Dear Diary
Today was the day – time to move out. Since the other (normal) housemate had moved out things were a bit weird in the house. I’d had a dinner party as a house warming and the landlord invited his alcoholic brother and nieces (5 and 7 years old). My friends enjoyed the evening and it was relatively tame with food, conversation and sing star.
A few days later when I said I was going to visit my family for two days (and use their internet to finish university assignments as his internet hadn’t been connected the past month!) he decided to send me a text message. He said that we needed to talk about why he and his brother had to be removalists and cleaners for the party. I said that we should also take that opportunity to discuss internet and the garage space I was promised. He promptly replied that he was not in the habit of repeating himself – internet in another week or two and the garage will be converted into a billiards room.
The background to his removalist and cleaner statement is: At my request they moved two sofas to either side of the dinner table to that everyone could sit at the table. He had asked last minute how he could help prepare for our 10 guests and I said cleaning. Three hours later I had finished all the food preparation and cleaned the house as he hadn’t done anything. He and his brother come down 30 minutes before our guests were due to arrive and asked what they could do. I told them that everything had been done but they insisted on tidying and re-vacuuming.
To put things into perspective further about the unease of living in that house I’ll share a minor drama on the evening of the dinner party. Just before our guests were due to arrive the two nieces were walking around the house naked as they’d been playing in the jacuzzi and couldn’t find their clothes! Grown men and women were about the ring the door bell. I found the landlord and his brother smoking and drinking on the balcony and made them tend to the situation.
The house was left in a respectable condition afterwards and cleaned to a high standard the following day. Thankfully, the other housemate had his exit condition inspection that day and could contest to the house being in perfect order.
After receiving the catty message from my landlord I decided that I needed to move out immediately. I organised with my family to drive down the next morning to the house so that I could collect my belongings and leave. I knew that we had until 11am as he’d be hung-over and sleeping until then.
The plan unravelled without a hitch. We arrived at 9am and I went into the house and started packing up my belongings. As I went I tidied and took photos as evidence. I would run bags down to the front door and my parents loaded up the vehicles. It took probably an hour for the whole operation to take place.
At the end I took photos of my notice to vacate and a form explaining that he needed to lodge my bond ASAP as he had failed to do it over the past month. I prepped a text message with these forms attached. It read:
Hi XX
I am giving you 7 days notice of intention to vacate (Form XX). As I pay 2 weeks in advance I will require the rent I have paid from XX to XX to be refunded to me. You can pay this to the bond authority to transfer on to me. The ad says nothing about a months notice.
Please submit my $1000 bond to the bond authority as discussed. They required it to be lodged within 5 days of me asking you this time and giving you the form XX (attached).
I will return keys on or before XX as that is the last day of my tenancy. I’ve cleaned so trust that you will find the house in as good an order as when I moved in.
Please no intimidating or threatening text messages.
Many thanks,
Anastasia
I then went and knocked on the door of the entertainment room (he doesn’t sleep in his bedroom upstairs when he’s drinking). I handed him the forms and told him that if he needed to contact me that he could do so via text message only. I clicked send on the pre-prepared message. He said to me that he couldn’t accept the forms as I walked out the front door and closed it.
Within a few minutes he had sent two text messages – lawyers were to be involved and that he wasn’t giving my money back. Then more messages came – how dare you suggest that I would send intimidating or threatening messages. Then more threats of lawyers and wanting to exchange details. Then claims of damages for $1000, then damages for $4000. Then profanity that I’d never had directed at me in my whole life. All up there were about 12 messages over the course of the day that he sent. I did not reply to a single one as it may be seen as provoking.
I’ve since moved in with a girl friend of mine and am feeling safer in this house. I’ve got internet as well so have been working on my assignments.
Mr Spark had sent a message suggesting that we catch up again. I said it would be lovely and asked what he had in mind. I wasn’t about to tell him the ordeal that I’d just been through. I’ve suggested next week as I have a fair bit of work on my plate at the moment…
No more word from George either. I think it’s safe to say that it’s a case closed.
Anastasia
The Contemporary Princess 