We're all being evicted!!

[natalie_ca]

The caretaker delivered a letter from the agency this evening. The agency has decided to do a "complete renovation" of the building, so they are terminating our leases by August 31st.

They will pay up to $500.00 for the cost of the move according to the Residential Tenancy Laws here, based on the reason that we are being told we have to move out.

As a tenant we are each being given the option of requesting "first refusal", meaning that once the renovations are complete, that the agency would have to offer us the first offer to re-rent the apartment we are in. However, the rent would be different. According to the letter it will be "the lowest rental price" that the unit will be rented to another tenant for. How much that is, it doesn't say.

So looks like I'm going to be apartment hunting. I've been wanting to move for years, but have not had the health and/or finances at any given time. So looks like this is the year whether I want to move or not. I've been reading about the rental situation where I live for quite awhile. There is less than 1% vacancy rate. So that doesn't sound very encouraging!!

But we'll see what comes up.

 

[trouts mom]

I guess if you've been wanting to move for years, this is a blessing in disguise?

Good luck with everything!

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Oh no! Well I hope you find something you like so it does become a blessing in disguise! Good luck!

 

[carolpetunia]

I'm sorry it's being forced on you, but it's great that you have plenty of time (and a little extra money) to find your dream home! What sort of a place do you have in mind?

 

[my4llma]

Hopefully you find something a better place

 

[shp26]

Good luck with the apartment hunting! Hope you find something that you love

 

[kailie]

Ouch hun...

Moving is always stressful. Sending vibes that you can easily find a WONDERFUL apartment!

 

[yosemite]

Linda, I'm not sure if you would qualify age wise but when I separated from my husband I found a lovely new condo in a "senior" building. I am one of the youngest folks here. It's a small building - only 48 units on 4 floors, friendly, many people have pets, some have little dogs, 2 others have 3 cats each, we had 2 before Jen moved and others have just one cat. My unit is owned by a man who was raised here but lives in Kingston. I believe he bought it as an investment and is renting it until he retires. He was happy to get an older person in who he felt would look after the place better and I fit with it being a senior's building. Most of the units are owned by the residents but there are 2 or 3 that are rented by the owners.

The nice thing is that it's a very safe building where folks know each other, we have social get-togethers like coffee night once a month, BBQ in summer, Christmas Dinner (pot lucks), etc. I just signed up for the social committee and we are planning some nice functions.

I have a friend who just moved into a similar facility in Scarborough and she is thrilled with her accommodation.

 

[rockcat]

Wow, new job and new apartment in the same year. It sounds very stressful to go through, but look at the possibilities. Perhaps it will open new doors for you. You can expand the area of your job search!

 

[swampwitch]

You're going to find a better place, and when you look back you'll be happy it happened.

Pain, though, to move.

 

[kittkatt]

That's one of the reason why we're struggling so hard to pay this place off: so NO ONE can tell us to "get out" ever again. I just hate moving: I had to move 6 times in the first few years after I moved to Texas (Long story), and if I never have to move again it's too soon for me!

I'm so sorry, Linda.

I sure hope you find a decent place to move to soon, and one that allows you to have your furkids.

 

[naps with cats]

Does your Lease actually end on August 31st anyways? Or is landlord moving the date to a sooner date? If so, they are breaking landlord/tenant law and you can easily fight that. $500 is not enough to get into a new place (maybe depending on where you live, but know it isn't here.

Have you called your local "Housing Authority" who can pay up to a certain amount of rent for you to live if you qualify (low income)? Social Services? Food stamps, Cash Aid (which isn't much where I'm at, but a little something) for low income.

It sounds a lot like you want to move. The rental prices in a lot of places have gone way down. I moved out of the apartment I'm in for 1.5 years paying $925.00 and then was not liking where I lived - my apartment was on the market for 5 months, they went down to $795.00 RIGHT when my permanent social security came in - I know Jehovah had a hand in that. These places get rented in a day!

Also, here in California we have free advocates for people who may become homeless who can help you find living arrangements. You can usually find them through Social Services. Mine was referred. Although I had already done my permanent disability paperwork. Only went through the process twice (generally always denied first time - dr. doesn't even do anything - I brought x-rays of massive degeneration, sports injuries, all these MRI's and C.T. Scans - asked him to look at them or the reports, he wouldn't touch them.

Second time, the lady at Social Securty (while giving me my appeal, said to be sure to add a lot of medical records to your appeal - believe me). I had forgotten that the Senior Supervising Investigator that worked my Medical Board case against a bad doctor might still have many records I wasn't able to get before. I called her, she called back the next day and had tons of records we couldn't get before - it was awesome! At least 5 inches worth, so adding those to my appeal, I got the disability. (You have to wait almost a year for teh back-pay is all; I'm still waiting - until July).

If you have any questions about anything in this regard, please feel free to let me know. I was very close to homelessness and I have 10 beloved cats - I was going to end it if I lost my cats. (THey had a safe place to go - when I had money, I paid bucco bucks for them to go to a no-kill shelter that has tons of catteries, some outdoors, but caged, some indoors - all with tons of windows - they would all be up for adoption to good homes, etc. But never taken to a kill shelter - they would have a safe resting place. I just don't want to be without them, but happy they do have a place to go!

Warmly,

Julie O'

Anyways, these are a few options I'd jump on right away.

 

[natalie_ca]

No, my lease usually ends Sept 30th. So they are terminating it a month early. It's legal. It quotes a section of the land lord tenants act and because they are terminating the lease early, it gives each apartment entitlement to be refunded up to $500.00 for moving expenses.

I have the first right of refusal too should I want to move back into this apartment once it's been renovated. For a higher rent of course. But no way am I doing that. I'm not packing, moving, unpacking and then packing and moving back.

 

[naps with cats]

But no way am I doing that. I'm not packing, moving, unpacking and then packing and moving back.[/quote]

I think this is a very, very smart move on your part!
Wishing you all the blessings to carry you to a much more beautiful, peaceful place!!

Warmly,

Julie O'

 

[darkmavis]

Wow, not the best news in the world, especially when you're in the middle of trying to find another job too! But I'm sure it will work out for the best.

I wish you lots of luck for an easy time finding a new place, and I hope the move goes smoothly too!!

 

[ldg]

Wow, that must have come as a shock!

I'm sorry you HAVE to move... but as you've been wanting to, at least this way it'll be at least subsidized! Doesn't make it any less of a PIA though.

you find something you LOVE that makes this all worth it!

 

[sillyitiliangrl]

Oh my! Good luck, I hope it all goes smoothly!

 

[cococat]

Sucks for you but I can't help but think Spencer is going to LOVE all this packing!

 

[natalie_ca]

Well, I booked my mover and the elevator for August 1st. My brother is bringing me boxes on Saturday (he has a surplus from when he moved out and back into his house after their fire).

And I read the information given to me in more detail. I can complete a form and request to be let out of my lease at a date of my choosing, so long as it's prior to August 31st. However I have to check something with the Tenancy Bureau. The letter given to us states:

"Towers Realty will release you from your current lease if you wish to make your own relocation arrangements. If you choose this option, we ask that you fill out the attached Lease Cancellation Form with your move out date."

Now that concerns me. Earlier on the page it states that if I'm moving because of the eviction to renovate, that they will pay up to $500 in moving expenses.

That last statement about "your own relocation arrangements" almost sounds like it would exempt me from qualifying for the $500 moving rebate.

Now I just need a place to move!!

 

[natalie_ca]

OMG!

The rental agency called me today about my request to book the moving elevator. Apparently I have to speak to the caretaker.

So anyway, when I was talking to the agency, I mentioned that we had all received eviction notices and that we had to move out by the end of August (found out something interesting about this...more on this in a bit) and that I wanted to book the elevator. She tells me "you weren't evicted." I told her that we all consider ourselves as having been evicted because we are all forced to move out. Imagine! Not evicted! LOL

So anyway I called the caretaker who sounded surprised that I was moving out.

According to her, she talked to the agency and they told her that they are only doing 1/2 of the building at a time, and that anyone who wants to stay can, but they have to move out of their apartment into an empty one while their apartment is being done, and that they can move back to their apartment again once the renovation is finished. According to the caretaker, the agency told her that it's the east 1/2 of the building being done first. I live on the west end, so my end won't be done for almost a year!!!!!

Yet the notice we received didn't say anything about that!!

Anyway, I've resigned myself to moving. Kind of excited about it actually.

So anyway, more on the early lease termination. I rode home with a lady from my building. Her son is the one who takes out my trash for me. She told me that she called the rentals bureau and was informed that it's against the law for the agency to terminate our lease early unless they offer us something and come to some sort of agreement with the tenant (and the moving expenses isn't the something he is talking about). But they can't just hand you a letter stating that your lease is terminated. So it seems that if we want to be mean, we could all stay until our lease actually ends.

I'm moving August 1 though. I'm on vacation then so it is a good time to move and get settled in.