Update on my Neighbors

So, I had a chat with the mom of the family I posted about yesterday. After all, I sometimes have a hard time parsing rapid speech, so I figured I'd better go back with pen and paper and get the facts straight before I start raising hell on their behalf.

This mom (whose name I am reluctant to disclose, because the internet can be evil) shared a lot of info with me. I saw the eviction notice with my own eyes, and, yes it gave them only 7 days to vacate, dating from March 15. I am not a legal expert, but this seems far too short.

So, why are they being evicted? Here's what the notice said. Let us marvel at the triviality of their supposed crimes:

1. Not cleaning up after their pets. (In fact, this family does not have pets – the mother occasionally pet sits for her sister and is perplexed by this charge. Additionally, she notified the management every time she engaged in pet-sitting, as she was requested to do.)


2. One instance of grilling in front of their apartment.


3. One instance of their children screaming.

Yeah. You read that right. They are being kicked out because their children yelled. What kind of total Scrooge do you have to be to kick a family with small children out of their home because their children sometimes make noise?

I work at home a lot, so I know what these kids sound like. And if I can do theoretical astrophysics (which, in my case, requires intense concentration) in my home while they are playing, I don’t know how these kids can be considered disruptive.

But this is really just the latest development in a long list of harassment this family has had to endure. Here's some of the history they've shared with me: they have had their possessions thrown away (by maintenance personnel, who subsequently admitted doing so), been yelled at (also by maintenance personnel), and have had their vents illegally blocked (by the management). One particular neighbor has engaged in additional harassing behavior, including trying to get their car towed because she wanted the spot it was in, yelling at them, telling them that this complex was “not the ghetto”, and telling them that she had videotaped them. They've even received a late night phone call in which they were called "niggers" (a word I hate even to type) and threatened with expulsion for the complex.

The whole thing is making me really angry. I'd like to get a reporter involved who could help me verify some of the records; the mom says there are police records for a lot of these incidents.

On the positive side, the family has hired a lawyer, and they seem confident that they have a great case. They're sharp people, and I hope they come out on top. But I would be remiss if I didn't do everything I could to help. Plus, they're exactly the type of people I want in my neighborhood.