Land'Lady' from Hell

[Drake2007]

Quick history, in december when our landlady came back from overseas visited and worked on the property, my wife and I were her best Tenants ever.. ( we always pay rent on time, don't make noise and cause *** etc.. )

January comes, we get a 'new lease' to sign and within a day, otherwise she's taking it as notice, after reading the new lease I started fuming at the stupidity of how one sided (in her favour) it was. Also it was drawn up by her lawyer, so obviously we refused to sign.

So anyway, hurray for good friends, my wife and daughter and me have a nice 3 bedroom house to rent..

Unfortunate part is the lease was 2 months notice, and we can't vacate until the end of the month, and therein lay the rub. There's been threats and fights, when people don't do what this bitch from hell says then she gets stupidly immature and threatens e.g. that my bakkie will disappear, she'll turn off our water. There's been yelling matches at our front door.

This landlady, today has assaulted my mother in law (while she was babysitting my 2 yr old daughter) by slamming the door on her arm. If we lay a charge of assault, she'll be put in jail for the weekend and consequently miss her flight back to never never land.

Also there's the question of getting our substantial deposit back...

So what am I asking/saying?

Immediate satisfaction: I seriously want to throw a brick through her car and wait for her to come fighting and then send my fist through her nasty little face. How much *** would I be in for doing that?

Long Term: Our lawyer has basically said she's ****ed up so much that we can get all of our rental payments back since we've been here..

Which way would you go?

 

[Drake2007]

I'm not vindictive or at least try not to be. I do believe in karma, so how does it work?
This woman has converted the garage into a double storey unit without planning approval. Do I wait for the neighbors to complain to the authorities or report it myself?

Obviously it is in my and my families interests, I want my deposit back first before that happens, otherwise I'll never see the money.
Is it wrong to think like that?

 

[agentrfr]

Get your lawyer to smoke her. Press the assault charge.

You'll get far more satisfaction this way.

 

[Fulcrum29]

What do you mean by that the new lease is in her favour?

 

[Drake2007]

Get your lawyer to smoke her. Press the assault charge.

You'll get far more satisfaction this way.

Yeah, Mom in law doesn't want to lay the charge and it is really her choice not to. We'll be out of here next week, my wife just wants the stupid bitch gone, so laying the charge means she misses her flight.

Also the whole 'complex' wants to see her crawl back under the rock. Some of the tenants here are her family which is totally astounding. . .

I'm all for the lawyer smoking her.

 

[Drake2007]

What do you mean by that the new lease is in her favour?

Was a number of points. We would have been liable to repair roof leaks, plumbing, and anything mechanical that broke on the property. Also her lawyers fee (which was unstated) for the lease and stamp duty. Stamp duty doesn't apply to rentals anymore. So basically if we signed, her lawyer could say thanks.. hand over the R2k or whatever he wished.

 

[mr_norris]

All things aside, you're not staying for the notice period. I don't agree with the fighting / assaulting, but you're kind of breaching the lease agreement aren't you?

I'm sure that's grounds for her to keep your deposit at the very least.

I've been fortunate enough to rent from awesome people. Glad I haven't had bad luck on that side of things.

 

[tiaanels]

Stay Put. The long term satisfaction will feel much better and be more substantial.

 

[Celine]

move. never mind if you get the deposit back. you don't want negative karma around you. it will only make you and your family sick and lead to fighting and ill feelings between you and your wife. i don't believe in hanging around negativity whatsoever. what goes around comes around. the wheel turns 360 degrees. she will get what's coming to her but don't make it your responsibility to ensure she gets her come uppance because you are so mad with what has happened. move on with your life and start making a happy home again.

 

[Drake2007]

All things aside, you're not staying for the notice period. I don't agree with the fighting / assaulting, but you're kind of breaching the lease agreement aren't you?

I'm sure that's grounds for her to keep your deposit at the very least.

I've been fortunate enough to rent from awesome people. Glad I haven't had bad luck on that side of things.

She gave us notice in January, we sent 2 lawyers letters already, the last one to negotiate us leaving after a month. She wouldn't let us. So no we're not in breach.

 

[Hamster]

Err... NAME and SHAME the bitch so I know not to rent from her!

 

[Arthur]

Go calmly.
Don't let this ruffle you too much.
Keep the unpleasantness from your family. Don't let this knock you off your rocker. Stay calm and collected.
Recognise it's her house and you had fair use if it in return for payment.
Get another place for your family.
Move, and move on.
Later, try to recover your deposit.

 

[Ancalagon]

Move out and then report her alterations to the garage to the council.

Do not stay in a place like that - get out as quickly as you can. However, its worth giving her a rub like that. She deserves it. You cant let her get away with everything.

 

[Arthur]

I'd advise you against vindictiveness. It only embitters you and produces more contention and strife in your life. Forget about reporting her alterations -- it's a stupid intrusive law in any case, so why play into it. Rather, see the positive side (your situation is clarified, and you can act to improve it). I have so many times seen these sorts of situations tie people into all sorts of emotional and legal knots, and in 99.999% of cases the whole thing falls flat and goes nowhere. So, don't stress. Don't get all knotted. Calmly find another place. Resolve not to raise the subject again with your family and friends (only respond when they ask). Show your family you can take this in your stride. You're capable, competent, in control, unruffled, a reliable dad and husband who's unruffled by these triflings. Don't pick this petty fight which you can't easily and definitively win, making you feel even more disempowered. I mean all this quite seriously.

 

[TheTwo]

Shave her. I'm all for a public shaving

 

[Cube3]

Go the lawyer route, and then when you win, give her a big smile and blow her a kiss.

 

[atomcrusher]

.... Long Term: Our lawyer has basically said she's ****ed up so much that we can get all of our rental payments back since we've been here..

Which way would you go?

I would change my lawyer if he said that. He's irresponsible to even put that thought in your head

 

[ToxicBunny]

Keep calm, move out get as much of your deposit back as possible..

Then report the alterations to the municipality....

I'm doing alterations at home, and I've gone to great lengths to stay inside the letter of the law, and it irritates me no end that other people just do as they please... its cost me a fortune to keep the inspector involved, and all that.

 

[pjjdp]

We might also have a land lady from hell. We gave notice end of Feb but started moving out 2 weeks ago(with her blessing as she wants to paint her house)
Anyway, she already started nitpicking on certain issues(Most of them are on the "broken" list). She has to give us our deposit back soon.
My wife is seeing her at lunchtime today.

Oh and BTW, we also were her best tenants ever.

 

[Cius]

I would get a new place ASAP and then ask for my deposit back. If she gives trouble on that front use the council plans as leverage. Also recognise that its not much leverage. We have idiots next to our complex who built a thatch lapa up agaisnt our walls screwing up our insurance big time and despite many discussions with council and planning guys it turns out that they are essentially thoothless wonders who will not do a thing.