Yes Drac, one can only h ope the ferals are doing their thing. Actually only one sprays anything. Most are neutered and the others haven't figured out the pecking order yet. As for the 'damage' from such stuff, SHE is one who unclipped and reclipped the tarp so it's going to be HER fault...bahhhaaaaaa.

Posted the AD on Zillow last night. For some reason, I think they actually showed the address, which I didn't want, but I will have to check today to see what's up. Hard to figure out how they got it wrong AND included some pictures from my posting in 2018. Oh well...things to do.

Hope all is progressing in your favor Sorta Blonde

Be sure you don't violate any city ordinance with the "pile" out on your driveway

Keep smiling!

Ah soot, no problem with the city. My property is 90x300 ft, 2/3 of an acre, my house sits in front, a long 200 ft driveway goes beside it down to the two rentals. One way drive narrow, but it opens up past my house into a HUGE parking area. Room for 8 vehicles all neatly parked with room to back out and large enough for a fire truck or other huge vehicle to have access to the back house and empty vacant lot behind. Awesome property. Private drive with nobody but me and my tenants going in or out. Our little cul-de-sac if you can picture it. The original owners did some great planning.

As for the PILE, SHE promises now that it will be gone by this Thursday. Says she is moving into a place. Gave me the street name but not number. I don't believe a word she says but it's some sort of hope. You can't even see it from the street. Hope she drives by or her friend does and can't see the stuff and panics. Yeah, that would be great. My neighbor suggested I clean out some of my old stuff and put it on the street for people to take FREE as I usually do and then hope SHE sees that and goes nuts thinking it's her stuff. Ah, how great it is for neighbors to suggest fun stuff.

Got 2 people coming for 'viewings' of the rental today. One at 10 am and one at 5 pm. Going to be tied up all day I guess IF they show up. So far, about 8 have asked for showings and NONE of them have written back with a definite day or time. Happens a lot when you post things on Zillow or Craig's List. They ask, then they don't show. Takes up my time, but thankfully I'm right here and don't have to drive over and wait wait wait. I think it's a game people play and then secretly laugh, thinking the poor Landlord is wasting time sitting and waiting. I know some Landlords who go through that a lot. Today, hope both show up. AND next Monday, the retired Pharmacist from way up North is flying down to look at my place and a few others. She is my favorite so far. Has FIVE cats. What more can you ask for? Hard to find a place that will rent to 5 cats. I don't mind at all. This might work if she likes the place.

So far, no real promising renters. All have huge families (I am willing to max out at 4 and even that is a lot). They keep adding more people and I know the sewer pump and my water bill can't handle it. They don't read the AD I carefully wrote. Amazing. I have to go over every little criteria each time. Makes me wonder. Desperate people, looking for some place, don't care what just to get out of whatever mess they are currently in. I have a temporary subscription to one of those 'truth' sites and have found at least 2 that wanted to see the place have several evictions! I even said in the ad, no evicitons, no bankruptcies, no felony convictions. Found a few felons too. Wow. People lie.

Hope I find the right person this time and no more drama.

Just curios. Are you allowed to say that stuff in the ad without "discriminating"?

Yeppers oldbroad. I can't discriminate on the basis or sex, marital status, race, disabilities, age and all that, but I can restrict the number of occupants and definitely can refuse to rent to anyone with evictions, felony convictions, bankruptsies, or other financial problems. All can be found on the Superior court site as public viewable records. Wish I knew about that before I got the Tenant from Hell. I follow the HUD guidelines. Got into trouble with the last nasty tenant because I wasn't allowed, by law, to ask about her son's mental disability. Couldn't ask what type, etc. She finally told me as she was moving out, but I couldn't ask. She ended up using HIM against me in court to file a challenge to the eviction which he signed and had no idea what it was. She finally recanted after we made a 'deal'. How awful to use her handicapped son as a weapon. Now HIS name is permanently on an Eviction for all to see. Terrible thing to do to him. Can't ask about medical problems other than if they might need special accomodations or equipment in the house. Very strict laws in Calif.

Sorta hope the retired 5 cat lady is the one! Good Luck and keep us updated.

I'd also JUMP at the retired 5 cat lady!

I am so waiting for the Cat Lady and hoping she decides she wants to stay awhile. Cheaper places in Mexico (Baja, Rosarito Beach) but there is the complications of 5 cats to transport and maybe get 'clearance' for. Don't know the laws about that. Waiting for the mailman to see if her application finally will make it today. She said she was mailing it Sunday, but maybe it went out Monday, etc. Just want something simple for awhile. Still finding stuff that needs fixing. Now the toilet tank back is leaking around 20 year old rusted bolts. Easy fix, but I'm going to have to get my plumber back to fix that. Can't be bending over and under a toilet at this stage of my life. Ugh. More money to spend that I don't have yet. He's VERY good and doesn't charge like the big companies. Only downside is he only works weekdays, no holidays, and not before 10 am, etc. I know his system so we get along great. AND he listens to what I want, and actually follows my instructions and lets me buy my own parts to save money. Yep. A Keeper for sure even with the strange hours.

No new applicants since Monday. Geeeee. But then I only listed the house on last Wednesday, 7 days. Gotta chill out I guess. Still have to take the Trolley into the Central Courthouse downdown and get a copy of the LAST paperwork from the Sheriff which details the final Lock Out. Need it for my files. AND today, SHE says she's moving into a place and will have all her stuff gone. Yeah....really? Honest? Ha!

So, when is the tarp coming off and leaving it for the scavengers?!

Well Draclvr, SHE actually appeared yesterday evening and took 'selected' items. Weird. 2 empty clothes baskets (she emptied them), an empty box for a vacuum cleaner (she left the cleaner), a few sheets and curtains I'd yanked down off the windows and carefully folded into a plastic bag, AND one of the 2 huge containers of Paperwork. One still remains, Oh and the rails for the twin bed, but not the head or foot board. Go figure. I'm assuming she's coming back as she really neatly and carefully redid the tarps. She's neat for sure, but not too bright when it comes to organization. She put a few little items out front for Free. They are gone now overnight. Soooooo I give her today. If things are not gone, I will write an email telling her TIME IS UP. Tarps are being removed Sunday night. All remaining items are going out to the sidewalk on Monday Morning. Period. Hope she heeds the warning. I mean it. Time to remove all her junk since I've been storing and moving it around for FREE for a month now. Gotta get rid of the huge blue 'mountain' in my driveway.

The huge blue mountain won't look good to prospective new renters either. You know, ones who PAY their rent.

The mountain is history! I finally gave up and told her what I thought of her and her constant stalling and told her the STUFF was going out front if she didn't come and get it NOW. She said her friend had a flat tire and no spare and she couldn't come back for the last load. I said I didn't care, stuff was going out front for neighbors to pick through the next morning. Well I only got a nasty note back which made no sense about 'people looking at the pile of stuff cause I put it there'. Yeah blame me again. So she got another earful of things I wasn't saying and I think I got it all said. Next day, stuff went out front after I carefully laid it all out (garbage stuff and all) and took pictures to prove what was left. Got my friend to help me get the mattresses out (one double and a twin set) all in bad shape. I thought I'd for sure have to call the trash company to get them and they require us to plastic wrap mattresses before pick up. Yep they do. BUT someone took all 3 in the first 1/2 hour. After that, most of the stuff disappeared and by the next morning, nothing was left but a stained sheet, and some bent curtain rods. Neat! So easy to get rid of things here if they are FREE.

AND I think I have a new RENTER. Yeah. After a few Applicants and a load of people asking for appointments and never writing back when I said name a time, I finally showed the house about 20 times and got 3 applications. One wasn't too truthful but fairly nice family, the other neglected to pay me the 5 buck fee but never returned the applications anyway, I really hoped they wouldn't, and the last one, just yesterday, was a nice guy, who lives alone except for his older daughter being with him for a few months relocating from a city up North. Met her today. NICE people. I offered the place to them and think they may take it. Pretty sure. So for awhile it's 52 year old dad, 27 year old daughter and 9 year old granddaughter. Hoping this works. He's employed and makes good money, and very nice as is the daughter. Liked them a lot. Smart, funny, capable, both employed, Wow.

Letcha know how this one goes. Ha.

Wishing you luck in the days ahead Sorta!

So glad you were able to close the book on your last tenant!

Good for you Sorta on getting rid of the "mountain"!

Good luck with a new start!

And of course you told her she lived there rent free for months and maybe you will even try to collect on the $3,000 judgement against her? Probably no point. At least it's gone... I'd dearly love to have been in on all the things you finally got said! I was kinda hoping for the "cat lady," but this guy sounds good too!

I was hoping for the cat lady too Draclvr. I wonder if Sorta heard back from her?

Sorta, I have been watching this post for a while and hoping the best. I think you finally got it - with getting rid of the witch from hell. I am so hoping that you have a nice good tenant now. Plus I really hope that that witch lady doesn't come after you with something evil down the road. Evil people always seem to crop up out of nowhere to cause havoc.

Hope all goes well for you now, Sorta Blonde, and your new tenant does right by you

Oh I guess I forgot to say that the Cat Lady, who came and saw the place and liked it, went to Rosarito Mexico the next day with a realtor and rented a place in an Expat area. Don't know exactly why she wanted to leave the US so much, but she gave me a hint which I won't mention. I'd for sure not leave a home of 30 years to move to another country 900 miles away, that I had never even visited just to 'escape'. I wish her well, but luckily this guy showed up and seemed to fit all the requirements. He's even volunteered to put the 'refit' kit on the toilet tank in himself, saving my back or another Plumber call. Nice! Maybe this one will actually do something around the house to keep it in shape. Seems to be pretty savvy about repairs and all that. Daughter is delightful. Smart, funny, both very personable. Lets hope this works out. Can't be any worse than the last mess. I'm optimistic at this point. Waiting for him now to bring the rest of the security since things happened so fast he didn't have time to get to the bank for the cash. I require first pay in cash and then checks are OK later. Amazing how many fake checks (even ones that look like certified or cashier's checks' are faked. Works well when you know the pitfalls.

Sorta, maybe cat lady was concerned about deportation? Glad to hear you have reason to be optimistic with new renter.
Keep us updated.

Nope Gerry, American Citizen all her life. It was 'political'. Very interesting view on the world from her. I think she just wanted to run away from everything. Hope she found what she wanted. I would be scared to death to uproot after 30 years, take FIVE cats and move to a foreign country all by myself!

I'm thinking it is better that she did not rent from you Sorta!

Yes, I suspect that the woman with the cats may have had other issues. Fingers crossed that everything works out with the new renter.