[Kitsa]

Originally Posted by Colonel Flagg

May I ask why the former tenants (with the overactive hose) left? Did the landlord kick them out for property damage (standing water can create all sorts of nasty problems with foundations) or did he calmly just accept the rent money without so much as a blink until they decided they didn't want to live in a house with a perennially flooded basement? I'm guessing it was the latter, since he's already proven to be a douchebag.

What's your preference, are you leaning toward raising the white flag and moving on to a landlord who is less of a douchebag, are you going to gnash your teeth in silent frustration (is the rent really, really good?), or are you going to fight back and risk an all-out border war. Not that I'm advocating any position, but it might help to know which way you're leaning.

I don't know why the first people left; they just up and moved out one weekend. I had the feeling they might have been evicted, because of the sheer speed, but I don't know anything for sure. I doubt the landlord ever knew about the puddle (we're on slabs, so no basement problem).

What happened was that the (unsupervised) preteen girls were playing in the backyard one afternoon and got the brilliant idea to thread the garden hose up through the springs of their giant trampoline. I've never been allowed on a trampoline in my life, so I'm not real sure what this was supposed to accomplish, but that's what they did. They stood and watched the hose for a while, then got bored and went inside. I went about my business (was painting out on the patio at the time) and noticed when I glanced over two hours later that the hose was still running and that there was a sizable puddle. I sort of frowned at it, still going full-blast, and started the internal debate as to whether or not I should do anything. Two hours after that, the hose was still going, the whole yard was flooded, and it was getting dark.

I finally went next door and knocked...it was answered by the (still unsupervised) girls, who were fully in that ass-annoying "what-evurrrr" phase. I said I was sorry to disturb them, but I didn't know if they knew their hose was still running and the backyard was flooded. One said "Ok, ok, thanks" and slammed the door, but I heard the other girl exclaim "The hose!" just as it closed. I assume they ran back through the house and turned it off. That patch of grass was vivid green for weeks.

Here's the thing with my situation, because I don't want to sound like an asshole who just wants to whine about the problem. Well, I guess that's what I'm doing, but I genuinely am really frustrated. I'm disabled and not allowed to drive. I am hugely physically dependent on my family members, and we waited forever for one of these duplexes to open up because it's right down the street from their house. I can get back and forth between the two places easily and it gives me some degree of freedom...it's about 10 minutes from my (boyfriend's)place to theirs or the other way round, give or take the time wasted crossing into the street and back again when some asshat parks across the sidewalk.

Being here has been the difference between being like a little kid "dropped off at the babysitter's" and being an adult with some control over my daily activities. It's the difference between being able to function and utter depression, to be perfectly honest. So moving really isn't an option. I just wish that these duplexes weren't continually inhabited by a series of thoughtless rednecks. There was an elderly couple who lived on the other side for about 6 months, and that was fantastic. They mowed their yard and everything! But they found a house and now they're gone, and I damn near wept when I saw the new family had a Bassmaster sitting in the driveway on the first day.

Hope that helps clear things up.