This tenant rented the property at Fircrest Court Apartments (104 SE 96th Ave.) from 8 until I was forced from my apartment almost exactly three years later in 8.
The property was actually rented under another management company, then RPM took over the management in 6. For the duration of the rental term this tenant had payed rent infallibly on time.
There have never been any complaints about this tenant brought to this tenants attention (nothing verbal or in writing) from other tenants.
Until the pattern of retaliation began, there was no complaints made to this tenant in writing or verbally by management.
Many of these complaints have no defense within Washington State Landlord/Tenant laws. This will be further explained.
Starting January I claim that the management and management company owner (Ken Opp) have practised a pattern of retaliation that has caused me to have to leave my apartment at 104 SE 96th Ave.in Vancouver, Washington.
At that time I began complaining about a new neighbor that according to my and other tenant's observations was dealing methamphetamine, beating his dogs (boxer, and a puppy) and his wife, and having regular agressive confrontations with his neighbors. He was also observed "sikking" his dog on other neigbor's dogs, teasing the other animals in the neighborhood (he would "dive bomb" my dog on his little "BMX" bicycle and a tricycle (!) that he would ride.
Until this time my relations with the management company had been quite good. When I made these calls, I would always speak to KATHY (last name unknown and never disclosed) with only one exception to my recollection, then I spoke to SANDY (last name unknown and never disclosed). Here I note that the office personnal were always very secretive regarding the use of their last names, etc (this should be a first clue!).
RPM fired the FIRST SHOT when I received a notice (on file) that my rent was now increasing to $480.00 for my tiny 2 bedroom, fifty-some-year-old-and-never-well-maintained unit (the original rental price was $450.00/month, which I thought reasonable for the unit).
At the time I thought nothing, as rental increases aren't that unusual, and I had already requested from RPM to keep my rent down as I was living on disability and taking care of 2 children with no child-support.
In September Ken Opp agreed to do this, and I constantly expressed my appreciation for it.in good faith I held up my end of the agreement by not telling other tenants that I had paid less. Little did I know that implicitly (look at the evidence) I had also given up my right to complain for (apparently) any reason.
In February my best friend in Unit #105 was evicted, as she was behind in her rent due to a bad shock she had received from the stove fan in her apartment. She also supports a five year old child four at the time) and was essentially put out on the street by RPM.
Because she was behind in her rent, she had no recourse according to the statuatory law in Washington. It doesn't matter that she was suffering physical consequences that kept her from employment, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE THE CAUSE of her unemployment.
If you are behind on your rent in Washington, you are S.O.L. Period.
Shot #2:
I took my friend in until she could find other housing or force a lawsuit. When KATHY heard this she immediately called me and said that if the other tenant (my friend) was staying with me, my "rent just went up." Shen then told me that I would pay the same rate as everyone else unless "she" wasn't there. So I lied and told her that she was no longer there. When I hung up the phone I was completely confused, as the Washington law states clearly that guests are allowed for up to 21 days. She had not been there that long. A diary entry is the only record of this phone call.
On February 12th I received a notice about the "extra articles on my carport" followed by a letter on February 17th complaining about the style of curtains that I chose to hang in the living room windows of my apartment, and telling me that "Sandy noticed that you have the dog chained outside... You may not chain the dog anywhere to the property."
I only had bicycles, lawn furniture, a barbeque and garbage and recycling bins on my carport, and the particular curtains they refer to had been hanging since December. The dog had been on this particular chain setup since 6.
This all in a complex that gets a DAILY drive-by from the property manager.
My first shot:
Upon receiving these letters, I was starting to suspect that something was "up" as the office had become increasingly annoyed with the persistent phone calls about "Todd" (his first name, (last name unknown and undisclosed).
Since my original phone calls, this tenant "Todd" had escalated his behavior to threatening assault on me and several other tenants who had made complaints against him.
All these things were told to RPM. And for no evidence to the contrary, were ignored.
So I wrote a letter:
Dated February 24, I confronted Kathy on what I thought was the beginning of a pattern of behavior with RPM.
This happened after she and I had a confrontation on the street. She essentially told me that if I didn't remove the curtains she would EVICT me. I said "Fine then, we'll take it to court and let the judge decide!"
I received a response to this in writing from her, with a copy of my rental agreement (the section that I "violated" was highlighted) that my complaints have been minded and, oh by the way, you can't chain your dog to the property.
I had initially tried to comply with this ridiculous order by chaining the dog to the bush, but upon examining the conditions of the carport posts that were frequently abused (obviously) by former tenants, I took the dog back to his original location, as it was much easier for he and I both.
I would also like to point out that this is the first time RPM Services had EVER offered me a copy of my rental agreement.
Apparently convinced by this time that they weren't dealing with a moron, RPM quieted down and attended to their usual evictions, threats, and intimidating behavior elsewhere.
At this time I knew that RPM was determined to "get" me, that they govern by bullying and strong-arm tactics.
They couldn't possibly "lose" this one, as that would give encouragement to tenants who normally feel dis-empowered under their "management".
By the end of April, based on my and other tenant's concerns about RPM management, the tenants at Fircrest court began considering a tenant's union.
Unfortunately, Fircrest Court was filled by the types of tenants that Landlords love: they, if their names were revealed, were afraid (and rightly so) of further harrassment and eviction. Everyone thought it was a good idea for ME to do... Unfortunately they couldn't find it within them to jump up and take a stand for fear of reprisals. So sad.
I believe it was the month of May when "Todd" was finally evicted. Or pressured to leave. That was an immediate community improvement.
Shot #3
On June third another tenant was approached and told that we were not allowed to have swimming pools this year (the $30.00 blow-up family-type pools) unless we carried liability insurance. He also took the liberty of telling her that "That is why the grass is ruined over at Lyn's."
Since the weather at this time was in the 90's and was supposed to get higher, and I was going in to pay my rent that day, as it is when I receive my social security, my new neighbor from unit #105 accompanied me to the office so that we could pay our rent.
SANDY, upon the neighbor's question, became instantly irritated and said that we could be given a 10 day non-compliance notice and could then be evicted. That was pretty extreme, I pointed out, for a policy that was not even in writing.
After I had paid my rent my neighbor and I saw KEN and KATHY on the way out of the building. I then asked KEN about the swimming pools. He told me that we had to have our own liability bond, that he "shouldn't have to pay for my kids to have fun" should someone slip on the pavement and skin their knee, I guess!
My neighbor noticed that KEN (KATHY had gone inside) was becoming very irratable, so she asked if we couldn't make a compromise between all of us.
All I was asking KEN was to show me in the law or our rental agreements where it stated that we couldn't have kiddie pools. And if it does not state anything there, why is it even an issue? He knew that most of the parents at Fircrest can't afford to get their kids out to the public pools. No One was going to make a complaint against RPM... That was ridiculous.
KEN then turned to me and yelled (no exageration) that he "would raise my rent and charge me $100.00, then I could have my damn pool!"
Wow.
As fate (apparently) would have it when I returned home the girls were playing in the pool and one of the neighbor kids accidentally put her foot through the bottom of the pool. Pool ruined. I couldn't afford to get another at that time, so on my part the issue was essentially dropped.
RPM had different plans.
They immediatedly shot out a letter to the tenants (dated 6/3) that put in writing what management and I had been arguing about that day.
Three days later on the 6th, I received a non-compliance notice and a threatened rental increase (this was a "general" notice to the tenants dated 6/4, though any other tenants I asked did not receive one).
Also dated the 4th and included with the notice of non-compliance, was a notice of rental increase, to $550.00. When added to the increase I received in January, within 6 months my rent was raised $90.00.
At this time I did not even have a pool!
So I went out and bought one. Out of principle. Out of protest.
I consulted an attorney on the 22nd of June. To capsulize what he said, I haven't got a leg to stand on legally, that Landlords in the state of Washington may essentially legally harrass their tenants anyway they please, as long as it is not in retaliation for the tenant having called a utility, building, or health inspector.
He forgot to comment on the "or excercising any other rights under this act" part. He wouldn't take it on. He didn't hear out my trying to show him the patterns of behavior. He couldn't have cared less.
Knowing that the value of the property at Fircrest is low, the rents exorbitant, and the condition of the buildings questionable, as well as reliable gossip that the sewage system is collapsing, all I had planned to do until this time was remain here until my circumstances improved.
But now I was damn angry and this was (obviously in their opinion) WAR.
So I got on the internet and the telephone and I started calling the inspectors. Making all the complaints to them that I had made in the past to RPM and to my knowledge were NEVER deal with, both in my apartment and others.
This was mainly a self-defense gesture on my part, as next I feared it would be an eviction notice.
By this time I felt like I had no choice but to vacate the unit. The buildings at Fircrest were not only in disrepair, but were actually in my opinion possibly unsuitable for habitation due to electrical issues.
I gave my notice to an unknown woman working in the office (I would know her in a line-up) by hand on June 30th, requesting specifically for her to get it to KATHY. She was quite pleasant and agreed.
The final battle between me and RPM Services occured on July first, when I went in and intended to pay the $30.00 differential between my last month's rent deposit and my current (until August~that's why I was moving) rental rate.
When I put the $30.00 on the counter, SANDY asked, "What is that?" I told her it was my rent. She immediately began arguing with me. My rent was "a little more than that". I informed her that they had the final month's rent already, that this was the difference between what they have and what I owed them.
They don't have my final month's rent. They just flat-out denied it. After SANDY had walked away to the back room, I looked at KATHY and said, "You know KATHY, you didn't have to be such a bitch about this stuff. We could have worked this out month's ago."
KATHY and I proceeded to get into an argument. She ordered me to leave the office, and I stated that no one had taken my money yet. Once taken I will leave. No problem. I didn't come over for a social visit.
KATHY then called the cops. County. Officer "Kevin".
I waited for him and was the first one to talk to him. I told him that I had only tried to pay my rent, then KATHY began proclaiming me "evil" (no shit) and basically flipped out.
He said that if I could show (YES) that I paid the final month's rent then I had nothing to worry about, take myself out to lunch on my landlord.
I have no idea what these people tried to charge me when I moved, but by substantiation of the other facts (all on file) it will be substantial. The neighbor I was with in #105 was charged $500.00 by RPM when she moved, despite the immaculate condition of her apartment. She was charged for being MY friend!
Don't rent from rpm services!
Lyn
Vancouver, Washington
U.S.A.
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