you often get burned when even trying. BELIEVE ME ON THIS!! FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE.

 

Just let it go. 

 

Oh, I'm trying to let it go.  Trust me.  However, I'm a sensitive chap.  I don't like being told I'm wrong when I honestly feel I've done the right thing.

 

However, I'm often wrong about my assessment of myself and my actions, so I have to ask others for their opinions.  I'm also a sick person trying to get well.

 

Couch 

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Oh, I'm trying to let it go.  Trust me.  However, I'm a sensitive chap.  I don't like being told I'm wrong when I honestly feel I've done the right thing.

 

However, I'm often wrong about my assessment of myself and my actions, so I have to ask others for their opinions.  I'm also a sick person trying to get well.

 

Couch 

In this instance you are not sick, you have done well.  You left it better than you found it, unless you are lying to us, but you would not do that.  RG would.  Make RG pay for the repairs.

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Oh, I'm trying to let it go.  Trust me.  However, I'm a sensitive chap.  I don't like being told I'm wrong when I honestly feel I've done the right thing.

 

However, I'm often wrong about my assessment of myself and my actions, so I have to ask others for their opinions.  I'm also a sick person trying to get well.

 

Couch 

Been there. Believe me I have f'ing SCARS from this. Don't go down that road....let it go. It sucks being thought of as wrong when you tried to do right, but you will never convince said person otherwise. Don't waste emotional energy over it.

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Late to the thread, but I don't think you've done anything wrong.  Even if the house did smell of smoke (and not saying it did or that you smoked in it), that would be a relatively small price to pay for having a reliable renter for so many years.  So many renters can be flakey, not pay on time or cause real damage.  You certainly deserve your deposit back, but I can understand why you don't think it's worth your time or mental energy to pursue it.  Money may not buy happiness, but it can sometimes buy you a little peace of mind.

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