Day to day survival in La Pew Apts.

For the last year, I have made every attempt to follow chain of command regarding problems that arise here. The staff here are ridiculously unprofessional and disrespectful to the tenants.. You already know from my previous postings that little by little my belongings have been disappearing.

  I  didn't want to believe that maintenance staff were responsible for these burglaries.    But I know of 3 other people in my bldg. who have had their stuff stolen. When I was doing laundry recently, my male neighbor nonchalantly said: "Yes, maintenance love to steal from us: meat, canned goods, c.d.'s, cash, jewelry, anything of value!"

  I replied: "Me too, did you call the cops?" "No." He replied.

  I thought, why in the world are you just taking this! You're a large burly man, and you too are afraid to report this? Geez. He ran off a list of people and what has been stolen from them.

Over the course of the last year, I have spoken to and written to a number of people over at Hud, (Housing and Urban Development , they administer the Section 8 program of the federal govt.) I've gone in person to the management team downstairs, I have gone to the police, (who will rarely write up a report) And I have even considered  restraining orders. 

  Management will not permit us to install a deadbolt or to change the locks, and I have feared using my name in official reports since the maintenance man all have keys to my house and can retaliate with rape, murder, or whatever they like. Needless to say, I don't sleep much. I have boxed almost everything up, to reduce it's likelihood of being stolen. I plan to box everything up except one carload.

When I talked to the head of HUD about a week ago, she said something very surprising. She said: "All I can do is ask management when their team enter tenant's apts!" I thought, this is incredulous. It says on the website that we should call the 1800 # for  HUD if the apts. are being mismanaged. The website also says that mismanagement is very common.

 I'm coming closer and closer to my breaking point with all of this. Today, someone knocked on my door at 10:30 in the morning. I was not expecting anyone so I did not answer my door.  The maintenance man simply walked in when I didn't answer. He said he needed to change the filter! I was furious, as this happens all of the time. I told him he was going to have to come back. I called the office (normally I don't because they are so abusive and non-responsive to us) and talked to the assistant manager. I told her "No more coming into my home without giving me adequate notice

." "Well, that isn't going to happen!"  she replied.  So, for the first time, I went to the head management team who oversee managers in my building.    Thank goodness, the woman was very professional and compassionate. I told her that I had been doing everything anonymously for fear of retaliation, but that I just can't take this anymore. I told her the whole story of the last year of stealing, and how staff just come and go as they please. She said, not only is it not acceptable, but she wants me to buy a videocamera and set it up in my living room! I will consider this, but in the meantime, I will probably put everything in storage and keep looking for a new place. I've been working my ass off for 12 years for a better life. Wish me luck!