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May the force of charity be with us

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We are calling on family, friends and anyone with a kind giving heart to hear us out and help us get into our new home. We are trying to raise 3,000 dollars in the next 10 days which will provide us with help for a first, last month and security deposit and moving costs. I will explain why we are asking for help below. But first: Here is our story.

 My boyfriend and I started our journey to building our first home together when we found out we were expecting our first child together, she was due to arrive in July 2014. We were living in a 1 bedroom apartment at the time and my 4 children who live with their father during the school year were being cared for everyday by myself and staying with us, in our apartment every other weekend. They were set to be with us every day that coming summer. We knew that 7 people in a small 1 bedroom studio apartment would be almost impossible, so within a few short months we decided to rent a home with enough room for our family to grow. We had quite a hard time, at first being denied because of student loans on the credit report dragging the score down, although we have absolutely no debt or credit cards or loans in our name. We came upon a really nice man with the perfect size house in Mayfair who loved us right away and offered us to move into his home as soon as possible. Now there was a lot of work that needed to be done and we told him we did not mind and would be paitent while he got it done and would even help out on the things we could fix on our own. Little did we know how bad some of the problems were. Before moving in we asked about insect issues which he assured us there were none. To our surprise, shortly after moving in we had an insect and rodent issue. When we asked him about extermination his response was, get a cat. KNOWING that there was a NO PET clause in our lease. The plumbing is shot. We are not only not able to use our bathroom sink because it does not drain at all (we have no pipe now and use a pot to catch water when we DO need to use it) But we can only do a load of wash on small here or there because doing wash floods the basement. I will not go on to list every problem in the home, but when he came to us trying to fight that our rent was a month behind, we got concerned and upset that something was up. He was trying to overcharge us and say that our first months rent was applied for the month of June when we didn't move our possesions in until the 28th of June, with his permission. Our lease was stated to start July 1st. Now if that sounds confusing, it is.
We gave him 2,800 dollars IN JUNE. 900 security, 900 last months rent and 900 FIRST MONTHS rent, which was to be applied for our first month of living there, which was July. HE was telling us no, that that was for the month of June and we owe him money. We asked him on the progress of the repairs and when the last time the house was inspected and he told us it didn't need to be, and not to worry about it.
That was it. We knew he was hiding something. We went onto L&I and found that
1: He was not a legal landlord which in PA means that he legally is NOT allowed to collect money from us, at all and
2: that there were already violations on thehome.
We requested L & I come out to check the home, and as soon as he got the notice they were coming,  he started harassing us, telling us to get out of his home. We tried our hardest to come up with a compromise. We even told him if he really thought that we were in the wrong we were willing to let him use our last months rent and apply it to the month he assumed we were behind on. He agreed and we did not hear from him... until we got a court summons in the mail that we were being sued for a month and a halfs worth of rent and to vacate the property. It turned out that not only did he file to sue us on 10/27/14 but he applied for his renters license and changed his home loan to a new company, (because his original home loan had a clause stating he was not to rent the home out unless he was subletting because he would be out of the country for a year or less.) on the same date. 10/27/14. This right here is proof that he had malicious intent to just get rid of us.
When we got to our court hearing on 12/16/14 He did not show, sent his lawyer to make an agreement with us.
His OWN LAWYER did not know that he was not a legal landlord and told us right away that he was sorry and there is no way he can even take money from us. He thanked us for looking into everything we did and being so knowledgable.
The agreement stands as; we exhange no money but we must vacate the property by 1/31/15.
If not we will be forceably evicted starting 2/1/15.
So if we are not out of here by 2/1/15 Then we will get a notice to leave within 10 days. if we are not gone they can take us, our possessions, and pretty much toss us on the street.


Now here is where each and every one of you come in. We have been searching for a place to move since the judgement. and have come up with nothing. We have looked and have got not one call back yet, or have not been appoved. My boyfriend is set to be laid off as of 2/1/15. But already has another job lined up and waiting for a call back next week! (fingers crossed) And we were denied for a personal loan. We are still continuing to go to showings. But we have nothing to put down to get into the home. It has been a struggle to even provide food (kids and ourselves), and formula and diapers for our daughter, we have had some very kind people help and donate some of these items to us, and we are so thankful, it has been a lifesaver. We regretably do not currently have family members who are willing to not only take us in for a few weeks or month till we get a place, but all 7 of us. And We do not want to put that kind of chaos or stress on anyone. So if you please find it in your heart to help us get into a new home before we are left out in the cold with an infant It would be greatly appreciated.


Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story.

Sincerely,
Roseann
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Donations 

  • Jamie Maisonet
    • $50 
    • 9 yrs
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Organizer

Rose Ann
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA

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