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Going crazy

Silke

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On Wednesday, I asked my landlady if we could offset the rent against the deposit.
She refused, because "That's not how it's done."
I said she could accommodate me a little bit, considering I've been looking after her horses, dogs and cats 2-3 times a week, almost the entire time I've been here (1 year, 9 months) and she never had to worry about them.
She flipped, and told me she "didn't have to cut my hair and she did that for me" (I've had maybe 5 haircuts, just the tips, mind you, not a style and blow dry kind of thing.) Then she went off on me how I didn't cancel properly (!! News to me, she's had like 4 emails stating that!!) and I'm supposed to find someone to rent after me, that it is "the law" (No, it's not. If I find someone, I can get out of the contract sooner, but it isn't my job to find someone to rent the place.)
She then went "It's just feeding, it's not that much." and I pointed out that no, it's not "just" anything.
I drag hay down, I feed, I water, I rug, I turn out. (And muck out, even tho she told me to just "push the poop to the wall", because I don't leave horses standing in poop.) And I then drag more hay and feed down, bring in horses, feed, take off blankets, drag heavy wet blankets into the barn and hang them up to dry, make food for the next day. I let the dogs out 4-5 times a day, because otherwise they poop into the room they're locked into and guess who ends up cleaning that up? I feed and water the dogs, and the cats.
I let the dogs out at 11pm, in fricken snow storms, freezing my butt off while I wait for them, traipsing to and from my front door to the barn, in the dark, with a torch, and navigate the treacherous junkyard she has in there, because the light switch is at the back of the barn, no the front.
No, no blankets atm, but from November to March, it was blankets on two horses every day. I've had no running water at the stables since February. So I drag buckets. In Feb I brought buckets from my apartment all the way to the stables because the hose would freeze.
But it's "just feeding" and what the hell am I complaining about.

Then, yesterday, I get a whatsapp message...
"Since you're so overworked, I'm organizing my animals myself. You can look after the garden snails if you want. And the wheelbarrow and feed bowls are to go back to where they belong, so people can find them. And your horses can only go on a small piece of grass. Grazing starts 1st Mai and no sooner. My generosity has limits, and remember you're using 4 stables and only pay for 2!!!"

Erm. First of all, I have 2 horses. I don't use 4 stables, I use 1 stable with 2 stalls.
I was told which wheelbarrow to use, and that's the one I was using. Granted, it stood in that stable, but it's not like "people can't find it".
HER horses are grazing. Mine are not allowed.
And... HER GENEROSITY?? EXCUSE ME???

I cannot believe I am being bitched at and called out about looking after HER (!!!!!!!) animals!!!!!
They are not my responsibility, period. Nor did I say I wasn't going to feed them, I simply said she could meet me half way because I've done her a favor every fricken WEEK.

Now... I've paid for 5 bales of hay to be delivered by the farmer.
I'm on the 4th bale. She's just opened the 5th. But I'm guaranteeing she refuses to pick up the 5th bale.
She has NOT paid me back for her horse feed, the collection of that bale she just opened, or the meds I ordered for her with my stuff.

If she refuses to pick up the bale (which she will), or intends to charge me for collecting it... I'm going to head into town and get legal advice, despite the costs for a lawyer.
I'll sue her for boarding the horses elsewhere due to her using that bale... without paying me for delivery. Since I need feed for them, I have to take them elsewhere. It's that simple.
Somehow I don't think a judge would side with her, considering I had NO HEATING in February, for 2 weeks, with -28C outside. (I have photographs of the temperature in my bedroom and kitchen... 7C in the bedroom (it was 5C when I woke up) and 11c everywhere else.
Minimum temperature indoors in the winter months is 20C between 6am and midnight, and even after that it cannot drop below 17C.
This apartment is at a 16C constant right now (she turned the heating off 1st April -- which is also illegal) with the windows open and the kitchen door open.

I am so fricken done. I'm trying to see if the removal people can come sooner, but I'm not holding my breath.
I move 17th May and it'll be hell until then.
 

Silke

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No, she shouldn't. If she needs to offload them on someone else, then she should PAY that person, not slam them.
If I presented her with a bill for animal care... In the UK it's £20-35 a day, per horse. In Germany it's around €25 per horse, per day. That's not counting the dogs and cats.
So that's €100 a day, just for the horses, if she has to get someone to do it. Now let's call it €150 a week for 4 horses, 2 dogs and 3 cats / 2-3 days. Since I don't have to travel or anything. That's still €600 a month. Just for someone to feed, turn out, bring in, rugs etc, feed and let out dogs -- and they wouldn't do it at 11pm, either.
And if, like it happened to me PLENTY of times last summer, those 4 horses bust through the fence and you have to go find them, catch them and bring them back... let's not even go there. If there is no one on the property, those horses will be wandering loose. 4 x 16hh Warmbloods, with no halters on.
I'd like to see a judge who'd rule that's okay, on top of charging me nearly that much in rent per month.
 

Bailey21

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My goodness you must have the patience of an angel!! Just reading some of the situations you've been put through, and it was me in your place, I feel like I'd have an assault charge against this awful landlady o_O This woman sounds like she needs some institutional time, shes crazy! I'd be trying to do anything in my power to get you to stay for all the help you do for her and her animals...
 

Silke

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P.S. Bear in mind that in Winter, there are about 3-4ft of snow to dig through before you get anywhere near the stable. And that it takes me a good hour every morning to sort everyone out, on top of my own horses. I've regularly spent 45 mins digging through snow before I even got to the stable, and then another 15-20 mins to shovel to the barn, and move the snow in front of the barn door.
Every day. Because *MY* horses go out when it's daylight. Not at noon, when she decides to fall out of bed and go to feed them. (By which time I've shovelled all the snow and she just has to follow the route I've dug...)

20180124_105557.jpg

I'm not kidding, either.

And... taken 22 Feb, in my kitchen.
20180226_090408.jpg

7 Centigrade is 44F.
My FRIDGE is warmer than that!
(And it wasn't just the kitchen, or a fluke, either. I took this in the bedroom.)
20180226_075355.jpg

I had this for nearly 2 weeks. It never went above 12C (53F) and me and the cats were huddled under blankets on heat pads almost the entire time. No shower, either, because the water was lukewarm at best.
No rent reduction!

And she tells me HER generosity has limits? Well, so has my endurance.
 

Toa and Ross

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This is so NOT fair towards you. You've done a lot for this lady and her animals. And instead of a thank you you get this...awful. Really hope you can leave soon. May 17th is little less then a month to go but way too long with a person like that.
Try to stay calm, don't let that lady make you feel more stressed. You know you're doing the right thing!
 

Staceyxxx

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My god look at that snow, they poor animals must be freezing And you must have been freezing to death in your house minus 7 my god! Your landlord isn’t a reasonable woman, try and focus on moving out And looking to your future I know it will take a bit of time. I think this women took advantage of you nice nature! Bless sending hugs from Scotland!

Where in Germany are you from? My granny was German and she was from a little town neunmunster, near Kiel in north Germany such a beautiful part of the world!
 

Silke

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I'm originally from Markgröningen, which is near Stuttgart.
It wasn't -7 inside, just 7°C, but it was -28° outside. (And God only knows how cold it felt, because we had 40mph winds on top of that.)
Still, when you come in from those kinds of temps, you want somewhere to warm up...not walk into your fridge.
 

Maddie

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That's insane!!!! Is there any animal rights lawyer advocacy groups near you??? They could go after her fir the animals at least. If that kinda thing exist.... no expense to you could be a thing :)
 

Silke

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I've already reported her, anonymously. That *might* be why she's so pissy atm.
And why everything needs to be "spotless" atm.
However... "Spotless" apparently only applies to me, not to her.
I went around with my phone and took video today.


My paddock and stable.


The barn. The route to the light switch. This was taken in DAYLIGHT.
Now imagine this at the dead of night, with just a flashlight, in a snowstorm.


Her stables.


My outside wall

That'll give you an idea what I'm up against here -- and why I'm leaving.
 

Staceyxxx

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Aww bless u, good for u reporting her! Your a good person n are thinking of the animals n freezing yourself to death in the meantime...! Xxx
 

Silke

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IMG_6750_sm.jpg

Taken at 7pm today.

IMG-20180420-WA0000.jpg

Taken Thursday afternoon.

IMG_6744_sm.jpg

Taken at 7pm tonight. (Saturday)

As you can see, those wheelbarrows haven't moved an inch and haven't been emptied. (Bar the one I'm using.)
Her son has been home since yesterday evening.
Apparently it's not important to REFILL THE DAMN WATER on a day when temps nearly reach 80F.
I checked, because the hose was in exactly the same place where I left it yesterday morning, after filling up water for my boys.
I thought he'd top up yesterday evening.
Apparently not, but he wasn't out when I did my horses this morning.
So you can imagine what I thought when I came out to feed my horses and top up water (I keep 4 buckets filled in the stable because the hose doesn't reach all the way up there) -- and found the hose STILL in the same place. So I checked. And yep. Not a drop of water in there.
He's filling them atm. It's 8:20pm. I just went out to check their water and saw him filling the tubs.
I really HOPE the authorities will step on their toes and maybe take the animals away.
 

Staceyxxx

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Omg that’s a sin god help they animals...! Yeah here’s hoping the authorities will hurry and take action!
 

Silke

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When I moved in (almost 2 years ago) it was *nothing* like this.
We got on very well, she was looking after her animals properly, and all was fine.
It started with occasionally looking after the horses.
Then it went from one evening to the whole day.
Then two. And three.
And eventually (around Sept/Oct) I didn't even get asked anymore, I was just told "We're back on X day".
I pointed out end of October that the mare needs extra groceries, because she's very thin. (They were still on grass!)
Nothing happened.
I carried on doing their horses, dogs and cats, every week, 2-3 days.
Things went downhill when I gave notice. Nothing was good enough, she kept going on about how the written notice is wrong and "not worded right" -- I sent the damned thing 4 times. Frankly, telling her in writing that I will be moving out on the 15th May (I gave notice in MARCH) should be enough. But she keeps going on about how I am "legally obliged" to find someone to rent after me. (I asked my Dad, who has rented out properties for as long as I remember, and he said it's not the law, it's a courtesy if I want to leave early without being liable for rent.)
When I asked to offset the deposit (2 months in advance) she refused. I then said "You know, you could accommodate me a LITTLE bit, considering I've been doing your animals all this time, 2-3 days a week."
That's when I got the nasty message. I haven't spoken to her since, and I won't. I did not deserve that, period.
I'm cancelling my bank account on the 1st May. She still owes me €35 for other stuff, so that's in addition to the €700 deposit.
I will not get that back, I know that. I've asked my dad if it's worth taking her to court and he said no, the lawyer will cost more than she'd have to pay me, and to just get the hell out.

FWIW -- they were having a BBQ tonight.
I was doing my horses at 6:30pm while they were getting ready to put their steaks on the fire (dangerous. It hasn't rained in 2 weeks and it's been hot. Everything is dry and the fire is near her horse's paddock near the stables.)
As I'm mucking out my boys, I looked into the paddock her two oldies are in.
It has STILL not been mucked out.
So the last time she actually took out any muck at all, was Wednesday afternoon.

I was going to leave the sink I put in, and the cabinet it sits on. Both were brand new when I moved in. Now I'm ripping everything out and take it with me. Good luck finding another person who rents the place when the first thing they have to do is put in a new kitchen. (Like I did.)
I just hope everything fits into the removal truck, because I didn't count on taking everything including the kitchen sink!
LOL My dad went "Take the washing machine too!" and I was like "No thanks. It's half dead. I am not removing her junk."

The cats desperately want to sit outside, but it's just too dangerous, because I can't (nor would) put up the catio again just for them.
They'll just have to wait a few weeks until we're in France.
 

Catzzzmeow

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Don’t let the negative energy consume you. Look forward to the future. You have things in order to move. How have you conducted references on your future move/residence to avoid conditions of mold etc like this last place for the last 1 +years?
 

Silke

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I'm moving in with a friend of mine in France, so I'm not worried about that there. She is providing me with a bolt hole, for me, the cats and the horses, while I look for a farm to buy in France. I've got my eye on one, which needs renovating, but has everything I want - plenty of grazing land, stables, outbuildings that can be transformed into Gites, and the price is quite good too.
My flat in the UK is waiting for the lease to be finalized and then I can move forward with the sale. (I've accepted an offer on it already.)
 

Maddie

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Totally random but isn't it a German thing to take the kitchen and washing machines and have to repaint everythingvwhite?? I watch a YouTuber who lives in Germany and when she moved they had to pull out the whole kitchen pretty much.
Well at least you have under a month!!!!! And that's great about your flat :)
 

Silke

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It depends where you move to. This place had no kitchen. Yes, it's in my contract that I have to totally repaint the apartment when I leave -- but as it was not handed over to me freshly painted, she can stick that where the sun don't shine.
Besides... I'm not spending money on paint and rollers, while she is holding on to €740 of my money. (the €40 from stuff I picked up for her, like horse feed, a bottle of meds, and a hay delivery I paid for -- in JANUARY.)
So no, there will be no painting.
 

Silke

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Grazing starts 1st May and no sooner.

It must be the 1st May today...

20180423_184306_LI.jpg


Meanwhile, in the field I was assigned for my boys:

20180423_185653 (2).jpg

The Harrow was dumped directly in the entrance to that field.
Below is what this thing looks like.

IMG_6758_sm.jpg


So I can't use that field, period. WAY too dangerous, because that's in the ENTRANCE. Hello broken legs and whatnot.
 
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