Moving woes

[Tayda_Lenny]

So I'm moving from Michigan to New York in a few weeks and I'm going out next week to do some house hunting. I *hope* I can find an apartment that is part of a duplex or even better a single family home that has a yard for the B's. Its currently my biggest stress.... finding a place to live. SO many places dont allow pets. :( So today I called a few apartment complexes just to find out their availability and rates (even though it would be my LAST choice to live in a complex) I'd prefer a quiet residential neighborhood... and i get this guy on the phone from the management company. All I wanted to know was if their complex allowed pets and if they had any availability for mid october. He proceeds to ask me a gagillion questions to profile me and wouldn't give me an answer. Finally after a 10 minute interrogation about where i'm working, if i'd rather be near the pool, the clubhouse or the gym, and a lowdown on how energy saving their appliances are... he tells me they have a 700 sq foot apt for $1800/month (AH!) and then I start asking about their pet policy and he tells me that there is a $600 PER PET non refundable fee and a $50/month PER PET rent. Ugh....

The best part of the conversation was when he said "Oh, and we have some breed restrictions, do you happen to know what kind of dogs you have?"

Do I happen to know what kind of dogs i have????? what a weird way to ask that question!

HA.

[Quercus]

Oh dear....what a pain....continued good wishes that you find the perfect place...

[nala121498]

YIKES! I'm assuming it is to NYC, that's a tough one. Do you need to live in the city? If not, you could check into the surrounding areas...
Maybe JYS has some suggestions??

[Tayda_Lenny]

It's actually not in NYC... its a bit north... I'm looking for places in the Westchester area. But it is still within commuting distance of Manhattan so prices are still high. :(

The job I'm taking is in Mahwah, NJ and I'm trying to live near the White Plains area because my boyfriend has a job in New Haven Ct, so we are both trying to find places so that we can be within about 30-45 minutes from each other.

Yeah, if anyone out there has any advice, I'd appreciate it! I'm looking in White Plains, Valhalla, Tarrytown, Elmsford, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Purchase, Nyack, Piermont... maybe even down to Rye.. who knows! I can only stand a 45minute commute to work max...

[Tayda_Lenny]

Actually, JYS and I have PM'd about this already! Thanks! She lives not far from where I'll be working!

[nala121498]

...The job I'm taking is in Mahwah, NJ ...I'm looking in White Plains, Valhalla, Tarrytown, Elmsford, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Purchase, Nyack, Piermont... maybe even down to Rye.. who knows! I can only stand a 45minute commute to work max...
Westchester is ridiculous for housing!! YIKES! Ah...Mahwah...very nice. Tarrytown is really a great place. Glad to know you've been in touch with JYS about the area.
Now you'll have to get used to driving on the Garden State Parkway, but thankfully you're way up north where it is still crazy, but not as congested and traffic laden. Good luck...keep us posted!

[jys1011]

Yeah this is a tough market for renters...everyone is looking for the same thing :eek: Being close to work & but still in a nice residential area away from the city madness.

Good luck to you! :)

[vstripe]

My boyfriend and I rent a one bedroom in Studio City (LA) for $1000.00 a month and I hear we are the chepest on our street, YiKes. our pet deposit is $1000.00. I would love to rent a little house, I miss having a yard w/trees grass and everything so much!!
Hey what if you try Craigslist NY in the pets section, I see people on there all the time asking others of pet frienly rentals in the area. Or you can ask if anybody knows of a service in New York for pet renters, we have one in Southern Ca. called "Pets and People Homefinders"

[Tayda_Lenny]

I just came back from driving to and from New York to find a place to live! I saw about 20 apartments in 2 days and found a great place that is perfect for all of us!

It's on the main street of Dobbs Ferry on the Hudson River... one block from the train station and 2 blocks away is the Croton Acqueduct (sp?) where there are 13 miles of hiking trails in either direction for me and the dogs! It is on the main street so I can walk to all the shops and everything! I've always wanted to live in a town where i could walk to things! AND here's the best part - Off of one of the back bedrooms in the apartment, there is a door to a set of stairs that leads to a FENCED IN YARD!!!!! It really couldn't be more perfect! The landlords live downstairs and they have an old lab and are getting a lab puppy this week. I had Tayda with me (Lenny was off racing this weekend) and she met the resident lab and they got along fine. They were really happy that I had dogs (unlike most of the landlords who treated me like a leper cause I had dogs) and said that with previous owners that had dogs, they always helped each other out with dog sitting and such when the need arose.

So, WHEW! I was so stressed about finding an apartment that would be good for the dogs and really hoping to find something with a fenced in yard, but not holding my breath, since it is the subarbs of NYC and all...

And the rent is $300/month cheaper than what I was budgeting for rent! Yay!

Now, I really hope Lenny doesn't try to eat the puppy.....

[tanza]

Wow, that is great news... congrats... sounds like the perfect place!!!

[Jodie]

Congrats from one New Yorker to another. Born and raised in Brooklyn for 24 years and have been living on Staten Island since '84. Good luck in your new apartment!
Jodie:)

[ChaseandZahrasmom]

That sounds great! How exciting to be moving to New York too!

[WBL]

Wooo Hoo how exciting and great news!!!

[renaultf1]

Fantastic news...it definitely sounds like a great situation for you and the dogs! It will be nice that Tayda & Lenny will have playmates...and people that are up for helping out with care, need be.

[jys1011]

Tayda & Lenny-that's fantastic news!!! GREAT for you AND the pooches :)

[nala121498]

Hooray! Great news!

[Duke]

Happy news is right! Have you moved and settled in? This place sounds perfect for Tayda and Lenny. Hopefully everyone gets along. Best wishes to ya' Michelle.

[Tayda_Lenny]

Well, I *thought* I had found the perfect place for me and the dogs, but today my landlord informs me that although the dogs are welcome to use the yard, *I* am not to be down there. The only times I have been down there is when it has been raining and the dogs wont go out there on their own. I have literally had to drag them down on their leashes to get them to go.

I can understand her position, the stairs I go down to get to the yard go right past her bedroom and I would not want someone walking past my bedroom window early in the morning and late at night either. But, she should have thought of that when she agreed to let me move in with my dogs.

I think in the summer they will be fine going up and down the stairs to the yard on their own, but in the winter, I'm sure they won't be. To get to the yard, they have to go down a set of stairs, across the deck and then down some more steps. When its cold/rainy they just wont do that. I told my landlord that I like to be down there with them in case Lenny decides to chase something over the fence, or they get into the garbage, etc etc. She responds telling me that if I want to be out there with the dogs, I should call first and it should be limited to only once or twice a week. Ugh... she clearly doesn't understand.

Not sure what to do, I was supposed to go down and talk to her and give her my rent check, but she isn't home and isn't returning my calls.

Sorry, just venting. I hope we can find something that will work for both of us. I wouldn't want someone trapsing back and forth past my bedroom window, but she should also understand that my dogs need to go to the bathroom several times a day and if they won't go down on their own, i will have to take them.

[WBL]

WTH that doesn't make sense!! Is there any other way to get in the yard, like through a gate that you could go though during the bad weather days? And ask her if this bothers her?

Also what about cleaning up the yard? Is she going to be cleaning up after them?

Oh and one last question, I understand that the stairs are right by her bedroom, but what's wrong with curtains? If it's noise she is worried about then wouldn't the dogs bother her?

Sorry I'm rambeling

[Quercus]

Maybe you could buy her a blind ;) Sorry, I hope the situation resolves itself...I couldn't tolerate not being able to check on the dogs in the yard.

[Tayda_Lenny]

She has blinds on the bedroom and they are normally drawn shut. The only other way to get into the yard is to go through a gate that is out my front door and about 50 feet down the sidewalk, and her suggestion if I want to be out there with the dogs is to call her husband to make sure it is ok and then use the main gate. Obviously if my purpose of being out there with the dogs is to make sure they don't get into garbage, climb the fence, etc, then scheduling a weekly time is not going to help. And the gate is usually locked, and I doubt they want to get up every morning at 7am and let me in.

As for cleaning up, it seems that they don't really do it. She said I can do it once/week or so and then to call to be let in the gate. I think the whole thing is a bit ridiculous. I have been trying to send them down he stairs on their own, even before she told me she didn't want me down there, but now I just don't like the idea that I'm FORBIDDEN. I need to figure out how to resolve this. She never called me back last night so hopefully tonight we can talk about it and come up with something. Honestly though, how can I let them down there while I am not allowed. lame.

[renaultf1]

That is too bad. While I can understand her position about the stairs because they go past her bedroom, I would think that if you could get a key to the gate and use that and were quiet at night, what harm would that do. Maybe even use a flash light or camping lantern instead of putting on an outside light.

You'd probably stand a better chance of the dogs going right down if it was one set of stairs...but stairs, deck, stairs...I have to slightly chuckle :D, I know that Ruby would take probably an hour to get down because she'd be so interested in everything on the way and then need to go back and see if she missed anything on each different level.

It doesn't seem reasonable if the place was billed as being dog friendly that they can expect a responsible owner to just leave dogs by themselves.

The other thing, maybe if you offer to keep the yard clean, you can use that to help with the compromise...kind of sucks, but hey you'll be cleaning up after your two anyway...

[senji]

Do you think she's changed her mind ? Maybe she's trying to make it so hard on you you move out. Do you have a long lease with her? It just seems way out in left to say ok for the dogs but not you. I would think she would want you down there to avoid any problems. Most people would have more of an issue with unsupervised dogs. Good Luck

[ChaseandZahrasmom]

This is weird, how did it turn out when you talked to her?

[Tayda_Lenny]

ok, just got back from talking with my landlord. It actually went really well, i think. their main issues are privacy cause the stairs go right past their bedroom and the fact that the stairs are technically fire escape stairs and the liability. i understand that. i told her my issues and we came to a compromise that we'll try for a while - they gave me a key to the gate. i'll let them out down the fire escape by themselves and if i have to go retrieve them or hurry things up, i'll use the key to get in the gate to do so. i'll be letting them out at 7am before i go to work, 6pm after i come back, and 10pm before bed (she was concerned about being surprised) and if it is going to be more than 10 minutes before or after those times i'll call to let them know. in the meantime, i'll be looking for another place where there isn't so much compromising for both parties. they will refund my security deposit if i find somehting.

i feel satisfied with the compromise, i wouldn't want someone trapsing by my bedroom all the time either. i do wish they would have made it more clear before i moved in though. most landlords require dogs to be supervised, not the opposite.

sigh....i miss michigan.

[senji]

I guess that sounds pretty good for a while. I too would be looking for something a little more realistic. I feel so bad It seemed like you found a really good place in the begining. Good luck I hope you find something better soon.......all that packing and unpacking again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yuck

[Duke]

Oh geez - what a predicament! IMO - the landlord might be trying to get another 20-30 bucks a month without saying, by greasing her palm to use the stairs. Hmmm?
I'd feel alot of frustration in that - you've taken good time going around the world, and yet getting into your yard is a real hassle. Wierd - isn't it? Certainly, I wish you good luck finding a new place. It might be wise to get on the hunt before spring, when everyone else is in the mood too. Good luck and hang in there. ;)

[Tayda_Lenny]

so i found a new place today. nice bright sunny apartment, no fenced yard, but oh well. its almost impossible to find places that allow dogs here. i told my current landlord i found a new place (which i actually thought she'd be happy about) and to confirm she'd give me back my security deposit like she said she would last night and she said yes. I suggested that I could be out of here in a few weeks if she would return the extra rent if i leave before the end of the month and she freaked out that she would absolutely not give me any rent back. i actually also asked if she would give me a couple hundred dollars so i could rent a mover to get my big stuff out of here and that really made her flip. I know, it was bold to ask her that... but it cost THOUSANDS of dollars for me to relocate here, and i've only been here for 2 weeks and now i have to move again because she reneged on an agreed upon amenity. So whatever, I'm moving into my new place Dec 1st. UGH!

Well, at least her turning into a total BITCH makes me 1000% sure i'm doing the right thing by moving out.

[WBL]

I'm sorry you have to move, at least she is going you your deposit back.

I hope you like the new place!!

[nala121498]

((Hugs)) to you for all the troubles. It sounds like a much better situation in the new place. Less than one month to go!

[Kiara_Ed]

If you want to meet other Basenji owners for organized Basenji play-dates at local dog parks, you should check out Meetup.com. New York has the only Basenji Meetup (so far), and from the photos it looks like the B's and the owners have a good time. I joined this online group even though I'm in Illinois --I'm checking them out because I'd like to start a Basenji Meetup in the Chicago area in the spring. (Their next play date is Sat Nov 10 at Madison Sq Park).

[Tayda_Lenny]

Thanks for the suggestion! There was a basenji meetup this weekend in NYC but i couldn't make it. I found a dog park a few miles from me so hopefully we can socialize there sometimes. It was a bit cold when we went so we were the only ones there. Maybe next time!

[jys1011]

T&L-so sorry that you have to move again! That's such a BUMMER! I don't blame you for asking for moving expenses...you're moving because of her not because you had an issue. Oh well...I hope the new place is much better :)

[Tayda_Lenny]

So we are all moved into the new place! Movers came last friday and packed up everything that was left and hauled it all over to the new place. So glad its over. The old landlords actually gave me my security deposit back and the rest of Novembers rent so thats a relief.

One funny little thing. When the movers were packing, I put the dogs outside. It was a little cold, so I expected them to just sit at the top of the stairs and not budge. But Lenny, ran down the stairs to the deck and proceeded to pee on each of the 3 pumpkins that were out there. HA. I thought it was kind of funny - those pumpkins have been there ever since we moved in and he has not done that until just that last day.

[WBL]

LMAO @ the pumpkins, good boy Lenny

I'm glad you're in and getting settled into the new place.

[renaultf1]

LMAO @ the pumpkins, good boy Lenny

I'm glad you're in and getting settled into the new place.

Exactly...glad you're in your new place and that is too funny that Lenny marked them on his way out...love it!