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NancyW4112
Guest
In Feb. 2000, we purchased a mobile home which is sitting on U.S. Gov corp of engineers property in the Hot Springs National forrest. The home sits within 200 feet of the edge of Lake Quachita. When we went to the "leasee" to sign the lot rental agreement he was drunk and became visably upset as the seller had not gotten us "approved" before he sold us the home. The landlord said he would approve us as we were not "black". He explained that was his way of keeping out black owners. I made some sort of comment of the legality of the policy but let it drop when my husband punched me in the ribs.
In October I learned that my new boss was black and that I was going to have several co-workers that were black. I mentioned to one of my neighbors that I had friends that would be visiting my place the next year and asked what kind of problems I could face as they were black. I was told that the standing policy was that they would be asked to leave and to not return. I told my husband the place was his and that I didn't want anything else to do with it. I called and voiced a complaint with the Army Corp of Engineers regarding the discrimation against blacks.
In January the landlord called me at work (drunk as usual) and told me that the rent was past due. I told him the place was now my husbands and that I would have him call him. Three days later I got a eviction letter at work. I called the landlord and told him I would pay him in full on February 5th when I got my pay check. The next day I was served with a Small Claims suit at work. He sued only me, not my husband who was also on the lease. This in itself was a form of harrassment as we have lived at our current home for 9 years and the home address was on our lease. I again called the landlord and told him I was going to pay the rent in full in 6 days. He cussed me out, when I couldn't reason with him and he continued to cuss I hung up on him.
Within the next week we sold them home to a family friend. Chris is an American Indian so I didn't think there would be any problem. I gave my daughter a check to pay the rent in full and the young man who had purchased the property drove her to the lake so she could pay the rent and so he could sign a lease in his name.
When they arrived Chris introduced himself as the new owner. The Landlord told him we weren't allowed to sell the place, that he was making plans to haul our home to a ditch and dump it. They left without my daughter giving him the check so she could call me and ask me what to do. I told them to go back and tell the landlord that she just needed to make out the check and that Chris would be taking over the property. The landlord said he would take the check but that the home was still going to a ditch somewhere. She tore up the check and left.
March 5, was small claims court. I told the Judge that my husband should have also been a party on the suit and the judge told me it was up to me to tell him that and that we were expected to both be in court on April 3. I also argued that since this involved a lease on Federal Property that the proper jurisdiction was Federal Court. The Judge ruled that contract law is state jurisdiction. There are so many issues here. I am unsure how to proceed. I have thought about filing a suit in Federal Court. We have countersued in that is depriving us of the value of the home. It isn't worth a tenth (or less) of what we paid for it if its not on the edge of the lake. Any help or advise would be greatly appriciated.
Nancy Williams [email protected]
In October I learned that my new boss was black and that I was going to have several co-workers that were black. I mentioned to one of my neighbors that I had friends that would be visiting my place the next year and asked what kind of problems I could face as they were black. I was told that the standing policy was that they would be asked to leave and to not return. I told my husband the place was his and that I didn't want anything else to do with it. I called and voiced a complaint with the Army Corp of Engineers regarding the discrimation against blacks.
In January the landlord called me at work (drunk as usual) and told me that the rent was past due. I told him the place was now my husbands and that I would have him call him. Three days later I got a eviction letter at work. I called the landlord and told him I would pay him in full on February 5th when I got my pay check. The next day I was served with a Small Claims suit at work. He sued only me, not my husband who was also on the lease. This in itself was a form of harrassment as we have lived at our current home for 9 years and the home address was on our lease. I again called the landlord and told him I was going to pay the rent in full in 6 days. He cussed me out, when I couldn't reason with him and he continued to cuss I hung up on him.
Within the next week we sold them home to a family friend. Chris is an American Indian so I didn't think there would be any problem. I gave my daughter a check to pay the rent in full and the young man who had purchased the property drove her to the lake so she could pay the rent and so he could sign a lease in his name.
When they arrived Chris introduced himself as the new owner. The Landlord told him we weren't allowed to sell the place, that he was making plans to haul our home to a ditch and dump it. They left without my daughter giving him the check so she could call me and ask me what to do. I told them to go back and tell the landlord that she just needed to make out the check and that Chris would be taking over the property. The landlord said he would take the check but that the home was still going to a ditch somewhere. She tore up the check and left.
March 5, was small claims court. I told the Judge that my husband should have also been a party on the suit and the judge told me it was up to me to tell him that and that we were expected to both be in court on April 3. I also argued that since this involved a lease on Federal Property that the proper jurisdiction was Federal Court. The Judge ruled that contract law is state jurisdiction. There are so many issues here. I am unsure how to proceed. I have thought about filing a suit in Federal Court. We have countersued in that is depriving us of the value of the home. It isn't worth a tenth (or less) of what we paid for it if its not on the edge of the lake. Any help or advise would be greatly appriciated.
Nancy Williams [email protected]