A bit of a complicated situation about where to live...I need impartial input

[shelby6811]

So I moved into a house last month because I had to move fast and it was available. At first it seemed fine, but I hated the floor even before I moved in. It's a painted wood floor and it's impossible to clean, it always feels sticky, it shows all the dirt and it's ugly. I think the wood was painted because the hardwood wasn't in uniform good condition. I hate it. I know that seems petty, but it's making me irritated.

 

The house leans. So much that I can't get the bed in a position where I don't fall out of it when I roll over at night. I can't get comfortable because the floor leans so bad the bed is at an angle. If I drop something on the floor, it immediately rolls under furniture and I can't get at it.

 

Here's the worst: I think my next door neighbor is dealing drugs. He keeps odd hours, there are always cars pulling up at odd hours, only for a few minutes, then they leave after he goes out. I have smelled something like ammonia coming from his kitchen. But the very worst is that people not only go to his house at all hours, they come to my door, too. And they are not happy when I tell them they have the wrong place. It's causing me some serious anxiety, not to mention interrupting what little sleep I get after rolling out of bed a couple of times a night. Every time I hear a knock or the bell at any time now, my heart starts racing and I have a mini panic attack.

 

Some of this is also caused by my landlord. I thought he was nice at first, but he came over for absolutely no reason and peeked through my windows one day. He said he had a complaint from the drug dealer neighbor that I had a cat. Well, I'm allowed to have a cat, but my friend who was traveling through on her way to California was staying with me and she has two cats. So when the landlord peeked in my windows, he saw them and my friend saw him do it. He called me and said "You have too many cats, get them out in a week, I will be by to do an inspection." I couldn't get a word in to explain that my friend was leaving in couple of days, he wouldn't listen to me at all. So she left and I cleaned the house and he came by and said it was fine. But it soured me. I feel like he's watching me, like he could be driving by or peeking in at any time. It's really creeping me out. I changed the locks but the fact that he was peeking in is weird. Why didn't he call me first? Anyway, the neighbor said something to me shortly after that, something about he saw someone coming and going from my house and he thought I lived alone. I guess he saw my friend who was passing through, or maybe my other friend who has a spare key to my house because he works construction nearby and I told him he can go there to cool off for lunch. Why is it the neighbor's business, anyway? Which is what I said. I told him I knew he called the landlord on me (it's also his landlord) and that he better watch his step and his activities. I told him to mind his own business. He covered all his windows with cardboard boxes after I said that, but the traffic hasn't decreased and I still smell something coming from his house.

 

I have found a new place. It's very cute, it doesn't lean, it has lots of things the other house doesn't. It has a police officer living next door. I am scheduled to move in this week, and I'm dreading it. I hate moving and I did it last month. I will have to repack, move again, get the utilities changed over. I am exhausted. I really love the neighborhood I currently live in, but I do not like the landlord or the house all that much. I have never had so much anxiety over a living situation. Your home is supposed to be your haven, your safe place.

 

Am I making the right decision? I hate second guessing myself. I need someone impartial to lay it out for me.

 

Thanks for reading.

[Wiseman2]

Yes, cut your losses the old place sounds more like a crack-house than a home.

[melancholy123]

Of course you made the right decision! Your current place sounds deplorable and IMO having to pack to move is a small price to pay to get into a better home. You should be glad you are moving out of that dump.

[DancingFool]

Of course you made the right decision! Move and don't look back. Your current situation is a complete nightmare and is the real cause of all this anxiety. You can't think straight when you can't get a decent night's sleep and live in constant fear. Also, your landlord is a creep and your neighbor is dangerous. Only a matter of time before something happens and a bullet goes whizzing by through your walls. Seriously, get out and don't ever set foot near there again.

[abitbroken]

heck, i'd report the neighbor to the cops. But good call. Don't stay. The landlord DOES have a right to raise an eyebrow if you have more pets than you are supposed to, but other than that - i am glad you are out of there

[DancingFool]

heck, i'd report the neighbor to the cops. But good call. Don't stay. The landlord DOES have a right to raise an eyebrow if you have more pets than you are supposed to, but other than that - i am glad you are out of there

 

I soooo wouldn't get involved with that. You never know who and how they might retaliate against her. This is one of those where you simply get as far away from the situation as is possible as quickly as possible and that's all. Drug dealers are dangerous people and that's putting it mildly. As for the landlord, he can give her 24 hr notice that he will be stopping by to inspect the property, but he cannot just enter the property or sneak about looking through windows - he is actually trespassing and also it's creepy as all get out. Only exception to entering without notice would be in case of emergency like blown water pipe where he needs to enter to fix asap.

 

 

Shelby I think that the moment you get out of this situation and are finally able to feel safe and have a decent night's sleep, a lot of this anxiety you are feeling will disappear and you'll look back on this and be really really happy you got out. It will be a big sigh of relief and the pain in the rear of packing/unpacking is very small price to pay for your overall health, safety and well being.

[shelby6811]

Thank you Dancing. You said exactly the right thing to make me feel like i am making the right decision. I agree, the landlord is creepy and you know, if he would have just called me, or knocked on the door at the house, either my friend or I could have told him that she was passing through and on her way in a couple of days. But she saw him peek through and it freaked her out and she didn't answer.

 

I also agree with not getting involved with the neighbor any further. He's obviously dangerous and weird (who covers their windows with cardboard boxes? Mini blinds are cheap) and I think he would absolutely retaliate. You are right, not sleeping and feeling unsafe and worrying all the time are causing the anxiety. I am not usually one to second guess myself, but with everything that's gone on lately, I'm a little unsure of my decisions. So thank you again!

[ParisPaulette]

Oh hell yeah, you're making the right decision. From a shifty peeping tom landlord to a drug dealer for a neighbor AND a house that sounds like it's going to collapse one of these days shortly, I see absolutely no pluses to living there.

 

Get thee to the new location now. You may not like moving, but it's better than when the sketchy drug dealer has people mad at him and they come after you, because they're tweaking and get the wrong house. (Actually that happened to a friend of mine, horrible incident and he moved out the next day rather than risk it.)

 

Sorry, a neighborhood you like just doesn't offset the dangers and problems. I get your landlord not being happy about the cats, BUT the way he handled that is not good and/or a clear violation in some place of landlord/tenant rights.

 

Please move and leave that place behind.

[Wiseman2]

Nice touch. Hard to say if it was a meth lab or protection from the voyeuristic landlord

He covered all his windows with cardboard boxes

[catfeeder]

Don't talk yourself into hating the move, talk yourself into pride in becoming the best damn mover there ever was, and look forward to the peace of a new place.

 

Think: anything is a step up from a tyrannical landlord, a dangerous neighbor with hostile friends and a floor that needs rock climbing skills to navigate.

 

Head high, and let us know how it goes!

[Heather Dawn]

Yes! Your current place sounds like a nightmare!

[Ms Darcy]

I wouldn't even spend one more night at that place. Yes, you are doing the right thing to move.