~Thursday, September 27, 2007

From Eventual to Imminent

In the end, Scott negotiated for me an apartment larger than my old one by 179 square feet (16.6 m2), movers, and a year lease for my current rate. The boy did good.

Saturday morning I sat down in the leasing office to sign the new papers. "Here's an application for you to complete. And here's one for Scott," the assistant manager said as she handed me two applications.

"Why do I have to fill out another application?"

"We're treating this as a new lease instead of as a transfer."

"Er, okay. But why one for Scott? He doesn't live with me."

"Your lease says anyone who has been here for 14 days is required to be on the lease." The assistant manager brushed her flat, platinum blonde hair behind one ear.

"But he hasn't established residency here. He doesn't get his mail here. He has his own lease."

"He's living here! We've seen him around the grounds and we worked with him on your new lease."

"He's not living here. His things aren't here! This is MY apartment and MY lease."

She sat back in her chair, high on her power trip, and folded her arms, "I don't believe you," she smirked.

I took my keys and slid them across the desk. "Here. Go check my apartment. His stuff isn't there. Go check my mailbox; he has no mail there."

"I'm not going to do that."

"Then don't call me a liar!" I shouted.

"You are in violation of your lease by having him here for 14 days."

"You are in violation of the lease by failing to provide me a 'habitable' apartment!"

I thought my movie-star line would impress her. It didn't. "We're mending that by providing you a new apartment," she said statically. She leaned forward for emphasis, "And he is living here. We all know it."

"He's a visitor!"

"No he's not!"

I wanted to scratch her eyes out. "Prove it," I stated.

"We don't need to. Either he is on the lease on we're scratching the whole deal and you can move out today and find someplace else to live. He said 'we' in reference to everything about your apartment. We discussed the details of your lease with him."

"That's your fault. I don't care that you discussed it with him, but you should have looked up my file and made sure he was on it. If it's against your policy to discuss details of the lease with people not on it, then that's your error. Besides me being out of town last week to attend a FUNERAL--which you knew about--I have always been present with Scott with concerns about my apartment."

"He showed a vested interest in your new apartment."

"He doesn't give a shit about your apartments! He cares about me! He has a vested interest in me!" I fought back.

"He has to be on this lease," she mechanically stated.

"No!" I let out weakly.

"Then you're not getting the keys to your new apartment," the bitch smiled triumphantly.

"Look. We're not married. He's not related to me. I don't understand why he's required to be on legal documents when he doesn't live with me." I looked at her hand. Somehow this horrible girl snagged a fiance because a diamond sparkled on her stupid, manicured finger. "You've had boyfriends before, right?" I tried again.

"I don't see how that's relevant," she quipped back.

"It is relevant! Do you want every boyfriend you've ever had on your leases? Scott's just a boyfriend!"

"It's so easy to get him off your lease. You just have to fill out a form. It takes two minutes!"

"Can I fill out a roommate release form on Monday?"

I thought I had won when she sat in silence for a moment. "If he's vacated," she worked out.

"BUT HE DOESN'T LIVE HERE! THERE'S NOTHING TO VACATE!" Gaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!

I slowly went from anger to defeat. It was just too much and I was having the most ridiculous fight in the history of apartment renting. My chin sank to my chest and I began to cry. She became wide-eyed with sheer horror at my display of any emotion. "Why are you trying to take away my independence?" I cried. "It's my apartment in the city and I don't want a boy's name on my lease. It's my apartment. Why are you taking that away from me?"

"We're not," she stated unsympathetically. "Why don't you go back to your apartment and call Scott and work out what you need to to get him on the lease." She just wanted the crying girl out of her leasing office.

I called Scott at work sobbing uncontrollably. He immediately left work and tried his hand at yelling at the horrible woman. But of course the person with possession of the keys to the new apartment has all power. He signed the papers.

The leak; the new, larger one-bedroom; Scott being forced on the lease--I was tired of arguing with what seemed like the stars aligning. Neither one of use spoke a word, but we both knew that him moving in was graduating from eventually to imminently.

20 comments:

Tilly said...

What a bitch! I've never heard of such a thing.

But, regardless of whether Scott moves in at some point in the future or not, you have more ROOM! So there's that. Right?

Anonymous said...

Um. That's totally illegal...

I almost feel like you're trying to tell your readers why Scott is living with you instead of just owning up to the fact that you want him there - after such a short period of dating. Because that is completely absurd and they can not in any circumstances force another person on the lease regardless of whether or not they are a guest/extended guest etc....so if you're really opposed to him living there, call your city, your tenants' rights office.
It's completely absurd.

Sarah said...

I'm not sure if you're calling me a liar or not, but it is in the contract. It's the corporation's word against mine. I could have taken it to court, I guess. I could have also been homeless from that decision too, while everything gets sorted out.

Or he could sign the dotted line and everything would be over. Perhaps I've lost my youthful idealism that tells me to damn the man. But you know what? Sometimes the man wins. That's why we damn him. At least I got an apartment out of it.

Anonymous said...

I am so incredibly frustrated FOR you... this woman was and IS a complete bee-otch. Go pop her tires - she deserves it.

She obviously has it out for you for some non-existent issue because your line of reasoning and responses to her stupidity made complete sense.

So sorry you had to deal with that on top of everything else. And can I just add that anonymous's comment about not owning up to your wants is SO RUDE and so out of line.

ANONYMOUS should OWN UP TO whoever she/he is by NOT being anonymous in the first place - what a coward.

J said...

I do know that in Canada, that if someone is there all of the time they have to be on a lease...it also has to do with the terms of the rental agreement. However, this woman was a bitch and obviously did not want to hear your side of things. Sometimes you have to play the game to win. Just remember that the company is losing money on you now...at least for a year.

Sorry you had to go through that! I hope the move went well!!

londongirl said...

Eek. The woman sounds like an utter bitch.

But you have a better flat, a lovely bloke and once the shock of having your arm twisted wears off, I'm sure you'll be happy!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Oops. Somehow my comment deleted.
Well, I live in Canada (Montreal) and that's bullshit. I know it is definitely not in my lease agreement. I actually have a roommate, that is not on the lease - I want it that way. So, I don't know what part of Canada J is from, but at least in Quebec
it's definitely against the law to have a stipulation in your rental agrmnt that if a person is there all the time they have to be on the lease.
But on that note, I hope you and Scott at least have a drama free move...at least from now on anyway!

M said...

That's ridiculous. What kind of a contract is this? It actually sounds really illegal to me and I do know a bit about leases and haven't come across anything like this before.

I also don't think it's right that you should keep him on your lease if you've been bullied into it. Actually if you two break up this could get very messy indeed and you're the one who will probably lose out. If you don't want him on your lease just go fill that 'other' form in in a few days.

Drama Queen said...

Its fine when you choose these things but not when you are forced to. Good on Scott for understanding. . .

Peach said...

shit, well done for sticking out that conversation with her for as long as you did! I liked your movie-style lines man, heh heh... But you perhaps should take it further, if they really think he's living there, they really do need to enter your apartment and check and substantiate their allegations... sounds as if the poor chick couldn't live without a man and couldn't understand why anyone else would want to...

kristin said...

this is the craziest apartment get up i've ever heard. i can't believe she acted like they'd been stalking you too by saying "they'd all seen him" [Scott] around. i have never had a landlord or rental company ever do that.. nor would i allow it.

meanwhile my lease has been sitting on my desk unsigned for over a month now.

i also want to add to anonymous that of course a a rental company can force that on you - it is in my lease that my apartment can only be inhabited by 2 people (my roommate and myself). however, it is totally sketchy the way they went about it - AND - his stuff's not even there! that's crazy, sarah. i'm so sorry you've had to deal with all of this.

Trish Ryan said...

She sounds pretty obnoxious-how frustrating!
It's funny sometimes, though, how you can feel those eventuallys turning to imminents, and then you have that brief snippet of time to figure out, "what do I think about that?"

Good luck as you move and sort!

Sarah said...

Trish Ryan- Exactly!!!

SuvvyGirl said...

This is why renting sucks. My house may be over a hundred years old but it's mine and I love that fact. But now I do have to add that it seems as if the fates have won over in the living together department. Maybe it's a sign. I do believe in those once in a while. What does puppy think of the new place?

dont eat the token said...

This all sounds horribly stressful.

And though he's being mostly forced to sign the lease, I hope you only have him move in with you because you've decided it's time.

:)

Kennethwongsf said...

You poor thing! You've been through so much in such a short time. Pick and choose your battles, sweetie, or you'll be burnt out soon.

Jessica said...

All sounds stressful, I think I remember something on my lease which states that I must name someone who stays in the apartment over a certain period of time.

But just because his name is on the lease doesn't mean he has to move in, but then it does sound like a good excuse for him to move in if you want him too.

general_boy said...

AGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! I could feel the irritation rising in my throat line by line as I read that!! The f***ing mole!

The fact Scott didn't jump the desk and rip her a second corn chute is testament to his self control. I would not have been so restrained...

I also would be getting legal advice on this. I don't believe for a second this bint's 3 week real estate course gives her the comprehensive knowledge of contract law she seems to think it does.

AmyB said...

How, pray tell, did you not bust that girl's lip??!! You have serious restrain, woman. I'm impressed!

So sorry you had to go through that...doesn't this girl have a boss you can talk to?? :o( Hang in there, and don't give up on what YOU WANT.

 

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