Basically I lived with my mother and was nearing the end of a two year contract in June when she suddenly passed away on March 16. I was obviously devastated by her death and did not wish to stay in the same apartment (where she died like 5 steps away from me).
I asked to move to a smaller unit and they told me I had to do a 2-year contract. I was grieving, disoriented from my mother's death so I agreed.
January 8 I walk into my job to be told I'm laid off, gone. For the most part I lived 2007 in an almost destitute state. I could not find work (still have not found permanent work) and so I depleted my 401K, spent the severance pay I got (measly 7,000 after 10 years of service).
So back in January I had told management of being laid off and facing financial difficulties. Their response was "Don't worry, you'll get a job".
Once all my monies were spent I found myself with a $620 rent payment I could simply no longer afford. I sent them a letter in early May giving them 2 months notice that I would leave on June 30th because I could not pay anymore.
Almost a month later, the so called manager tells me she just found out, blah blah and that I would be liable for the 2 year contract. Well, so be it, I thought, I'd rather leave than be evicted which is more than likely what would have happened.
As I am ready to leave I get a paper stating that I will still pay for 4 months rent for an early departure!!! I mean HELLO, I can't pay you as it is and have no job, no money, my savings depleted, my car repo'd, no job, no help from Uncle Sam, and I'm going to pay you 4 months plus my rent where ever I end up???
Well I signed just to get the hell out of there and finally they sued me for $8000 dollars and because they are buddies with the Rocky River Court judges and despite a desperate plea on my part to the judge to understand my devastated financial status, they won.
Now its on my credit report for 10 years, I'll be filing bankruptcy, and all for my mother dying suddenly and me getting laid off, one after another.
It is my understanding that if a person dies with an open lease, they make the Estate or survivors pay for the entire remainder of the lease.
Our building had a lot of elderly people and when they had to move out because of illness or the need to be in a nursing home they too are required to pay the entire lease.
Don't live there, the place is old, dirty, and they use the cheapest of all products to fix up the apartments. Oh, don't forget they'll charge you for every little spot on the walls.
They never lose money. Their in house lawyer some clown Miclau works for them and is about as ruthless as the rest of them, Marianna and worst of all, Janine or whatever her name was.
Don't live there, as long as you pay they love you, the minute you run into problems they're on you like flies to get their little money back... Its family-owned but they're as stingy as it gets.
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