Letters to the Editor
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stay and annoy them
stay and annoy them with newfound inner reserves of obnoxiousness. yeah, it's passive-agressive. so what.
it'll be fun!
get in touch with your inner lout. they'll leave.
you'll feel bad about how you went about it-- but it will pass.
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the Palestinian People
You think you got problems?
OY VEH!
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WOOF WOOF
Buy a pit bull.
Acquire some problem cats.
Say that they are your babys.
Don't clean up after them.
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Some support
LW -
Whether or not you decide to stay in your apartment, you might want to ask a friend to be presnt when you have your discussion with your roommates, about who stays and who goes.
The very presence of another person, will help modify the nature of the two against one dynamic that you're in, and you'll have someone to back up your version of events, should it become neccessary.
It is important, however, that your friend act as a silent witness, not as someone to chime in. Your attorney will want you to stick to a specific script, and it's crucial that your friend understands that.
For what it's worth, if it's at all feasable, I think you would be in the right to stay. While moving with an infant is no picnic, it sounds as though both of your roommates are young and healthy. They'll manage.
Best of luck.
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I agree with Cary
I agree with Cary. It's not fair that the LW, the original tenant, should be asked to move out. There is no justice there. Trying to make it just by forcing them out or staying when you are not wanted, however, will be very emotionally draining. It's not just. It's not fair. But moving out is easier on the emotions.
These people, however, are no longer friends. Do not seek revenge. Just walk away from the apartment and the relationship.
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Was Just in Similar Situation
I really relate to Homeless's problem: Two months ago my roommate of five years asked me to leave our 2-bedroom apartment. His "best friend since high school" had just broken up with her girlfriend and needed a place to live. They had always wanted to live together and he knew my significant other and I were getting serious so he asked if I would consider moving out. I said I had been thinking of moving in with my boyfriend and I would consider it.
I come back to him and say I need more time as my bf won't be ready for me to move in until October. For the next month passive-agressive fighting occurs along with guilt trips from him and his friend. I decide it's not worth fighting and beg/convince my boyfriend to let me move in early.
I got my (now ex) roommate his current job, did the lion's share of the housework for five years, and paid the bills when things were in danger of being shut off. Now I have all this unexpressed rage at him that I will probably never get over. Did I make myself a victim by spending years as a martyr? I probably did. But does that mean it's right? I don't think so.
Homeless: If you're the only name on the lease, evict them. If you own the apartment, get a housing lawyer, and evict them. If there is anyway you can do it, remove them from your space.
They will find someone else to exploit before the baby comes. You don't deserve to be punished for your attempts to do good.
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If you do decide to leave...
...print out a copy of your letter and Cary's response and leave it on the kitchen table. It may not be *nice* to kick out a pregnant bimbo and her stud, but they should know that they're getting the place out of misplaced cultural pity and not because they're right -- or worse yet, entitled to it.
Personally, if my name were the only one on the lease, I would make them move out. You are simply enabling them to mooch off others and that's no way to raise a child. They are adults, and parents now, and they got themselves into the homeless mess, not you. And you made the original agreement with the boyfriend, not the mother.
Definitely DON'T let anything like this happen again. You've already sent out the signal to your circle that you're a doormat.
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Whooa!
Cary,
I can't believe you consulted a lawyer and didn't even bother to give the LW any real advice. The LW must protect himself legally first. If the lease is in the LW's name, he will continue to be legally responsible for the rent and any damage for the duration of the lease whether he's there or not. He must insist that the couple either sub-let with a contract if the landlord allows it or preferably that they sign a new lease with the landlord that removes him from it. All this poor chump needs is to be months down the line in his new apartment only to find out his "friends" haven't paid the rent and are long gone and he's responsible. Considering his sad tale to date, this could very well be his trajectory.
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Forget the lawyers
Like I said before, LW doesn't "HAVE" to do anything. The letter writer doesn't "HAVE" to move out. The LW doesn't "HAVE" to evict the other roommates. If LW doesn't DO anything, then LW doesn't "HAVE" to get a lawyer and flush hundreds of dollars down the drain.
LW should just go on living his/her life and let the roomies deal with the consequences when they're not happy about the living situation. The chances are pretty good the roomies will give up and move out.
LW has a financial decision to make - is a month or two of misery worth hanging onto the apartment? If it's a great rent-controlled apartment, staying put might well be LW's best option. LW should figure out exactly how much moving would cost -- rent differential, moving costs, utilities hook up charges, etc. and weigh that against how much unpleasantness he/she is willing to go through. And if moving would put a huge financial strain on the LW, he/she definitely ignore the roomies and stay put. People make the worst financial decisions when they're under pressure.