Squatters

[blas87]

Or, better put, people who aren't on the lease but are staying there anyway.

I found out today that we've been having a major problem with squatters in our fine block of apartment complexes. The caretaker advised me of who these people are and what they drive.

Oh, but blas, what if there's an explanation?

Well, here you go.

The first set of squatters were a group of undesirables from the apartments across the street (not owned by the property management company) that always came over to "visit" this one mentally handicapped girl that lives in the building next to mine. Sheriff, this girl, and another girl are mentally handicapped people that are somehow related to or family friends of the owner of the property management company, I'm assuming they live here with cheaper rent or something just so that their families know that they are safe and alright on their own.

This girl apparently was having sex parties with these guys, according to her neighbors that had placed noise complaints. Of course, she's going to catch a break easier than a normal tenant, anyone else would have probably been evicted.

I went to pay my rent last on March 31st, and the maintenance guy (who acts as the landlord because the lady that owns the company isn't really able to do her job because of how old she's getting, but she does get final say on if someone is approved for tenancy or if they are evicted, etc. She's just mostly unable to be the one to show up and inspect or investigate complaints) asked me if I had seen a group of strange men lately from across the street. I said that I seen them on almost a nightly basis during the week when I'm out for a smoke before work, and sometimes on the weekends during the day coming over here. They are loud, obnoxious, constantly curse, and look just really suspicious.

Come to find out, this girl had made them all ciopies of keys to her apartment! (a BIG NO NO, anyone else would have been evicted for doing this). So they all had keys and could just come and go whenever they wanted.

When the landlord had gotten enough noise complaints from neighbors and the caretakers (anyone else, one complaint and they would have been there), they showed up and went to talk with her. Apparently, her apartment was trashed and full of garbage that hadn't been taken out, and it was obvious that at least 3 or 4 people were living there at one time. That girl is the only person on the lease.

So far, that's over for now. I haven't seen those guys in a few weeks.

Now there's a couple (guy and girl, probably my age or close) that don't live here, but are squatting with a single girl that lives alone in the building across from the previously mentioned girl's apartment.

There's an old guy and his wife who live next door to them (bottom level, next to the end) and this young couple are both smokers and are always outside at night. At first, everyone thought that they lived here, but after one noise complaint, the landlord came over to investigate and found out that they don't live here. And one talking-to wasn't enough. The old couple placed noise complaints because they heard loud noises late at night outside.

Oh, the noise complaint? Someone saw and heard the couple having sex OUTSIDE the apartment, the guy was sitting on a bucket of sand, and the girl sat on top of him. This was at nearly 3 am one morning!

That was a few weeks ago. They are still here. I don't know how they haven't been ordered to leave, as I figured one talking to was enough, but they haven't.

This morning, the caretaker told me to let him know if they are still here tonight, because he was calling the landlord about them still being here earlier today. I had to go to bed, so I never got to see if the landlord showed up or not (I want to assume he did because he's really nosy and loves getting an excuse to go into someone's apartment), but when I went out to smoke just a bit ago after supper, I saw that their car was still there. The girl that lives there does not have a car, someone picks her up every day for work/school. This couple has a key to her place and they just come and go as they please.

Fucking squatters. I hate shit like this. It makes me feel unsafe living here. And it grosses me out to know that there's people who have sex outside in the middle of the night here.

[insertNameHere]

I used to crash at my ex's place a lot, but wasn't annoying about it. Although, the people you mention just sound like assholes, just keep in mind karma is a bitch.

[Greenday]

And it grosses me out to know that there's people who have sex outside in the middle of the night here.

But blas, everyone knows that no one is awake at 3am so it's perfectly safe to have sex right outside people's apartments.

[Racket_Man]

the complex I used to live in when I lived in the Chicago area used to have sort of the same problem----- like 10+ people living in a 2 bedroom apt and only 2 peoples names on the lease, not tennants cars out the ass in the lot

[blas87]

In most cases, I'd say that the property management company is....beyond draconian and strict (especially if someone were to ever get on my ass about having a girlfriend over randomly or my bf spending the night occasionally). But these people are sick and obviously not people you want hanging around.

If they weren't being obnoxious, no one would even know they didn't live there. How they got caught gave it away.

[Giggle Goose]

Oh, but blas, what if there's an explanation?

Totally off-topic, but I just wanted to point out that I think it's hilarious how well-prepared you are with your OPs

On squatters...um yeah, it's really annoying when your downstairs neighbors sound like a herd of elephants (yes, from DOWNSTAIRS); and after 2 years I still haven't been able to to figure out how many people live in the place, how long they stay there, and who actually rents/owns the place.

[blas87]

You gotta do what you gotta do, there's a lot of people who want explanations or like to give the benefit of the doubt, or there's always a reason for something.

I don't think that way. I just preface everything so that you've been warned that I have a valid reason for feeling this way. That way, if people want to nitpick or do the "But I know someone who lives at their gf's place-" then that's fine, at least I covered my bases and no one can say that I didn't provide any proof for feeling the way I do.

[DrFaroohk]

The noise sucks, but I've never understood why its a problem for more people to live there. The way I see it - I paid for the space, as long as I'm not damaging the property or causing loud noises and disturbing people, I can have 80 people living there if I want.

My dad tried to do that to me - when I was an adult but living at home and paid rent for my room, he told me I had to pay more if my girlfriend was going to keep staying over. But why? she wasn't eating their food or even taking a shower or anything, so they can't argue the cost went up. it's my room, I paid for it, I can do what I want it in (within reason). My solution was just to up and move out though.

[Andara Bledin]

The way I see it - I paid for the space, as long as I'm not damaging the property or causing loud noises and disturbing people, I can have 80 people living there if I want.

The fire marshal would like to have a word with you. Having more people than a space is rated for is a fire hazard, both in terms of starting one and in terms of safety if one should start elsewhere.

Also, more people equals more wear and tear. Two people living in a space will wear the carpet and the bed, and even the walls twice as much as one. Just because you can't figure out why it should be more doesn't make it unreasonable.

^-.-^

[blas87]

People not on the lease living somewhere semi-permanently? I have a huge problem with that.

You don't live here, I don't know you, I don't know if you're a problem.

[DrFaroohk]

The fire marshal would like to have a word with you. Having more people than a space is rated for is a fire hazard, both in terms of starting one and in terms of safety if one should start elsewhere.

Also, more people equals more wear and tear. Two people living in a space will wear the carpet and the bed, and even the walls twice as much as one. Just because you can't figure out why it should be more doesn't make it unreasonable.

^-.-^

But that's what a security deposit is for! Wear and tear. I understand about the fire marshall thing too, so obviously 80 people is a bit much, but if I had an apartment I paid for and I started having my girlfriend stay over regularly, I don't think I have to ask permission from anyone. And if I get a different girlfriend later, again, nunya.

I understand that there's a difference between what the law says is right and wrong, and what is REALLY right and wrong. And just as there's consequences if someone violates what the law says is right and wrong, there's also consequences if someone violates what's really right and wrong. They just might not be enforced by the same people.

[blas87]

Upon further investigation (aka, the landlord went in and said point blank that if these people want to live here, they have to pass a background check and renting history, most people who are squatting just take off after that but these people I guess actually attempted to get on the lease), it was discovered that the guy has a pretty bad criminal record, so they denied him.

I have to say, I'm glad he's not going to be around anymore.

I think their rules are a tad draconian and over the top nosy (I wasn't a fan of how they found out the people were living there), but at the same time, we don't need semi permanent fixtures around here with criminal records or people that have NOT been checked out to live here. I don't pay what I do a month (and neither does anyone else) to have to worry about the guests that other tenants have over on too often of a basis. As soon as I heard about the outdoor sex thing, I started to worry about what if they decided to go around breaking into apartments at night?

And the caretaker agrees. It's up to everyone around here to know who is who and the only way we all feel safe and secure in where we're living. That isn't nosy. Some people may feel that their place is their place and it's no one's business who is over.......and if you're casually having a friend over once in a while and it doesn't cause any problems, no, that's not a problem and that's just people making it out to be more than what it is. When you have guests who have sex OUTSIDE at 3 am or (what we found she did just a few nights ago) have 10 or more people over and after 10 pm are loudly playing ball in the parking lot, that's an issue. After that starts, as soon as our pool opens, who is to say she won't take those 10+ people and try to have a drunken pool party after midnight? No one can deny that most people will take things to new levels once they know they can get away with stuff.