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I'm joined by Kylie Bato. Hi Kylie. What's the weather like out in Santa Monica today? 42 and we need one.
Oh, unseasonably cool. That must be our record. I wish our prompt was unseasonable temperatures. Oh.
Tell us about a time where your hometown was unseasonably cold or hot. Let's see if we can get there if we can make a connection. Yes, if you've ever been in bad weather and been so uncomfortable in your apartment and then when reached out to your landlord, you were told to fuck yourself. That's right.
Ding, ding, ding. Bad landlord experiences. That's what this is. Yes, we're going to hear from some people that had some undesirable landlord.
One in particular, I still wouldn't mind going over to my car through park and just seeing if I can spot them. I'd like to pop in and just give them a hey, I see you. Don't do it. All right, please enjoy bad landlords.
All times, come and go. Take them slow. Mala, I had them both. Number one thing.
You gotta know. I'm gonna keep on shining. Hello. Hello.
Hi, is Molly? It is. Can you hear me okay? Oh, beautifully.
And you have an assistant I see. You have a second parties here. My technical and emotional support. Oh, wonderful.
He's making sure everything is turned on because I'm not going to touch anything. Well, he's done an incredible job. You sound gangbusters. Great.
So, you're in London. I'm just going to go to the hospital environment. It looks like there's some softness behind you that's really going to make for good sound. We landed in London this morning.
Oh, you're in London. Are you all fucked up from the weird time change? That and this. I don't know where I'm at or what's happening.
Is it for vacation? Two week vacation with my husband. Oh, heaven. Okay, so you're in London on vacation.
So, thank you for taking a minute of your vacation. Otherwise, we just discussed this is that weird day where you can't decide if you're going to stay up until nine or go to sleep at 4 p.m. But you have a great bad landlord story for us. I have a landlord story for you.
So, this is in 2012. I was in my fourth year of optometry school and we go on for three month rotations where short-term housing was a must. And so, it was a scrap together situation where my first rotation was in Austin. They can deploy you anywhere?
You have some choice. You have to kind of fill certain requirements and there's certain options and it's a lottery system and it's this whole shabang. But you really kind of have to figure out your own housing and you're not getting paid. You're still paying for school.
Right. You're an intern, basically. Oh. So, my first one was in Austin.
My first person canceled on me. The second one, they moved out and took all of the furniture with them when I was there. I had to move three times during that rotation. So, my next one was in Daytona.
I was like, we're going to do better. It has to go better. Sure. My sister lived 40 minutes away so I had her vet the place that I found.
And she's like, yeah, it's a studio. It's small, but it's off the beach. I think it has everything you need. So, my husband flew in and we drove from Austin to Daytona.
We get there. The landlords drive up. It's like this nice looking middle-aged couple in a bright yellow Hummer. Oh, perfect.
Yes. And this historic Tudor home, beautiful. And they're like, oh yeah, come around as a gravel lot. And we park and the place is actually in the back house, not in the main house.
And it had three units in it, two side by side and one on top. And mine was in the one that didn't have one on top. So I was like, well, that's good. It looks quiet.
We unlocked the door. We walk inside and we look at each other and we're like, roaches. So, for anybody now, I'm sure they might not know that roaches have a smell. And that was the smell.
Oh. It was furnished, but it was just a single bed, two armchairs, and then there's a small kitchen in the bathroom. So, it wasn't a lot of furniture. I was trying to figure out how it's going to work with the bed.
So I had luckily, I don't know, had an ear mattress from the time I was living in the empty apartment. I had it deflated and put it over top of the bed. Okay. Smart.
Thinking that would kind of protect my body a little bit. Sure. I didn't use the armchairs at all and just had a folding chair and made it work. And so there was all kinds of problems.
So I kept texting the landlords. I'm like, look, there's a roach problem. The fire alarm is chirping. There's always three life holes in the whole place, but two of them are burnt out.
I need some help. And they're like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll get turbanex out. For the first time in my entire life, I took up running and so I would go to work.
I would run on the beach until the sunset. I would come home. I would cook dinner and then I would have a battle in the kitchen of who were the bravest roaches that night. Kill them all and then clean up and put everything in the outside trash thinking like, I would minimize my risk while sleeping.
So finally after like pleading with them, they're like, okay, I'm going to send somebody out. They're going to treat the place that weekend. I went and stayed at my sisters. I come home and I'm like carrying my bags, I'm unlocking the door and I'm kind of clocking in my periphery that there are roaches in the gravel right outside of the apartment.
Live or dead? Common nation, they seem to be kind of moving through the gravel away from the unit and like open the door and they fall from the door frame. Oh, running out of the place. It was a bugpock lift.
There were roaches in all states of dying across every single surface. Oh my God. A wave of smoke comes out. So I look and they had set off three bug bombs in a couple hundred square foot unit and all of the windows were sealed shut.
Oh, so there was no way to air it out. All of my belongings are inside. And I call them and I'm like, this is not to me next. Like you guys just set up bug bombs and all my belongings.
You didn't tell me how to clean up everything, how to wash everything. Oh, and I was like, this is just disgusting. I don't think I can stay here and they're like, oh, it's fine. I honestly just cleaned everything up.
I continued on my business and not long later, I was using like the laundry, which was outside and a huge thunderstorm comes through, which is pretty typical for like Florida summers. And I'm going in and out and in and out and I look up and over the bed, there's a huge sag forming in the ceiling. Oh boy. We have a problem.
So I give them a call, goes to voicemail. I was like, look, it's raining. There's a water leak. It's right over the bed.
We need to get somebody out here immediately. I'm like texting pictures. Nobody is answering. Like the phone calls are kind of just integrating into panic.
I come back in one more time and the ceiling has caved in on the bed decades of roach debris. Oh, oh, garbage has fallen from this ceiling. And at this point, I call them and imagine just laughing. I'm like, the worst has happened.
It's on my bed. Oh, I don't know what else to say. And so they finally come out and they're like, oh, wow, yeah, I guess that's going to take a little bit to fix. And I was like, yeah, like you're going to have to compensate me to stay at a hotel.
And they're like, actually, now they have another unit available in the big house. And even though it would be more expensive, they'll graciously let me stay there at the same cost. Oh my God. Do you take them up on that offer?
Of course. Shake off my air mattress. I feel that beboi up. And then once again, living in another empty apartment on an air mattress to the major of the time.
Oh, was the big house inundated also with cockroaches or was it better? Obviously, you don't have the same water leaks. We don't have the same mold and you couldn't smell the cockroaches in the same way. I mean, there were still bugs.
Wow. It wasn't like a battle to the death every night. This is bringing back some PTSD from my 10 years in the apartment in Santa Monica where we fought the cockroaches, AKA grumblies. We fought the grumblies valiantly daily for 10 years.
And you couldn't do anything about it because we had neighbors that were below us. You couldn't control what was happening there across the hall. And we would let those bug bombs off occasionally. Like when you were going to be on a town, we'd put one under the sink.
And as I told Monica, which goes throughout, you start killing them with your hands. I don't need to get to that point. Well, they're so big. Yeah.
Yeah. That proportionally I couldn't do it. Shoes and stuff. You have a paper towel over your hand and just start smashing?
I'm surprised. I mean, I'm not because you have strong hands, but you have to have a surface. Like my hand also wouldn't be too squishy. You can do it.
They die pretty easy to cut up the top of it. Shoes are good. I'm more of a stomp or a smack with the flip up. But they're resilient.
I mean, you really have to mean it when you kill them. They got their reputation for a reason. Georgia has a fair share as well. Those are the states.
Yeah. Cockroach said, La Cuca, Rocha. No, Bueno. Anyway, wow.
Wow. What a disgusting story. I loved it. I think on the cake was they never gave me my security deposit back.
They said that I had actually owed them like $60 or something. That's why they couldn't send me my $500 back. Oh my god. Oh.
This is kind of a slum lordy. It's going to be a slum lordy. You do. And a bully.
You know, maybe these two, they're like, we're going to be in the management business, but they're just ill equipped. What can we say? Can we make any excuses? No, they're just they're running slums.
They're like, we want to make some money. They arrived in a rusted out Honda prelude. That makes it different, right? You're like, oh, they just kind of afford to maintain these places.
Yeah. Full size yellow hammer. Wow. Well, Molly, that was fantastic.
I'm so sorry you went through that. But I imagine now that you're a sorted out optometrist, you're probably doing okay. It's all part of the story now. So we need some London.
You're pretty good. I'm in Europe and talking to you guys. Thank you so much. The hassle got me there.
So it all comes around, right? Yes. Well, thank your husband for us for doing such a great job. Technically, thank you so much.
Do you mind if he says hello? Really? Hello. Hello.
Maybe give him one earbud. Maybe one of the two. See, I know how nothing works. I try to be IT support as I can.
You did a stellar job. Thank you. Everything ran perfectly. For this, I kind of kick off our ten year anniversary, it's really exciting so...
Oh, we had the best tip for you. You're in London. Absolutely go eat immediately at Lena stores. There's three or four locations, it's the best Italian I've had outside Italy.
It's insane. All right. I was trying to instastock Manico when she was in London recently. Yeah.
You should definitely go to brat, BRAT. It's in shortage and you have to get the fish. You get this whole fish and it's unreal. Just take my word for it.
If you eat fish, go there. We love fish. Okay, brat, you gotta get... Oh, wow.
Oh, hum. I got to go. You guys have a spectacular two weeks. We're both jealous that we're not also Start as a place Lizzie I liked it, but it got in my head like it wasn't as good as I know I know I know I know I hate her guts.
Hello Oh, look at you're on a sure he'd be seven as well, aren't you? I know I thought I'd be all matchy, but you guys got these fancy ones now Well, these are brand new and they were a gift from the kind folks at sure You might notice it's got our signature yellow around the outside. That's nice. Yeah, Tim Where are you at you seem to be in a mid-century modern something?
Yeah, I'm a Minneapolis. Are you a music producer? I am not a music producer I'm a musician, but my day job is building drums actually. Oh cool Manufacturing them I own a drum company with a couple other guys.
Oh wow you start with what maple plywood? What do you start with? So we get our shells made locally here and we have two different variations maple and mahogany and then poplar What's poplar? It's just softer.
It's kind of what a lot of the old vintage drums had so we're kind of doing the vintage inspired thing It's called Franklin drum company Company wonderful make sure to order a full kit from Franklin drum company. Okay, so Tim you had a bad landlord experience I sure did this was 2017 actually took place in Detroit. Oh, I can't say I'm shocked to hear this Please proceed so my wife and I were living in Chicago at the time planning to move to Detroit had some friends and family there So I went out about a month before we were gonna move and I did the whole apartment shopping struck out the whole morning And then afternoon I met up with this guy I'll call him Dave so I don't get him in trouble in any way So Dave rolls up and brand new ram 1500 gets out 5 5 5 6 stocky dude doesn't really make eye contact You can tell he's really nice, but pretty difficult to have a conversation with okay But he tells me that he's got a handful of houses in this one neighborhood Were you looking like royal oak or something where we look no I was actually in Bagley seven mile in liver No, okay real Detroit in the thing So he shows me a couple places and he says they'll renovate them as they get rented seems like a great option We're moving in a month is it gonna be ready? It's like for sure no problem like great.
Well, let's go with this one Is this cute little brick bungalow the upstairs was unfinished? She said we'll throw in primary bedroom with a bathroom up there for you It'll be great talking back and forth as I'm back in Chicago like hey Can you paint it all white like why not sure it sends me pictures? Oh the whole interior is white so this might be pretty good So we pull up with our u-hall and it is not habitable yet, and there's people staying there. Oh It's just not livable so I call him right away.
I'm like hey, so it's not done and we're here what's going on He's like I guess they haven't finished up yet I'll pro rate the rent and we were able to just stay with our family I was like okay, so yeah, I've got guys staying there at night. So nothing gets stolen. Oh Sounds good. Well, just keep me posted on when we can move in about a week and a half goes by It's like we have the main level done the upstairs still needs to be finished like okay We'll move in so we get there and there's just construction trash all in the backyard half sheet supply wood the back porch was covered in Soot from like a bonfire that somebody had there's bugs everywhere I've just been making a list I'm just like okay Dave This is what we've got going on here They finally finished the upstairs after a couple weeks the door to the bathroom was too short So somebody pulled a piece of trim off the floor and stuck three drywall screws in it to make it the right height Okay, stuff like that.
Oh wow You had the best intentions, but it's like this guy might be in over his head. Yeah Yeah, the first rain had a hole in the roof. Oh, even just like a drip just a stream of water Took about a month to get that one fit. Can I ask how much the rent is this is 16?
You said 17 and it was 1150 okay, and it sounds like it shouldn't be above 400 bucks for what you got so far We were paying the same amount for that places we did in Chicago. Oh wow So I thought maybe that price would get us a little better. Yeah an improvement So we went through four refrigerators in four months. Oh boy He kept getting used ones that would freeze our food or food would go bad And I was probably texting him once a week at least every time we talked on the phone He was so apologetic.
He seemed really earnest about it So I'm like okay, I guess I'll keep giving him benefit of the doubt We'll get this sorted and he starts trying to become friends with me I think too because maybe I was just so nice Understanding at one point he sent me a selfie of him and some videos at like a Metallica concert. Oh No context just hey, dude check it out Yeah, you should be worrying about my roof right now maybe or at least pretending to be worried He also had this battle going on with a thief stealing tools and stuff from his storage facility So he's sending me CCTV videos and like hey if you know anything I don't know anything about that and then a little while later He just text me a picture and he goes I got him and Rob actually has a picture for you to look at oh Oh my god in Rob printed it. Let's see wait. Oh I'm gonna know these people but let's see wait Okay, but there's so much so Detroit versus everybody is the shirt the man's wearing he's standing above somebody who's on the ground Sitting crisscross applesauce with their hands behind their back.
He's tied up with an extension cord Oh, right. I can see the extension cord and he's pointing angrily. That's the dude though from the truck, huh? That's my landlord.
Oh god cuz he looks kind of taller there than five angles The landlord is pointing somewhere. It's as if he's telling me to get out, but he's roped up. You're not welcome. I got you man Get out, okay, okay, good job.
Yeah, and six months in we're like we just gotta get out of this So we break our lease and don't have to pay anything. He was really amicable We thought that was that and then about six months later I get calls and letters from collections agencies what at first? I was like oh my gosh I had my tax info mailed to the old house or something someone got a hold of my information somehow and I'm digging through the accounts and one of Them is a AT&T home services one of them's Brinks home security ones a Lowe's credit card and all the addresses are Homes that were managed by Dave No So we did he steal my identity? Yes, so I try calling him a bunch cuz I still have his number no answer I call the property management company and I say did Dave get a new number.
I can't get a hold of them They're like we don't have contact with him. He never existed. I don't know who you're talking about And so as I'm given the police report. Oh you file a police report into truck, which I've done what an encouraging experience You really give sense.
They're gonna follow up talking to the detective and I say okay I don't have official proof, but I think I know who it was I think it was my old landlord Dave whatever and she goes Oh, oh, I know that name. Oh, he was mr. Vigilante last summer Right, so we apparently didn't have a great connection with the police because they were all upset that he held this dude in the house waiting for the cops to come He like citizens the restless old guy and the whole thing They knew of him but also couldn't get a hold of him And I went through the whole process of fixing everything and all the affidavits Oh then happens again the exact same time of year the next year and it's like a coals card Oh my god a DTE account, which is the energy company in Detroit. What a fucking nightmare Oh my god, and then that was it that was the last round of it Did you have to get a new social security number or anything like that?
I didn't know I just was able to set up all the fraud alert stuff So is there a pain in the neck when you want to do something out? Yeah, there's a couple extra steps I have to do Wow, so Dave was a vigilante a landlord A thief or a lot of hats you are hat in this picture. He is wearing a hat backwards. This shirt Detroit versus everyone it really says it all Detroit one baby me Tim zero well, I'm very sorry.
That was your experience in Detroit I can't seem terribly shocked, but that's a bummer. Hey got me here. It's so great to meet you guys. Thanks for having me Yes, of course take care.
I was sweet people just in America. I was some people with calls from other countries Well, they have but I was American. Yeah, I mean you want to rush him. Yeah, can you imagine the bad landlord stories that exist in Russia?
All right, here's David hello. Hey Caitlin. Yeah, that's me. How are you and do you have a picture of your family on your show?
No, is that NKT OB? What is that? Is it in sync? This is no doubt?
No, of course it is she looks like a little child from our angle She was at that time. Yes, this is big sister. It was hot topic to you from like 1990 something Oh, love it. Anyways, you have a bad landlord experience.
Oh, do I and it was my live in Los Angeles I was there for four years I came home during the pandemic and the reason why I came home right when it started was because of my super fun landlord experience His real name is Ryan, but he made us call him a to love. Okay. Can I ask what part of the city? This isn't it was in MacArthur Park.
Oh, okay And he was technically the property manager who lived on site It was like an old Victorian really close to the red line and his mom owned it But it soon became evident that she didn't really know what to do with him and so she gave him this job and he Retavic he renamed himself after a till of a hunt and that's what he made us call him He didn't have any East Asian ethnicity to warrant the hunt distinction. He was Korean. Oh, okay I think the Huns are up in Mongolia, but okay, so he's a going by a tell of the hunt I'd already been warned about him So I moved into a room in a house that was full of people I knew but literally the first day I moved in he had to come in To our apartment to take care of some pigeons that were in the attic and literally an hour later He leaves and I see one dead in my roommates bathroom skylight. Oh He had killed them by spraying them in the face with like poison and Windex or something.
Oh, oh my and then left it there Oh, you know, clearly he's struggling people would often think that he was like a homeless man that wanted on to our property And I'm like, oh no, that's a till-up I give him money every month to be like always shirtless. He had a missing front to do you spend any time across the street in MacArthur Park Smoring no because his drug dealer came to him. Oh, it was a white Mercedes into windows. It's like on the dot every two weeks Oh, okay, right in this little pipe with always like a front porch or something so you're smoking math out of magic I think so I originally started off feeling very bad for him because I was like this person clearly is a lot of issues And my roommates at the time I've been there for over a year already would just dig into him all the time Never so like you guys but things progress just more and more and then I learned that he's quite indicative things really became problematic When I became the person of the house who I turned in the rent check because other people had moved out and you were moving up the responsibility ladder there Yeah, so he got my number and that's where things got pretty weird.
He was already kind of a character when I gave the rent check He would be an act like he'd been in for me, you know, he'd be like this and then this and I'll be like dude Just please take the front check. I got my roommate Greg He had to move back home to New York and it's all about extremely mad about that because he didn't ask him first I quote like in a text message and he just lived out on us We started getting notices on our door if like he could enter in 24 hours He can like two weeks he put up 22 notices on our door Oh my god Making up reasons to come in and trying to use the year and intimidation to get us out of there He was very sensitive about his manhood So like someone didn't ask me so he just went off I had seen him do this to two young women that live below us one day They just look so scared and we're out like a week It was so I started contacting my tenes he means because he's trying to evict us You know he technically didn't have a right which I learned and then COVID hits he's on the property with us And that's where we were like oh no because things had just started getting weirder one day I woke up like 1 a.m. to him screaming my name and calling me every name in the book I'm saying they're gonna burn our apartment down. Oh my god.
Oh he's on one. Yes that time I did all the police Yes, and it's always so funny when they would interact with me and then like okay Yeah, we'll go check him out and then they go talk to me and they're like you weren't lying like he's got problems I'm like yeah, my bedroom had the back door to our parking and his back door through his bathroom and they share the same stoop Oh, no, I would hear all this and going in out it was wild. So yeah, COVID hits and so we were like we're leaving We're not paying this last month's rent that could be our security deposit and we're getting out of here I tried calling the police on us from January to March things I got so bad. I counted I stopped texting him in January He texted me over 200 times.
I'd wake up like 30 texts and just rambling about himself and back to like us What kind of things was he updating you on about himself? He like entered a karate tournament or something sometimes It was everything from what he wants to do to how he's feeling and back to like insulting me It was always kind of vendor and it was just trying to fought. Yeah, oh boy But really really bad we all got out of there so fast and he fights on I left my roommates left like two days after two I got so bad that he said he was gonna find me and that he was a three-nason and that him His brothers were gonna like track me down with the powers of the Illuminati pretty much But I ultimately got granted a restraining order against him because he wouldn't leave me alone I'm calling texting emailing and it was all through zoom because it was started COVID and during the hearing He sat in my old room and I old chair and I showed either room I want to go meet him no Redline he's a character actually because I have out the police report from the time he has gone through our back door And I had the report that he texts all these times actually took a case on my behalf against him and they represented me And I believe I technically won but they said that because he'd been sent to court so many times that they didn't want to do anything But like counseling for him and thought that was just a waste of time. So they just dismissed it He probably the treatment center.
Yeah first and foremost. Maybe a couple. Yeah Nice long-term inpatient. Did he ever try to fight any of the boys in the apartment?
He didn't but he always would say that he could and like would describe like punch you in the john and the head Oh, he's eight years old. He was 100% like a man child. Well, I'm glad you got away from it till the hunt wasn't false advertising It turns out. Well, it was wonderful meeting you.
Thanks for telling us that story and I'm really hoping I would love to check I want to know what's going on. I will love your take. I'll start cruising my car through park I got a good I'm not allowed to go there. I think I can figure it out.
All right. Well, Caitlin. Thank you so much It was really great meeting you. It was nice meeting you guys too.
Thank you. Yeah, all right. Take care Oh my lord. You know like held hostage in your apartment.
This makes your stitch a little more palatable. You had a nosy. Yeah Yeah, I mean, I guess I'll say he passed away a couple weeks ago and it is really sad Yeah, it's one of those weird things because he was a bit cranky and nosy and I rolly But now that he's passed you feel it in the building. Yeah, that's a bummer It really is then just it goes to remind you to just be yeah, just like take it easy on people a little bit All right, let's talk to Mara Kate Mara.
Oh, the way her sister says it though. Not her. It's not Mara. It's Mara Right.
Hello. Is this Mara? It is Mara. Oh wonderful.
And was there a third party in the room? It's my friend. She's a huge fan I'm gonna head in there. She came from world support.
Oh great. Was she involved in this landlord debacle? She was around for all of it. She wasn't there for the actual landlord debacle So we'll keep her quiet as much as possible.
Okay. Good luck. Where are you at in the country? I live right out of Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Oh, of course. I went there as a child Okay, so tell us when and where this happened happened in Palm. Ira is the name of the town that we live in then count over from Hershey I guess it all started when we found out that we were pregnant with our second child Which was in 2017 and we decided that we need a bigger place We spent months looking finally found a place on Craigslist, which probably should have been my first red flag But we went and looked at it and it seemed great. So in April of 2017, I was six months pregnant And we also had a four-year-old hands full.
Yeah, so we move in everything seems okay at first So in August we start to have some electrical issues and we contacted the landlord Landlord says I think it's just like an issue with the electric company. It's not in the house I'm like maybe yeah, so we contact the electric company They come out they look at it and they're like we think it might be on our end But we also aren't convinced that it's not an issue with house because no other house on the street is having issues fast forward to August 30th I give birth he six weeks after that gets sick. He's in the hospital with ours be oh no Yeah, it was a rough time we get home from the hospital after a week of staying there 24 seven with our infant My parents had come to help us take care of our other son and my mom is making dinner the day We get home from the hospital and she's like you're still visit working and I was like, that's weird And then I went up to use the bathroom and our upstairs turned on the light and all the lights in the downstairs start strobing We contact the landlord and he's like also an over an electrician. It might be tomorrow And we were like no it really needs to be as soon as possible.
So he sends over the electrician electrician is drunk. Oh Smells of booze flaring words. It's kind of a mess So the landlord gets there and we were like this man can absolutely not do any electrical work on our house He sends him away and he says we need to replace the electrical panel in the house Which is a pretty hefty project so he ends up Regudgingly replacing the panel himself this man is not electrician So also I must add this is a four-bedroom duplex we don't have access to the basement He has it padlocked from the outside and nailed shut from the inside. Mmm, so we're like alright That's kind of weird, but we were just in baby world and kind of let it go He fixes the electric panel things seem like they're okay.
So now we fast forward to the week of Christmas So 2017 going into 2018 two days after Christmas we start to lose heat in our downstairs We contact the landlord once again, and he's like, you know on the way you have cute me upstairs So just kind of deal with it just living the upstairs so New Year's day January 1st of 2018 He comes to our house and he's like when I lived here we did all of the plumbing and all of the work ourselves He's like in a pipe for the heat runs outside of the house now mind you it's like between zero and ten degrees this whole week He's like I'm gonna have to thaw the pipe I was angry and had zero faith in this man. My husband says go to work. Let's have some faith in him Let's get you out of the house so you don't quarrel with him Yeah, and it was like bound to happen so go to work which is about two minutes away, and I was there for maybe about half an hour to 45 Minutes I didn't have my phone on me I was doing stuff and one of my employees comes up to me and says hey your husband's on the phone he seems like really upset I thought it was weird because he never called me at work and he's like the house is on fire Oh, I don't even remember driving I like appear back at our house, and I walk up on the front porch because I'm just seeing red I also knew that at that point they were in a neighbor's house, and they were warm and safe So I see my landlord first person standing there, and I said what the fuck happened He puts his head down and walks away It says nothing to me Doesn't even address it come to find that the landlord was sawing the pipe for the heat with a blowtorch He let all of the insulation and the floorboards in our living room on fire and it went up through the walls And it was a mess In this locked-and-nail shot basement he had drywall and other insulation and all kinds of stuff So he let all that on fire So in the melee after everyone is safe, and we kind of get settled my husband and him have some words And my husband says we are moving out as soon as possible before the fire trucks had even left the house We got a tax message from the landlord to me and my husband saying I acknowledge You're moving out and as long as you have all of your property out by January 20th Then I will return your security deposit after he let her house on fire with me and my two children oh my God So we immediately know we need a lawyer because at this point It's like he's evicting us for lighting our house on fire Yeah, we had nothing to do with this we contact a lawyer We had runners insurance, but he's like we're gonna make a claim on his homeowners insurance because he's at complete liability for the Soled situation the lawyer contacts the homeowners insurance He says to us any detail lists all the stuff long story short He says leave all the damage property in the home take none of your personal belongings that were damaged leave it all there We're like, okay, so we moved everything out. We found a place luckily within a week to move into we successfully had an actual home That wasn't on fire and had heat and electric that function correctly We get a certified letter from the landlord telling us that he would be keeping our security deposit of $1,300 And also charging us another $700 on top of that for nail holes and For the home that he lit on fire.
Oh, wow Oh, my God Doctor lawyer again luckily it all worked out and he with a strongly worded letter contacted the landlord and said absolutely not Oh, and it was $50 an hour for his labor. Oh my God, which clearly would be himself since he's doing everything Yeah, his own labor. We were gonna pay him $50 an hour to repaint. Oh, I would have disaster all while you have a brand new baby Too much Gary.
It was pretty awful, but I mean it all worked out in the end and luckily we had a village So they really helped us kind of rally. I'd be curious who moved in there I'd want to like drive by and see who's living there and just chit chat like how's it going in there? We had a rough go over there. Are you doing any better?
I had said on numerous occasions I was like I just want to write a letter and leave it in the mailbox. Yeah, I was like let's just let it go I'm afraid I'm the you in my relationship I'm so sorry that all happened to you, but of course well, I appreciate you telling us that story shame on that dude I hope he's minimally hiring some skilled laborers Well last I had seen him he I don't think is renting anymore. He works at our local lows. Oh Okay, we're getting more familiar with like hammers.
Hopefully not getting anybody advice on throwing pipes. Oh, I probably would have used the same method Really? Yeah, blowtorch on a frozen pipe. Maybe I guess I would have been more mindful of what I was also blasting I hope but who knows at least not around insulation and you know wood yeah and family inside Maybe maybe ask them to go over to sizzler something for a couple hours away working on this I mean anything would have been better than his method.
So thank you so much for telling us that story Please wave to your friend for us. Yeah, thank you. Okay. Bye.
Oh Okay, well, we've had some moments of gratitude. Yeah I want to dedicate this to Stephen. Okay, Stephen is my landlord that passed and he was a good man You know I had an apartment for ten years, but there was no landlord I have the owners live in the building and then there's also a landlord. It's so cute Actually the nice man who passed was an owner when I'm hearing these stories I will say it was telling about who I was I never called to complain about the cockroaches I just kind of like new this is never gonna get so we also knew the building like it didn't seem like the type of building where they Were gonna come out.
How many people have been blowing me unless they were to get rid of them which I didn't want I had versions of all those landlords in Chicago. You did pretty much I've had some fiery General those a little more on the up and out there's renters rights here. No, my bad wouldn't have been here We had one where I'm pretty sure that the landlord's brother was living in the garage. Okay, sometimes we'd see him in his jam jams Oh, yeah, yeah walking in the back yard Just he live here right or see doing some painting in there.
I wanted to wear his jam jams We have one of those in a van in the parking lot behind our apartment in Chicago. Oh, he was living in the van and managing the Man I'm managing the drugs in the van. Yeah, sounds like drugs are a good companion piece for your landlord Really, you don't have to go anywhere. You're at work.
Yeah, that's true. All right. Well, I love you I love you everyone out there with a bad landlord some reprieve sounds terrible