Lunch and book shopping with thessaly is the perfect cure for a cranky mood. I also just got back from grocery shopping. I feel all accomplished, which is probably kind of pathetic, but since I felt like just sitting home and sulking all day, it's been a pretty good day.

It’s TOTALLY worth the fight for us to go after them in MA. I found, in my research today, that if they pull that shit or don’t pay us interest on the money, they have to pay THREE TIMES what we were owed, plus court costs and OUR attorney fees. They better not go there. I’ve had it. They will see the wrath of vw.

You're supposed to get interest on a deposit? I never have.

My dad thinks I'm over-reacting. I had to explain to him that I think I've under-reacted for far too long, so over-reacting seems completely reasonable to me.

This makes perfect sense to me, but you are not overreacting yet. Give them hell.

{{{beth}}} The unemployment people sound sadly like the social security people. I'm sorry they are messing with you.

Yay, for beth's DH's raise!!!

vw, Robin is wise. A nice, friendly e-mail some time tomorrow might get the conversation going again.

vw, good landlord letter and what Kristin said about citing the specific laws that they are messing with.

Thanks, PC! And Kristin!

You could say 'We received insufficient notice" or no notice or improperly delivered notice.

The "basically" sounds like you are making a leap or cutting a corner in your definition, which I know you are not.

Very good point. Changed.

You're supposed to get interest on a deposit? I never have.

Oh, yeah!

ION, Not!Emily just got home from Sweden. Toto is just SO excited to see him. It's adorable. Toto knows he's not allowed in Not!Emily's room, so he's just kind of hanging out on the edge of the door. It's so cute.

vw, that's an excellent letter, it's very clear, it's very reasonable and non-emotional, and very well-documented.

Be prepared for Mrs. Landlord to not like it, to bitch about your "uncooperativeness" (yes, she *will* label your insistence on the law being followed as "uncooperative" -- anything that inconveniences her is going to be labelled "uncooperative," even when the law is on your side), and to continue entering the apartment without sufficient notice.

I'm not trying to be a pessimist, but this is a pattern, and she doesn't seem inclined to work with you, even after you've asked -- repeatedly -- in the past.

But sending the letter is an excellent idea, because then if she keeps ignoring your request for sufficient notice, and you register a complaint with the city, she can't say that she wasn't warned.

We have a right to that. We are not asking for a lot.

vw, if it's not too late, I would change the above to:

We have a right to that. We are not asking for anything that is not already our own, by law.

I also think you might want to tweak this part:

I am not a completely unreasonable person, though, and I have had some time to calm down since talking briefly with Mrs. Landlord this morning. I know you will want to get into the apartment to do things like painting and fixing the living room floor before the new tenants move in. Therefore, I have a proposal.

I would get rid of the statement about you not being completely unreasonable, entirely. It's like you're copping to be unreasonable, when you are the one whose rights have been ignored.

I might consider something like:

Not!Emily, Emily, and I have had some time to think since my brief conversation with Mrs. Landlord, this morning. Since you will want to have considerable access to the apartment to paint and repair the living room floor before your new tenants move in, I have a proposal.

Good letter. Good for you for documenting everything, too.

vw, I might ditch this, entirely:

On June 30, Mrs. Landlord called and left a message that Emily’s room was “too cluttered” and we needed to be “more cooperative” and “help them out.” Emily moved some things around the best she could. We were both furious, though, that we were called uncooperative after everything we have put up with.

She didn't violate your rights by doing this, and it could give her a written admission of non-neatness from you, if she tries to refuse to return any of your deposit money.

She thought my dresser was in the way, and suggested we move it onto the balcony.

You're quite right that this one was just her being a bitca and not violating our rights, I just felt the need to expand on that story. So.... evil!

Mind you, so far as non-neatness goes, I'm like the queen. My mother has suggested that after I move I should hire someone to come in and clean once a week, and has offered to pay for it.

Mind you, so far as non-neatness goes, I'm like the queen.

I'm pretty sure that once you are here, and staying with me, we're going to find out that this is kind of not true.

I can't decide if that's a challenge of competing non-neatness, or a subtle threat about not messing up your space, but regardless -- I can totally be neat as a guest! I can! It just doesn't, you know, come naturally.

Oh, definitely the first. We can be slobs together!