And STAY OUT!

So I got a text from the landlord shortly after the window incident, asking how long it had been since Josh and crew had been here.  I told them I hadn't seen them since the window incident, and they hadn't spent the night since I put the locking plate on the power outlets.  He said that was good to know, and he was going to chat with his lawyer about the possibilities from there.

On Monday the 8th (yeah, I've been delinquent about updates, sorry), as I was coming home, I got a text from my landlord telling me he changed the locks and warning me to keep an eye out for things downstairs.  "Curious to see how long it takes them to realize they've been locked out.  That will help with my case for evicting them."

I asked him if he wanted me to speed up the process by telling them, and he said no, he wanted to see how long it took them to find out.

Three hours later I hear screaming out in the front yard.  I look out the window and there's the minivan, with Josh screaming into the phone at somebody, spelling out his last name.

"And I can't get in to my fucking apartment.  My landlord changed the goddamn locks!  I live here!  A...u...g.."

I texted Kevin about the blowup in the driveway, and then I saw the cops arrive.  Great, I thought.  One last go-round with the police over Josh going batshit in the driveway.

But no.  After the conversation went on for a bit, it turned out he called them.  "I mean, I didn't want to just kick in the door without you here.  The address is on my driver's license - that's my mail in the box.  I live here!  This is my apartment!"

I texted Kevin that he'll be getting a phone call soon, and Kevin told me he'd already called the cops and was waiting for them to call him back.

The police politely told Josh that this was a civil matter, and that if he wanted entrance into the apartment he needed to either call the landlord or call a lawyer.  And with that, they all left.

I told Kevin I was going to start locking the front door, and get Mary a key to do laundry.  Apparently Josh's mother told him about the lockout to simply rub it in his face, and I was worried about how things were going to go from here on out.

More later...I promise to get everyone up to speed.

The cleanup kinda sorta begins

In one of those "ain't life funny" coincidences, the Mayor's Corner column in the Pennysaver newspaper (yes, I read it) mentioned two things that caught my eye - tree suggestions (in front of my apartment, please and thank you), and also strengthening the Village Code for "unkempt properties".

"It hardly seems fair that the 97% of people who take pride in their homes should have to put up with those 3% who don't."  The plan itself will be developed over a period of several months.

I disagree with the Mayor's numbers - in the Village, at least, I think even a 90/10 might be generous. And I say that living in one of the properties that has LONG been a massive thorn in the side of any sense of aesthetics for the Village.

My contribution to maintaining decency has been the back yard.  It's been a long project, and finally looks good.  I get lots of compliments on it from complete strangers, which is always nice.

The front yard I had no control over due to the downstairs neighbors.  It has always looked like a pit, with divots and trash and general obnoxiousness when they're out there.

But with Josh and company finally looking like they are really really gone, and the success of getting the side yard finally cleaned up, my next door neighbor has been making subtle suggestions about how the front yard would look so much nicer with a little weeding.

So I've been weeding.  Leaving the daisies that I absolutely hate, because I don't want to get into a full reconstruction of the front yard yet.  But a few of them are coming back, and it really is improving the look of the place.

But there's a lot to be done.  Some final foundation work, the back section final repairs, gutter work, etc.  I don't know how much of it will finally get done before the snow hits, but I'll make the progress, and keep a sharp eye on the Mayor's column.  Living right by the path, I'm sure we'll be on the radar screen soon enough.

File under "massive miscalculation"

So I missed one very important detail about Josh and the apartment of late, which is how he's been getting in.  He lost his key at one point or another, and he's been climbing in through a window he leaves perpetually cracked in the living room.  I'd missed this, since I don't make a habit of watching him walk into the house, but I had it pointed out to me by the neighbors.

I've been working this past week, so I haven't been home during the day.  However, Wednesday when I got home there was a green card in the door from CPS informing him that they "missed" their scheduled appointment that day and to please get in touch with them Thursday or Friday.  He's been cleaning like a fiend the past few days I've been at school, but there's only so good that place is gonna get.

Thursday I ended up responding to a couple of work emails and got bogged down, so I resolved to spend the morning doing work from home that needed to be done.  As I was in the kitchen getting a second cup of coffee, I heard a crashing sound.

I looked out the window, and a car had just pulled into the driveway.  The woman from CPS I'd spoken with was getting out, along with a large, burly, bald man.  Josh's van was in the driveway - I'd missed him coming in, but he couldn't have been here that long.

I sipped at my coffee and stayed at the window.  I was ready to head out, but couldn't with the way that CPS and Josh were both parked in the driveway.  And I didn't want to miss this.

However, I didn't have to wait long.  CPS was in the apartment a grand total of three minutes before they went back out to their car, got in, and left with a great deal of haste.  Josh slammed the door, got back in his van, and blasted a rap tune as he rolled out of the driveway.

I went down to my car and headed off to school - I had Parent Information Night for Leadership Academy that evening, and I was prepped for a long night at school.

Around 7pm, I got a text from my next door neighbor's daughter showing a window from my building tipped off the track and falling inside.  "Send these to the landlord.  We called the cops, but they can't do anything."

"Holy crap!" I texted back.  After a few texts, the group of parents I had in the library moved on to a different section of the school, and I was able to call.  Turns out Josh had knocked the window off-track while climbing in frantically to beat CPS to the door so they didn't have to watch him break in.  I'm guessing the three-minute visit didn't go well, and that's why he stormed off without fixing the window.

"Can you fix it?  No one can get in touch with the landlord."

I'm at parent night for at least another hour, I told her.  I can't do anything.

"Well that sucks.  Any ideas?  That busted window is really freaking my mom out."

I told her I'd leave the landlord a message at his DJ gig that night, and I'd take a look when I got home.

I finally made it home about 9:30, and found the window was back on track and pushed into position.  That's odd, I thought.  So I texted the daughter, and told her it seemed to be fixed.

"Yeah, his mom came down after the landlord called her.  She shoved it back into place while he watched.  She just doesn't want to be charged for broken stuff."

I don't blame her, I said.  I'll keep you posted if I see anything else.

I was about to go up to my apartment, when something occurred to me.  Closed.  For the first time in recent memory...

I pushed up against the window.  Locked.  Solid.  As were all the other windows.

Well, that should quiet things down here for a bit.  A serious miscalculation that could make the drama take a turn.

Epilogue - they did stop by today, but only to get their mail.  Should certainly be interesting to see where it all goes from here.