I live in....Las Vegas?
When I was preparing my move to Henderson, I placed a lot of faith in my friend Cookie. We counted on College Villas being a sealed deal, so I was going to rent her friend's condo to live in "nearby." I don't know Las Vegas. When she gave me the address, I tried hard to be polite, "that looks like it's not such a great neighborhood," "that doesn't look anywhere near Henderson," have you seen this place?"
"Everything is fine."
It could have been fine. If all Cookie and Neil told me was true, but it wasn't. The condo was filthy with dirt ground into the toe kicks, bugs, missing vertical blinds so no privacy. Right now the only thing that I can think of that worked was the bathtub faucet and the toilet.
Neil immediately tried to help me find a new place to live. He'd rather I live somewhere I was comfortable rather than here in his condo. He offers himself as a reference. His phone number is 702-642-7885.
In January after a month of anxiety (some I brought with me and some was that I landed in a dirt trap), Jennifer from College Villas offered me a unit.
I was over the moon!!! To be courteous and to follow custom I called Neil, my current landlord to see if it was OK to accept. He said it was and I called Jennifer back to accept within the hour. Charlie Augustus answered and put me on hold for her. After a while, he picked up and said she'd be on the phone for some time and could he take a message.
I told Charlie Jennifer had called about a unit and I wanted it. I asked about move in dates, etc. and he said the unit had to be refurbished and he didn't know when it would be available. I asked if they would call me to update me and I was told that's how they handled it.
It was January for a February move in. After about a week and a half of collecting boxes and finding people to help me load the truck, I called Jennifer about a move in date. She had never gotten my message from Charlie and gave the unit to someone else.
Devastation and despair. I got something I really wanted and it was gone. I was back on the waiting list, but with so many ADA units turning over lately, I thought it could be months or years before I got a spot at College Villas. I'm still trying to recover from my nightmare of last summer and the childhood trauma and came here to find peace and I have a broken appliance replaced by another 30 year old appliance that will eventually also break and an exterminator that comes every two weeks.
In March, I bought a car from a friend of a friend. I got to see some Las Vegas! I could drive myself to the store! Until 2 months later to the day the radiator cracked and I can't afford it. That was going to be my "pay down my credit card" stimulus check, but it became a "buy a used car" stimulus check. Damn it, another nice thing I thought I'd have and it was gone.
That's kind of been my theme for the last couple of years. I get some help or some resources, and something falls through. The disappointment is too common.
My situation in Minneapolis just before I left was critical. I had to leave at any expense as fast as I could to save me from myself and I decided that I had enough money to go and I would work out the rest.
When I got here, I emailed the manager of Midtown Exchange and asked how I could pay down my debt since I couldn't use the online payment system. Silence. I've left messages about my intent to break my lease legally since September. Silence.
Not long ago, a collection agency called me for Midtown Exchange asking for thousands of dollars. I've had more loss since I got to Las Vegas and this call was unexpected and bad timing. I was still working on the legal part of breaking my lease so I wasn't going to pay the amount until that was settled and determined.
AND THEN JENNIFER CALLED AGAIN....
and here we are.
I have two collections from landlords within the last year and it looks awful. I can't do anything about the Knox Landing collection because when I call the collection agency, I only get a call center rep, then someone from the "legal department" who won't answer my questions and hangs up.
I'm working on the Midtown Exchange debt, but that goes as fast as COVID courts and legal banter. If I move to College Villas, I'll have more money to spend to fly back and for to Minneapolis.
I've been trying to find another place to live, but College Villas suits all my needs. I've been counting on it for months
Please reconsider my application. I've been through a lot this year. I really need a new home.
Jennifer Fairchild
612-803-3146
