[Ted] and roommates' housing crisis
Donation protected
Hello, comrades.
I feel incredibly guilty asking for help, but I'm in a desperate situation as many of you know. I received a termination notice for the electricity on 2/14/18 and it is set to go off 2/21/18. We may be able to scrape up the funds through a pool with family and friends but my sole focus is not only on making sure we can get there but reimbursing those who help us. There is a very good chance I will leave the campaign open for those who wish to help regarding the moving fees if I haven't hit near the limit yet, but I won't expect anything unless I sound a call due to a legal battle being confirmed.
That leads me to the next point: there is the potential for legal fees if we break the lease to escape the stress and disrepair of this rental house, as well as unexpected moving expenses.
The amount to pay to avoid disconnection is $862.91, plus whatever late fee they tack on. Our typical electric bill prior to this was around $140. The reason for the massive discrepancy is that this house was built in the 1910s and evidently has not been kept in a great state of followup repair, and even though there is nothing in the building code to force my landlord to insulate it more properly (there is literally no insulation under the house, the foundation vents are unsealed and I can get under there), there is a standard in the code for proper working heat between October and April that is at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The image on this campaign displays the coldest thermometer reading I have obtained, of around 39 degrees Fahrenheit when it was 28 degrees Fahrenheit outside on 12/8/17. It had gotten much colder after that (sometimes going below 0) and it still is going to compete until April due to the nature of the climate of West Virginia.
Past this, to back up moving out, there are numerous other health and safety concerns that the city inspectors have since dismissed due to their job not covering this scope. I have obtained legal counsel and I am at a standstill due to the electric bill, the lack of original signed copy of the lease being provided by the landlord, and no progress on getting any repairs done. I have kept extensive records of all communications and issues, and at this rate we have been advised it is best to just leave. We are going to attempt to do that by the end of March, and this campaign will help us get there and get my roommates and myself into a better living arrangement.
I promise complete and total transparency on the funds and will donate any excess after this has been resolved to other comrades in need, and if we do end up in court (most likely at this point in a countersuit due to breaking the lease and defending ourselves by claiming constructive eviction) and I am reimbursed, I will donate the remainder to other comrades in need as well.
I have set a total of $2000 for the sake of the potential legal fees and any above average utility until this is resolved (the electric bill this month is not nearly as bad but is still a hefty ticket bringing my current balance due to $1386.02). We have dealt with frozen pipes, the integrity of the structure being brought into question and decaying, and extreme cold temperatures that froze water bottles on the floor and made my cats struggle, past the overbearing stress of all of this. Any help is appreciated, and I personally don't expect to get very far with this, but have been urged on by comrades that there are people who want to help.
If you wish to confirm any aspect of the story or my identity as legitimate, I can appoint comrades I trust to back up that I am who I am and am struggling as such, as a few have been following it and supporting me in word and love online, and others have urged me on to share it on their profiles through trust. Feel free to request this of me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/oletedstilts), Mastodon (https://mastodon.social/@oletedstilts), or Discord (OleTedStilts#0605). I won't name any comrades for the sake of volunteering them, but if anyone backs me and boosts this you can assume their word and ask them, or if someone reaches out to back me up then I can update this.
I feel incredibly guilty asking for help, but I'm in a desperate situation as many of you know. I received a termination notice for the electricity on 2/14/18 and it is set to go off 2/21/18. We may be able to scrape up the funds through a pool with family and friends but my sole focus is not only on making sure we can get there but reimbursing those who help us. There is a very good chance I will leave the campaign open for those who wish to help regarding the moving fees if I haven't hit near the limit yet, but I won't expect anything unless I sound a call due to a legal battle being confirmed.
That leads me to the next point: there is the potential for legal fees if we break the lease to escape the stress and disrepair of this rental house, as well as unexpected moving expenses.
The amount to pay to avoid disconnection is $862.91, plus whatever late fee they tack on. Our typical electric bill prior to this was around $140. The reason for the massive discrepancy is that this house was built in the 1910s and evidently has not been kept in a great state of followup repair, and even though there is nothing in the building code to force my landlord to insulate it more properly (there is literally no insulation under the house, the foundation vents are unsealed and I can get under there), there is a standard in the code for proper working heat between October and April that is at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The image on this campaign displays the coldest thermometer reading I have obtained, of around 39 degrees Fahrenheit when it was 28 degrees Fahrenheit outside on 12/8/17. It had gotten much colder after that (sometimes going below 0) and it still is going to compete until April due to the nature of the climate of West Virginia.
Past this, to back up moving out, there are numerous other health and safety concerns that the city inspectors have since dismissed due to their job not covering this scope. I have obtained legal counsel and I am at a standstill due to the electric bill, the lack of original signed copy of the lease being provided by the landlord, and no progress on getting any repairs done. I have kept extensive records of all communications and issues, and at this rate we have been advised it is best to just leave. We are going to attempt to do that by the end of March, and this campaign will help us get there and get my roommates and myself into a better living arrangement.
I promise complete and total transparency on the funds and will donate any excess after this has been resolved to other comrades in need, and if we do end up in court (most likely at this point in a countersuit due to breaking the lease and defending ourselves by claiming constructive eviction) and I am reimbursed, I will donate the remainder to other comrades in need as well.
I have set a total of $2000 for the sake of the potential legal fees and any above average utility until this is resolved (the electric bill this month is not nearly as bad but is still a hefty ticket bringing my current balance due to $1386.02). We have dealt with frozen pipes, the integrity of the structure being brought into question and decaying, and extreme cold temperatures that froze water bottles on the floor and made my cats struggle, past the overbearing stress of all of this. Any help is appreciated, and I personally don't expect to get very far with this, but have been urged on by comrades that there are people who want to help.
If you wish to confirm any aspect of the story or my identity as legitimate, I can appoint comrades I trust to back up that I am who I am and am struggling as such, as a few have been following it and supporting me in word and love online, and others have urged me on to share it on their profiles through trust. Feel free to request this of me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/oletedstilts), Mastodon (https://mastodon.social/@oletedstilts), or Discord (OleTedStilts#0605). I won't name any comrades for the sake of volunteering them, but if anyone backs me and boosts this you can assume their word and ask them, or if someone reaches out to back me up then I can update this.
Organizer
Ted Stilts
Organizer
Huntington, WV
