![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-01-17 05:44 pm (UTC)What are the other places like?
-J
no subject
Date: 2008-01-17 06:38 pm (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-18 02:33 pm (UTC)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
no subject
Date: 2008-01-19 03:59 am (UTC)