I've only heard from the CL (Crazy Landlady) twice. Once - 10:30 PM - when she stomped up the back stairs to demand that I make less noise above her room. My daughter's room is above her room. No one was in that room. I guess my dishwashing in the kitchen and my boyfriend's packing up of my music books was highly disturbing.
Wait - you say - "packing"?? YES. I'm MOVING. Moving moving moving... (Insert happy dance here.)
The other time she complained was at 9:30 pm a couple of nights later. I got a voice mail saying that she was going to bed and that we needed to "tread more softly" after that time. Note: in 2 years of living there, she has not once complained about "heavy treading". I was immediately tempted to take up Irish dancing. And tap.
But the main reason it's been quiet is the big one - the move. She hasn't willingly spoken to me since I slid my written notice underneath her front door 2 weeks ago.
Now, it's no thanks to her that I'm able to get away from... well, her. You would think, if she disliked me and my horrible ways that much, that she'd be happy to see the back of me. After all, I'm a pretty nasty tenant. I pay my rent on the first of each month (gasp!), I put out my trash and recycling (horror!) and make every effort to be clean and quiet (the humanity!).
I did give her a heads-up - left a voice mail saying that I had a line on a potential rental that was quite close to my daughter's school. Mentioned that he might be calling for a reference. Noted that the place was available for June 1, and that I knew that I would be obligated to pay for June at her place TOO, but was willing to vacate earlier (if approved at the new place) so she could rent it out sooner.
Well, I guess I wasn't clear. Because when the potential landlord phoned her, she decided to hack my rep to pieces. Or try to, anyway. Thankfully, I had told the potential new landloard that CL was a bit "odd", and a little "difficult to please". I'd asked him to give me the benefit of the doubt and to call both references. I also offered him proof that I had paid my rent on time each month.
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| I must be too stupid to read a calendar. |
Good thing too. Because the CL told the new (not-C)L that I "NEVER PAID MY RENT ON TIME" and that I was "trying to get out of paying rent for June".
Never? Never paid my rent on time? In 2 years I paid my rent on time each month, with ONE exception - and that exception was an honest mistake in finance juggling, duly apologized for and never repeated. Each and every month I lived there, the CL would call me on the last day of the month to "remind" me to pay the rent the next day.
She also insisted that I always pay with a certified cheque, after the one error (18 months ago). These cost me $10 each, and need to be done in person, at my bank, during banking hours. You know - when I WORK. So I started paying her in cash on the months I couldn't get to a bank during banking hours.
I will eternally be grateful to my new, non-crazy landlord. Because not only did he decide that she was "a bitter lady", he even told me what she'd said. AFTER he told me that he was going to rent his place to me.
And to top it off? The CL called him back after I gave written notice. She had the nerve to tell him that I'd given notice, and asked if he had rented to me! Here's where my confidence in the new L grew infinitely. He called to tell me about her call - and to let me know that he figured it was "none of her business" and that he had told her no, he had rented to someone else. (I'd already signed the lease.)
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| The sound of me slamming the door as I leave... |
"You won't have to worry about any of that with me," the new L assured me.
Pretty sure this guy is my new hero.
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