Minuscule, compared to my trust in karma.

I am driving way to far everyday to get to where I need to go. My landlord told me during the whole bug incident "Christine, just go. You don't have to finish out your lease. Obviously you're not happy." So I have been wanting to move. And I've been looking. I'm trying to get within a 15-20 minute drive to work AND my horse. That's the objective. It's a very hard challenge. This place is totally great but a half hour drive to work in the morning. This place is really great, but a 15 minute drive on a highway that they are STILL working on from Ivan. They BLOCK OFF LANES in morning rush hour traffic. I SWEAR.

So I found this place. This house is four minutes away from work. And the bugs certainly wouldn't be able to get through that new-er "everything".

It was a room in a three bedroom house. Not a very big house. It came with a dog. A Lab. A beautiful young black lab. And two roommates. The guy who bought it (call him Shystie)split his four dogs up with the divorce and they all live in separate houses he buys and fills with college kids. Including his daughters. You might even say that Shystie buys houses for his daughters to live in with room ates while they're in school. His daughter is in school here, would not live here, but would be able to come and get the dog whenever she wanted. I suppose that would mean she hold a key?
OOooooHHhh kay.

I needed a place to work on my computer, so Shystie made this agreement with me. I would pay an extra $50 a month in order to be able to have this area of the living room (which would be like a dining area?) that I could "section off" and put my computer in. It would essentially be a cubicle in the corner of the living room. I was ok with that also. At first. Until I thought about the other half of the "deal"...

...I told him that I really didn't think it was fair of me to have to pay for EVERYONE'S Internet usage also. The Internet is like any other utility to me and to everyone I know. You can HAVE my water, shoot- I have Culligan but don't take my Internet PLEASE. It is not exclusive to me. It is something that is used pretty much equally among roommates. yah?

Shystie was previously in the restaurant industry and therefor unabidingly skilled in the art of passive aggressiveness. He played a game of used car salesman with me. Little does he know that the car salesmen all RUN into their offices when I walk through the door for the second time. He was offering me TWO deals that both ended up the same for HIM. He was just presenting them to me differently.

The other deal was that I would just pay and extra $100 a month and he would take care of the Internet service also.
um? yah. no.

Then he told a Marine that he could move in. Before I even met this Dude, this DUDE emptied his car out into the room already. And I already gave Shystie money.

Dude would "totally" order the Hockey package for direct TV, go buy a super wide screen plasma TV with surround sound and put speakers all over the room. The living room.
OOooooHHhh kay.
"four minutes away from work."

"My landlord won't let me out of my lease." I told him on the phone. So, WOW what a coincidence. I went to see him on my lunch later that afternoon.

"I'm sorry but I cannot move into this house when now my landlord is threatening me that I will be responsible for the rest of my lease. And even though she told me I can move, my name is on a paper that committed me until March. I would love to move in here (caughcaugh) but I can no way pay for two places at the same time."

He was sitting at his little wal-mart table looking at me. Telling me that's not true and she told me I could leave and etc.

"You're going to keep my money aren't you?" I asked him.
"YES." he said as he innocently glanced outside at his BMW minivan thing.

Then tears started boiling out of my eyes and I went on a mild to saucy emotional rampage about how I should just walk outside and write the first person I see a check for five-hundred dollars. Because HELL I've got MONEYTOSPEND!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!I.CAN'T.MOVE.HERE.OR.I.WOULD.

oops.

So he's talking some major-chain-restaurant-manager bullshit to me and tells me that he will "pro rate" my money when someone rents the room.
I never signed a fucking lease or commitment. Just a money order for $450. I was waiting for my checks in the mail.

Shystie's ego had to make him say "I don't need your money."
"well then give it back because I SURE DO." I said.
He said "no" again.

I wrote him a letter telling him I wanted my money back and took it to him. I talked to two different lawyers and I could take him to small claims, but REALLY.
I sent him this email earlier. I'm so over it.

Hello Shystie,
I talked to two lawyers about this situation with you keeping or pro-rating my money. I have thought one last time about this.

I really feel that you should give me back that money. I'm not sure what you motivation really is about this whole thing, why you choose to act as such when, as you said yourself -you don't need it. I had anticipated you of different character.

I feel that it is now my responsibility to rent that room and I am way to busy for that. Taking the time and actions to really take this anywhere on my part seems minuscule compared to my trust in karma. I have learned a lesson. I personally wouldn't choose those actions, considering my situation. Perhaps I would be more compassionate about this. Maybe that's why I'm not rich.

If somebody rents that room tomorrow, next week or at the end of the month than I'm happy with getting some money back. If I get none I will still survive. If it will be it will be.

Unless you choose to be honest about if/when someone rents the room, than I promise you will not hear another thing from me about this situation.
I will call the lawyer in the morning and tell them that I sent you this email, and not to call you again. Sorry about the frustration.

That's it. Thank you. Good luck in your life.