Shit!!

[rivka]

Our landlord called this evening, while I was at OWL and Michael was trying to get Alex to bed. He reiterated an offer that they've made once before: they'd be happy to sell us this house at below the price at which they intend to put it on the market. Michael told him no. This isn't the house we want to settle in long-term.

Okay, our landlord said. In that case, we're giving you 60 days notice to vacate.

What?!?!

Last spring they told us that they wanted to put off selling the house for a year, and asked if we'd be willing to stay an extra year. Our lease year runs June-May. Here's the thing: when they asked us to stay an extra year, they never got around to actually dropping off a written lease. We didn't - okay, everyone cringe along with me here - we didn't think we needed one. We've been living in this house for almost five years.

My first response - which apparently mirrored Michael's first response completely - was horror, outrage, and a determination to fight. My second response was, "Huh. Why do I want to fight this?"

There are actually good reasons why it might be better to move now than at the beginning of the summer. We searched and found six places that we think are worth looking at - although one is mostly just on the list because the area is so cool that we're in willful denial about the probable commuting problems. (Baltimoreans: it's just a couple of blocks from Cross Street Market in Federal Hill.) Mostly, for logistical reasons, we'd like to stay fairly near to our current location.

Without a written lease, obviously it would be hard to fight the landlords' decision - although under Maryland law, a verbal contract is considered binding in some situations. I do think that it might be possible to win some kind of concession from them, if we remind them forcefully that they asked us to take the place for another year. I'd like to ask them for the last month's rent.

I think we can do this. I think that in the end this will prove to be one of those challenge/opportunity things that leads to an eventual better position. But damn, did I want more than 60 days' opportunity to sort, declutter, and clean the detritus of five years' disorganized residence. I'm just not ready.

Eek!

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

This is me not typing the string of words I'm thinking in the direction of your landlord. But I bet you can guess.

Wow. Sixty days is mid-March. Another month or two would have been really helpful, if only in terms of likely weather. But I guess it's better than two weeks.

This is going to get interesting...

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Whoa, holy fuck! That idiot does SO not deserve you as tenants!

Good wishes for you to find an awesome place, and for him to realise his mistake _after_ you've gone.

[timill]

My reaction: ask them for a price. Buying, even if you don't want to stay long-term, would give you breathing space.

And besides, who knows what may happen. I bought my last place as somewhere to be for 2-4 years; I wound up being there for 18.

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

I was thinking similarly, even if just for comparison shopping. Your current place might be available for enough less than the alternatives that it's worth staying a while, just to get some equity.

[daddywarlock.livejournal.com]

I'm going to chime in here as well. Even if you don't want to stay in the place long-term, it has the potential to be rental property for you instead of the landlord.

Of course, with the housing bust, I may well be talking through my hat.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I really can't see any advantage to buying a house that we don't actually want - especially not in this market.

[wild-patience.livejournal.com]

My sympathies. We went through that a few months ago. We'd been in the same house for 16 years so the piles of stuff (mostly books and fanzines) were endless. But we didn't have a small child. I hope Alex responds well to the chaos of moving.

[lerryn.livejournal.com]

I am sorry, that is ridiculous. I know I don't like moving at this time of year either, and I'm sorry you have to deal with it. If I was anywhere near you, I'd offer to come help.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

According to this (http://www.peoples-law.org/housing/ltenant/legal%20info/balto%20city%20landlord%20terms%20tenancy.htm), he's only required to give you 30 days notice. However, he has to give it in writing.

I hope you find a place you like. I wish I could help declutter, but I'd only last about 30 minutes before I had to lie down. Maybe someone else could come help.

[ranunculus.livejournal.com]

He has given you 60 days notice. Do a little research on Maryland laws and find out what he really needs to do to actually get you out on the street. Does he have to file eviction papers (like he would in California?) How long after such papers are filed does the Sheriff actually come to throw you in the street? If he were here in California, it would take him 6, at least, to actually evict you, as long as you are current with your rent - and can prove that he received it. Certified mail.
No I've never done such a thing, though once I thought I'd have to. I'm just a landlord and thought I'd better know the worst case scenerio.

[ranunculus.livejournal.com]

Oh, and eviction papers are different than just giving notice. Even if he is selling the place, you may have far longer than 60 days in the present market.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

We're going to be renting again, rather than buying, so it seems wise to stay on decent terms with our current landlord. I don't really want to have an eviction on my record.

[ailbhe]

Oh man. Good luck.

[tendyl.livejournal.com]

I'd be pulling my hair out in your place. I wish you lots of good luck!

[papersky.livejournal.com]

If you want to move in, say, May, I'd suggest saying to the landlord, OK, 60 days notice, we'll fight, you'll have to evict us, good luck having us out by next Christmas. OR if you let us stay another four months and move when the weather is reasonable, we'll go with no fuss, and continue paying rent.

Though you might not want to try this is you need a landlord reference for your new landlord.

My previous downstairs neighbour, when the new landlord wanted her out, did essentially that -- she threatened to make a fuss in the papers that would make him look bad, unless he let her stay another three -- ended up being four -- months, which he did.

OTOH, this could be a great opportunity to move now. I can see some ways in which it would be better than in the summer.

[morning-glory.livejournal.com]

Yikes! Good luck with that.

[telerib.livejournal.com]

Let us know if we can lend a hand, either minding Alex or helping cleanup/clean out. I can be a ruthless declutter-er (especially when it's not my stuff!).

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

Might it help to point out to him that he's not likely to sell it anytime soon, and continuing to collect rent from you is more of a win for him, in the meantime? Of course, that would mean having to keep it show ready, but if you can rent a storage locker in the meantime to facilitate the sorting, that might help.

I have some other friends going through this same thing right now, and it bites. I hope something works out.

[curiousangel.livejournal.com]

He's got his eye on another property, so he definitely needs to sell this one ASAP. He also plans to get some work done to this place, like tearing out cabinets and sanding floors, and his already-chosen realtor has given him strong advice that the place will show better if it's unoccupied.

He's trying to pitch it to us with the basement apartment rent as a major feature, but I've declined to point out to him that it sat unoccupied for six months, and he was finally only able to rent it to his brother-in-law, so I'm not taken with the prospects of that rent helping with a prospective mortgage. His tendencies toward deferring maintenance haven't helped matters, either.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

Unpleasant all around, but best of luck!

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

That really does suck with the crappy departure. I'm sorry.

The bright side? I'm not sure if you're ready to buy, but this is a good time. Housing prices are low, interest rates are dropping, housing stock is high... but sheesh. 60 days. Yeah, I'd see what you could do to make that 90 instead.

[minnaleigh.livejournal.com]

EEK! I'm sure you can manage and all but the whole '60 days notice' thing must really get your adrenalin flowing!

[kate_nepveu]

Eek! indeed. The idea of moving house on 60 days' notice is enough to make me crawl under my desk right now and not come out for . . . well, 60 days, not that it would be helpful. =>

Good luck on whatever you decide to do.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Eek. Wow. Good luck!

What are the other places like?

-J

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Fortunately we're not trying to look in a market like yours!

What are the other places like?

Place #1: House directly next door to ours, believe it or not. It's probably just about exactly the same size, but it's set back from the street, so it has a nice little front courtyard.

Place #2: 3-bedroom house two blocks away. We haven't seen it, but based on the location I think it's likely that it will be mostly vertical space, with too small of a main-floor living area to be practical for us. But maybe not. Worth looking at because the location would be so good.

Place #3: 2-bedroom apartment, but 1300 square feet - so, huge. It's part of a renovated mansion and reportedly has a huuuuge elaborate living/dining room and smaller bedrooms. That might actually work very nicely for us, since we spend most of our time in the main room of the house anyway. In Bolton Hill, one neighborhood over from us. In a nice part of Bolton Hill.

Place #4: 2-bedroom apartment, 1500 square feet, probably essentially similar to the previous one (i.e., mostly one huge main room). Also in Bolton Hill, but in a mystery location - which could be a problem. This one has an open-plan kitchen as part of the main room, which I like.

Place #5: Possibly not a good part of Bolton Hill, but large (3BR) and quite cheap. Five blocks away from a good friend of ours, which would be nice, except that her neighborhood has some undesirable qualities.

Place #6: In Federal Hill, which is a downtown neighborhood to the south of us - by the harbor. Near a fantastic covered market, great restaurants, etc. Probably unrealistic because we'd have to commute to work and nursery school.

I am kind of hoping that #3 works out, but of course at this point that's all sight-unseen.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Okay, some of those sound very promising!

I'm confused about why you're not hoping the one next door is the most perfect one, though--it certainly would make things a lot easier to move.

-J

[rivka.livejournal.com]

#3 is $300/month cheaper and would shorten my commute by 15 minutes, both of which are quite appealing. But also, ever since last summer when we looked at that house we really wanted to buy, I've been attracted to floor plans that are less vertical than ours. And I think the house next door is probably laid out very similarly to the one we're in now.

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

Eeek. It seems like you've had a good relationship with him - and you've been tenants in good standing for 5 years, which has gotta count for something. Is there any *reason* he's dead-set on mid-March? I'd ask for some wiggle-room, if possible. You'd think he'd be glad to get more rent from you, especially in this market!

And.... as someone who moved too many times already with a small child, good luck!

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Is there any *reason* he's dead-set on mid-March?

Unfortunately, yeah. They've got an eye on another property they want to buy, and before they can buy it they need to fix this one up and sell it. *sigh*

[zingerella.livejournal.com]

EEk.

That sucks! I hate moving under duress--moving presents enough challenges as it is, even with whatever counts as enough time (is there ever really enough time?). Best of luck, and I hope the gods of househunting favour you.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Hell of a way to spring this on you!

[echosupernova.livejournal.com]

Wow--sorry about the forced move. I'm sure you'll be very busy in the next few months. If you need help with anything, let me know.

I _love_ Federal Hill, by the way. Bolton Hill and your area is very nice and has its advantages, too, though. Good luck with the search and landlord negotiations!

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Federal Hill is cool. Michael drove by the house, and it's actually more like South Federal Hill, but apparently the neighborhood's been cleaned up since the last time we were looking out there. The big issue with moving to Federal Hill, or Fells Point, or any of the other neighborhoods we like, is that Alex is enrolled in nursery school in Bolton Hill. So unless we stay in the Mount Vernon/Bolton Hill area, we'd have to commute to nursery school and then to work every morning. Which doesn't sound fun.

Thanks for the offer of help!

[juthwara.livejournal.com]

Ack! What a shitty thing to do, and a lousy way to end a good relationship.

Good luck with the packing. I can say from the experience of moving three times in the past two years that moving can be very good in that it forces you to jettison a lot of the detritus, but the actual process of moving is rotten to go through.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Good luck; I'm also looking at a sudden move and I can sympathize.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

Blergh. I have no advice, but a lot of sympathy.