[mudvaynian869]

I have been living at this house in North Carolina for two years. Throughout the course of these two years, I have been a good tenant. I've paid my rent every month and never gave the landlord any trouble. A year ago, I asked the landlord if I could move my friend in to help me with the bills, to which she agreed to his moving in, stating that it was no problem but we would have to add his name to the lease. Since then, she never brought me a new lease to add his name, although she mentioned it several times that we still needed to do that.

Now, a year later, she has forced him from the premises and made him homeless, stating that with his name not being on the lease he is no longer allowed to be there and should not return. We have never disrespected her and have taken care of the property. In the lease, it states that pets were not allowed on the premises, but she told me that outside dogs were permissible, so that's what he had. Last week, she called me before 6 am and left me a voice mail demanding he and the dogs be removed from the premises, never telling him to leave directly. She claimed that he looked like a person who would try to cause her trouble and said that she had a 12-gauge shotgun and a .22, too, and was well equipped to handle the situation if we went to her house to cause trouble. Neither of us would ever do anything like that. We removed the dogs that day as per her request, but she still flew off the handle about him still being there.

Now that Spring is here, the grass is growing up a little and I had not yet had the time to cut it. She called me screaming about the lawn needing maintenance, to which I cut the grass immediately when I returned home from work. She also gave me a list of other things that needed to be done. The next day, she called me again harassing me about the things I was not yet able to finish the day before but were completed on my subsequent return from work.

She has stalked the house repeatedly in the past week, taking down license plate numbers of my guests. She has even stopped by and created a scene. My friend was forced to sleep in his car in a parking lot due to her substantial, frequent harassment and backing out of an oral agreement. He stopped by this afternoon while I was at work to collect some of his belongings. On another of her stalking rounds, she saw his car in the driveway and called me on my cell phone while I was at work and unable to answer. She called and left me four voice mails within twelve minutes, demanding I call her immediately because he was not allowed to be there and said that my girlfriend (who had stayed over the night before) was also no longer allowed to come over because she is not on the contract. In another message, she said she was calling me and demanded I answer immediately before she takes further action. Three minutes later, in the fourth message, the landlord demand that I move out by the end of the month and I must do as she says or she will have us arrested.

For this past week, this woman has tried to rule my life, slandered my acquaintances, and raped me and my best friend of a place to live. I know she has had to have broken several laws in these past six days. Please, if anyone knows what our rights are in this, help me. I believe this to be a violation of the law. Yes, technically there was a "violation" of the lease, but the "violation" was immediately remedied with the removal of the puppies and cage, therefore this abuse and distress is uncalled for and unnecessary.

What can I do? I know it was a lot to read, but please help if you can. Any help you can offer is GREATLY appreciated.

[BIGBOPPER]

Wow, this lady has some issues! First contact your county's clerk of courts office and get the rules on eviction laws for your area. I think if it's like Florida, it will take some time to have her evict you. In the meantime, find a place suitable for you and your friend, and his dog. Both of you sign the lease together as roommates. That way the landlord has no surprise about him being there. She has no right, BTW, to dictate how long you can have guests over. In some of the rental agreements I have signed, it will state that a guest can stay for no longer than six months. After that, they either need to be added to the lease, of asked to leave. You might want to see if your area has a housing authority. They can also help you. Maybe even mediate between you and your landlord. But I think the sensible thing to do is just quietly find a place to move to, and do it. Since I think that she might be an problem and may follow you, be as vague as possible as where you are moving to.

[this8384]

North Carolina has a 30-day notice law. Your landlord can ask you to leave but cannot force you to leave any earlier than 30 days from the date she gives you the notice.

Do you have a written lease? If so, when does it expire?

Personally, I'd find another place as soon as possible. This woman doesn't sound like she's worth the trouble. When you move, make sure you complete a walk-through inspection with her and have her sign a document stating that there is no damage. If she refuses to do a walk-through, take pictures of everything on the very last day that you're there - you'll have proof if she tries to keep your security deposit for "damages."