Letters to a Landlord
Tuesday, August 26
Cornelia,
Can you please move your stuff out of the hallway? I almost fell down the stairs while trying to move a laundry basket outside of my apartment. I don’t want to get hurt.
Thanks,
Dave
Thursday, August 28
Dave,
I have a space in an antique store… The things in the hallway were supposed to be hauled over there 2 days ago. The movers were n͇o͇-͇s͇h͇o͇w͇s͇. They didn’t show up until today. But the hallway is clean now & I promise to keep it clean in the future + I don’t like clutter either.
-Cornelia
Sunday, September 7
Cornelia,
Last night, the mirror in my unit fell off the wall. Whether or not you want to repair and rehang it is up to you; however, the mirror may be too heavy for hanging.
Thanks,
Dave
Wednesday, September 17
Cornelia,
I’m a bit irritated about the stuff in the hall. From our last correspondence, we concluded that nothing would be kept there. Generally, I’m a pretty tolerant person, but the mirror that almost fell on me during the middle of the night — a week and a half ago — is still in the hall. Also, I feel that I pay too much rent to have to see another person’s belongings when I come home from work.
If you could take care of the situation, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Dave
Friday, September 19
Dave,
I’m planning to fix the mirror in the next few days. Everything has gotten a bit out of c͇o͇n͇t͇r͇o͇l͇. My MOTHER was found lying by the freeway. She’s 86. She had been walking and got disoriented & fell + rolled down the freeway embankment. I’ve been trying to find a new space for her, etc. My briefcase with all my work was also stolen & so I’ve been pretty upset + not on top of everything. Sorry for the inconvenience. I’m doing the best I can.
-Cornelia
More thoughts & reflections…
I was planning to fix your mirror right away. That’s why I left it in the hall. I didn’t think it’d bother you b/c it's from your apartment… I’d just found out about my mother’s accident right after I received your note… I intended to have Jorge fix it when he worked for me t̶h̶i̶s̶last weekend. He forgot to do it… We spent 9 hours moving stuff on Sunday while we were moving some furniture around, we had to put boxes of stuff in the hallway. I thought we’d get it all put away (except the things at the end of the hallway) before you got home. Perhaps we didn’t and that’s what you are upset about. The reason for the moving + rearranging is because I may have to move my mother here for a while. Jorge had time to help me, so we worked + worked and worked on arrangements for Mom all day Saturday alone (about 9 ½ to 10 hours in the heat). So… I didn’t have the time or energy to finish the stuff at the end of the hallway. I would’ve put it in my car, but my car has been broken into t͇w͇i͇c͇e͇ & I didn’t have room in my apartment. The stuff at the end of the hallway went to my antique store today & so it is gone… My briefcase with ̶a̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶k̶ 3 CD’s that I’ve n͇e͇v͇e͇r͇ taken from this house before is missing → Those CD’s have 2 years worth of work on them! I am frantic. Somehow with all of this, I have to keep my job too. I am a wreck. P͇l͇e͇a͇s͇e͇ give me a little slack. I am 61 & I can’t work as long or as hard as I used to. I AM NOT ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING PERFECTLY RIGHT NOW. Do you want the mirror fixed? If not, I will remove it from the hallway. If yes, I’ll get Jorge to fix it this weekend. Let me know.
-Cornelia
Sunday, September 21
Cornelia,
I am sorry about your mother’s accident. I don’t expect you to be perfect. I am far from perfect, and more often than not, fallible. But I do expect you to keep the hall clean and safe. In the future, please leave a note or phone message if you intend to leave anything in the hall. As for the mirror, I’d be nice to have it in my unit, but if that’s a problem, I can easily hang a painting.
Thanks,
Dave
Tuesday, September 23
Dave,
Paintings are expensive + I don’t have any + I don’t make that kind of $. Mirrors are affordable. And they make your apartment look bigger than it really is. Not that your apartment is small… When you look around & see how small others are, you should be very, VERY happy to live here. Jorge can hang the mirror anytime → he likes to hang mirrors & he would’ve been happy to hang the mirror yesterday afternoon, but you weren’t H͇O͇M͇E͇.
-Cornelia
Wednesday, September 24
Cornelia,
I apologize. My previous note may not have been clear. I would never expect you to buy a painting for my apartment. What I meant was that if fixing the mirror is too much of a hassle or too heavy to hang safely on the wall, then I’d be happy to purchase a painting. Also, since I work during the day, it would be best for Jorge to make repairs during the weekends or evenings.
Thanks,
Dave
PS: If you’d prefer that I buy a painting, please leave a note.
Saturday, September 27
Dave,
Jorge & I waited and waited around for you for 3+ hours today. You said you’d be around this weekend. You weren’t… Maybe you work the weekends too. ̶I̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶k̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶e̶e̶k̶e̶n̶d̶s̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶a̶n̶t̶i̶q̶u̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶o̶r̶e̶ I could’ve been working this weekend at my antique store, but you said you wanted the mirror hung. The WORLD does not WAIT around for YOU. Jorge did not wait & I did not wait. Maybe with all of the $$$$ you have to buy paintings, you thought Jorge + I would wait around for you ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶j̶o̶r̶g̶e̶’̶s̶ ̶C̶h̶i̶h̶u̶a̶h̶u̶a̶/̶C̶o̶r̶g̶i̶e̶ like a painting on a wall. But I am a survivor & I m͇o͇v͇e͇ on.
-Cornelia
Sunday, September 28
Cornelia,
You and Jorge shouldn’t have waited around for me. I never asked you to do that. My last note asked whether or not you wanted me to buy a painting. You never responded to my note. I’ll just go ahead and buy a painting and we can forget this whole matter regarding the mirror.
Thanks,
Dave
Wednesday, October 1
Cornelia,
I couldn’t help but notice all the piles and stacks of mirrors in the hall. I hope they’re not supposed to communicate something to me. As my previous note mentioned, I’ve bought a painting. As my previous note mentioned, I don’t need the mirror. My main concern now is that the hall is cluttered with your belongings. This is not safe. This is a fire hazard. This could cause an unnecessary lawsuit. Please remove the mirrors ASAP.
Dave
Thursday, October 2
Cornelia,
All the piles of shattered mirrors aren’t funny. I am officially giving you my thirty-day notice for vacating my apartment. I hope we can remain on civil terms during the next few weeks. And, since I’ve been in the building for only a little over a month, I expect a full return on my deposit.
Dave
Friday, October 3
Those mirrors cost me lots + lots/lots of $͇$͇$͇$͇ & THAT WAS YOUR DEPOSIT!͇!͇!͇!͇
Saturday, October 4
Cornelia,
A deposit can be collected by various means.
Dave
Sunday, October 5
Take ̶J̶o̶r̶g̶e̶ Mother
