Hi everyone! Hope all of you are well and good. If not, then best wishes for a speedy recovery. I’ve only had a few spare moments the past few weeks to stop by and catch up on things so, “Happy B-days” and “congratulations” to everyone who had anything or did anything while I was gone.
I am soooo tired.
DID I MAKE A BIG MISTAKE? I just don't know!! I am so confused and tired.
We just came home from spending the entire morning in court haggling between attorneys’s.
I should feel vindicated, some what, but I just feel exhausted. Just thinking, or realizing, this is only round one is even more exhausting. Now begins the real fight. We go after them.
They were going after us on this round. They tried to blame us for the cracks in the foundation! I still can’t believe their attorney actually allowed that one to leave his mouth. I couldn’t help it, I laughed out loud. Spontaneous involuntary reaction to ludicrous statements made by “higher intelligence” I couldn’t help it.
They didn’t even want to address the mold. Cough*%*#*.
We decided, after haggling hours in the corridor, to settle out of court, I don’t know if it was the smartest move but at least that part is over and we did come out ahead on the first round.
They made an offer, after hours of tossing offers back and forth, that we agreed on.
They cut our rent in ½ retroactive from June 2003 until October 2003 and we agree to move in October if they dismiss their case. We did not wave our rights to file a suit against them for punitive damages, that wasn’t even brought up, which is the next thing on our agenda.
We came to a mutual agreement…finally and called it a day, leaving immediately to find the nearest Starbucks for a frap.
I am going shopping now for the best law firm available to go up against these people regarding the structural problems and the mold issue and the fact that we have been ill for months at a time. Every winter we are sick and have bronchitis among other problems. Depression etc…
Today the court was not interested in our case against them, as we were the defendants this time. At least we agreed on a workable settlement out of court/trial. I hope it wasn’t a mistake to settle and not go to trial. I just want to get through this stage quickly so we can go on to our complaints against them. They were suing us for non-payment of rent today and evicting us for withholding rent until they repair the apartment.
What a big farce this case is.
I hope the newspaper reporter has more sand then our attorney. But then again, I should be happy we were in a position to haggle as much as we did.
We will look back on it and laugh…I guess.
Any who…I made myself a promise and I am going to keep it. There are elderly disabled people living here and a few people with small children who seem to be as much in the dark about the dangers of mold as I was a few months ago. NO! MORE in the dark as I was because they are content to keep quiet about it for fear of being evicted.
I can understand how they feel SORTA, but I’m not going to just go away and carry on with my life and forget about this as if it is not my problem any more.
I don’t care if it takes me years, I will turn over every moldy rock I have to until this building is condemned and this slumlord pays the tenants who remain here to find a clean place to move to.
I am so sick and tired of being told by city office and county office and state office and on and on that because this building is located in Rancho Palos Verdes there isn’t much that can be done. I’m beginning to think this hill is run by a bunch of pantywaists who lost their balloks. This is a town/city literally made of money and run by those who have it. Human rights take a back seat here.
Most buildings are well kept and maintained and most landlords do care and keep up their buildings, but not all. Those few that don’t seem to be able to hide under the protection or wings of those who have good reputations and that must to change. Demit!
I’m pssssed off and won’t be unpssssed for quite awhile. If we manage to prevail in this battle up and coming, I think I will pursue a new career as an advocate for tenants of slumlords in rich housing districts. I just feel like kickin some rich slum butt.
I needed to chill a bit and rant a bit. I feel better now. LOL! Hahahahaha.
I apologize for the wordiness and “in the first person crap” but I’m just too tired to rearrange my sentences and paragraphs.
I would really like to hear from some of you with experience in these sorta of matters. What do you think or how do you think our settling out of court today will affect our suit against them? That I guess is my main concern. Wondering what the after effects will be. The case is supposed to be completely dismissed and be as though it never was after October. Their case against us that is.
We settled with accepting a credit of $3,000.00 today after which we will owe them nothing, if we agreed to move in October. However, this money only goes to the amount of rent we were paying. It does not have anything to do with our case against them. They were suing us today for $6,000.00 plus court costs and attorneys fees but settled on $2,900.00 if we move away. We give them $2,900.00 and stay until October 15 th giving us time to set up a new place to live and call it even. What it all boils down to is 2 months free rent; they eat their own attorneys fees, pay all the court costs and drop their case. We move in October paying no more rent between now and then.
Our attorney said it was a good offer. We accepted it.
Boy aren’t they going to be surprised when we move away but don’t “go away” LOL! BWAAAAAAAAA! They think we are going to forget about everything but we are not.
I’m not going to forget they are poisoning people and refuse to do anything about it other then hide it!
I do want to find an attorney though that has the experience and know how to fight this for us. I lost confidence in our attorney today. I think we could have done better. I didn’t want to risk having him fight this via trial and lose finding ourselves with 2 weeks notice and a $6 or $7,ooo.oo bill to choke on after attorneys fees and court costs are added in the slumlords favor.
plum