The Exodus of The Eye
Amy decided to move out. YES! Though she is gone now, her exodus was the most excruciating process that I have ever been through. Amy planned on moving out the last weekend of June, that left us with less than three weeks to find a replacement for her. Plus we still were looking for Kathryn’s replacement. To add to the problems we hit severals snags with potential roommates. The first three roommates we liked we had to pass on because Amy didn’t like them. Then she decided to move out. She could have saved all of us a lot of time (and money) but she didn’t.
Once the dust cleared we ended up going with my school chum Valentina and Nick, a musician. Valentina couldn’t move in until September, so we found a sub-leaser, Peter, for her room for the summer. Nick couldn’t move in until the end of June, making Amy legally responsible for June rent. Amy didn’t take this news well.
Below are the final emails exchanged between Wednesday, May 10 and June 1, 2006.
Wednesday, 3:25 PM
From: Amy | To: Ryan
CC: KathrynHi Ryan/Kathryn,
I am looking for a new place for June 1 and would like to help find someone if you would like my help. I already have placed the ad from before and have been getting some replies but if you would prefer for me to put up something you wrote up there or if you just want to put one up, that’s fine too. Or, if you’d like to live with one of the roommates you are already interested in, Kaetlynn maybe, let me know. Let me know what works best for you and I will do what I can to help.Thanks,
AmyThursday, 9:08 AM
From: Amy | To: Ryan
CC: KathrynHi guys,
I downloaded the forms from the Hamilton site (roommate substitution agreement and the rental apps. I called Hamilton and they said that these are the only forms we need. They said also that we can use just one form for the roommate substitution agreement since we are both moving June 1 rather than having to do that form twice. We just put who the old tenants are, all four of us, and the new tenants, the new four. Kathryn, I printed a copy of the other forms for you too. The link is http://www.thehamiltoncompany.com/ Then click on tenant services if you need it for any reason. I have a friend I can stay with so if I haven’t found a place for June 1, I will have movers put all my belongings in storage. I do not want to inconvenience either of you at all. I want to do what’s healthiest for all of us by moving as soon as I can. Let me know what I can do to help make this easier for everyone.Thanks,
AmyThursday, 9:21 AM
From: Ryan | To: Amy
CC: KathrynHey Amy, thanks for the update.
I picked up the forms Tuesday while I was out running errands (and getting soaked!) in case you haven’t printed them out yet. I actually got two sets because we always seem mess one up and have to start over. We had a girl look at the place last night and she seemed to like it a lot. I have to wait and talk to Drew (whose email I never did find) about her. I also have two of the people you forwarded to me coming by this weekend as well. I think we might have this all tucked away very soon. I hope at least.
RyanThursday, 9:27 AM
From: Amy | To: Ryan
CC: KathrynThat sounds great. Thanks!
Thursday, 9:30 AM
From: Kathryn | To: Amy
CC: RyanThanks for printing those out Amy. I’m confident we can find people by June 1st. Hopefully we will be hearing from Dan today and I know Ryan has a few more people coming by to look at the rooms.
Thanks and have a good day
KathrynMay 31, 11:43 PM
From: Ryan | To: AmyHey Amy, I didn’t get finished with class until late tonight and I didn’t want to call you late.
Nick signed the lease and was approved but he isn’t on the lease until July 1. He will move in before July 1 but he is not sure when; probably around June 20 but maybe sooner. He will pay a portion of the rent when he moves in but he can’t pay that portion until he knows when he is moving in. He is getting reimbursed from his work and they won’t pay until then. When he does pay that money will be split evenly and given to you and Kathryn. Nick mailed his deposit to Kathryn in New York today but he subtracted $307.50 from the check to give her 1/2 of rent.
I’m sorry for this inconvenience but we’ve had some major setbacks and Hamilton is more than aware of the problems we’ve had. We had one girl who lied on her application (and to us) and two girls who got approved and just basically vanished from existence. Riva at Hamilton called both of them and neither of them returned his or my own calls. Unfortunately you are still legally responsible for your portion of rent. I am looking into all options to help give you as much money back as I can. If I could even find someone who wanted to sublease the apartment for the month only I would do that to pay you back. If Nick moves in by June 15, he will pay half and then you can get half back.
Since Kathryn opted out of the apartment first she is, from a legal standpoint, not responsible for the rent. Riva from Hamilton told me that you suggested we all split the total but that is something that we do not have to do. Valentina signed the lease under the impression she would have to pay $615. I asked her tonight and she told me that she can’t afford to pay that and that if she had to pay more she would ask to be released from the lease before it is finalized; just like the last two girls did.
There is nothing I can do right this second since rent is due. But if you have any ideas of how to make back the rent for June I am all ears. In the meantime rent needs to be paid in total. If rent is not paid then we could be evicted and all our our credit tarnished.
I am dropping off the rent checks either tomorrow or Friday morning. Please drop the check off at the apartment before then so I can include it with our rent.
Thanks,
RyanJune 1, 4:51 AM
From: Amy | To: RyanHey Ryan,
I’m sorry you are going through all this and that it is so stressful! The last thing I want is for all of us to have bad credit and for you to get evicted. I have been thinking about it and I want to do the right thing and what is fair. Clearly I don’t think Valentina should have to contribute anything!!! She had nothing to do with the roommate search and is totally brand new. But as for the four of us, who have been living there, we all played a part in not finding a new roommate in time and so I think it is fair that you, me, Kathryn, and Drew ought to share the responsibility of the $615. I was willing to help find someone and am certain I would have found a responsible person in time that would have been approved and would have followed through on signing if I had been allowed to participate in the search. Because we had different taste in roommates, I was told to take my ad off craigslist because no one I chose was going to be considered which kind of left me with my hands tied. I want to help in anyway I can but my move was really expensive too and I won’t feel good about this if I don’t do what’s fair and right for everyone. I can contribute $153.75 (which is 1/4 of $615) and if all four of us pay that amount we can make the rent for June. I’m sorry if this isn’t what you think is fair but it is what I think is fair and so it is the best I can do. The way it works legally with a lease like this is that we are all jointly responsible so who covers this $615 portion is really between us. As far as Hamilton is concerned we all jointly sign and will be jointly held accountable if it isn’t covered. I know you think because Kathryn was first to move that she isn’t responsible for that piece and that I am because I was second and so on but that is just a matter of opinion. Legally, we are all accountable and my opinion is that you and Drew were also responsible for helping us to find a replacement by cooperating in the search. We all had a responsibility to work together to find someone and we all failed on that as a group. I will come by tomorrow afternoon to drop off a check for my share. I just have to dig through boxes to find my checkbook because I have no idea where it is! But I will find it. If you aren’t there I can stick it on the door in an envelope. I hope this helps and that you get everything worked out and don’t have to deal with it anymore very soon and I hope you understand where I am coming from.
- Amy