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Evan and Tyler bought their own property in Hawaii 6 months ago with a dream of living an off-grid, more sustainable and quietly-paced life. The property came with a small, rough cabin in need of retrofitting, and a plan was put into place that would have seen the cabin outfit with running water and power within a few months while they rented space elsewhere.
What happened next was a series of unforeseen financial challenges beyond their control:
- Evan lost his top-tier VR design job when the client suddenly closed the entire VR division, leaving him with far less income than he had planned when they made the move.
- They had a work trade set up with a builder who was going to retrofit and handle the majority of the construction tasks, but after 4 months of waiting (and paying nearly $10K in rent, deposit AND mortgage in the meantime), they had to learn the skills needed to frame and side the house (via the skilled guidance of an angel friend who taught them).
- The landlord of their temporary rental, in violation of several rental laws in the state of Hawaii, has refused to return their $3000 security deposit and would not respond to requests for basic repairs that were needed to make the place secure. Evan and Tyler are now facing having to file a lawsuit to recover that deposit, which can take months to recover.
- That security deposit was earmarked to pay the mortgage on Evan and Tyler's property this month, creating a risk of defaulting on the loan.
Evan sold off the majority of his music studio gear to help pay for rent and supplies for the cabin construction. Tyler was able to find work as a manager at a local Starbucks (similar to his position back in Palm Springs before the move) but the income is not much in the grander scheme of things. Evan is renting an office space nearby where he has his computer equipment so he can continue to work for the occasional jobs that come through as a designer, but the office space is an additional cost they can't afford at the moment, and with so much construction still needed (and Evan being the primary person doing those repairs), he is splitting his time between the office and the property - prolonging the dire situation.
Because the rental they were living in became unlivable with the unaddressed repairs, Evan and Tyler opted to try and make it work to move into their cabin, even though major systems were not yet in place. They had a trajectory for completion of essentials, when even more calamity occurred with the cabin:
- No running water. No hot water. They installed a water pump with an existing solar system, but the solar was an old system that malfunctioned. It burned out the pump and took the batteries and inverter with it trying to run. The current shower situation involves filling a watering can with rainwater and rinsing off as best as possible. The pump cannot be returned since it was damaged by the malfunctioning power.
- No power. The batteries will no longer hold a charge and the inverter/charge controller is not recharging them. They are able to charge a phone during peak daylight hours, but there is not enough power to run a refrigerator or anything else of size. Evan and Tyler have resorted to eating canned or premade food that won't spoil without refrigeration. There are no outlets yet or wiring, which is a longer term goal.
- Septic system is broken. The system was installed improperly originally, a detail that was unknown until after the property was purchased. There have been several bursts of the sewage lines, which has caused raw sewage to leak under the house and damage the outhouse floor. Evan and Tyler currently have to use a bucket for a toilet, and without running water, it's creating unsanitary conditions.
The donations requested would cover the following:
- Mortgage for 1 month (due July 19)
- Short term rental while the cabin's basic conditions are established
- Boarding for their dog and 2 cats, until the cabin is livable
- Composting toilet (in place of a replacement septic system, which is far more expensive)
- New plywood to replace sewage soaked outhouse floors, along with random bits of plumbing, piping, abs glue, etc
- New water pump
- Solar charge controller
- 4 deep cycle batteries
- Office space rent for 1 month
Any one of these challenges might be able to be addressed with some effort, but with all of these occurring simultaneously, and with funding completely exhausted, it's time to ask for support. Let's help these dear friends find their way out of this crisis and into a safe, sanitary home.
Organizer and beneficiary
Evan Bartholomew
Beneficiary