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rivkaOur 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!
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!
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Date: 2008-01-17 01:10 pm (UTC)I have some other friends going through this same thing right now, and it bites. I hope something works out.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-17 07:32 pm (UTC)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.