In the garden, and RAIN!!!!
POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Thursday, December 25, 2025 04:27
VIEWED: 1005090
PAGE 22 of 1154
Quote:What boobs! It sounds like they ruined their best investment through a combination of greed and ... well, greed.
The space where I am was badly built. They had no inspector come in and make sure everything was sound. As I have said it is illegal and so they haven't got any building permits or paid any city fees or anything like that for renovating, I guess you would call it. Also the house sits partway up a hill. There is also a sub basement under me. Doing all this "renovating" has basically ruined this house. The floor where I am isn't stable and is slanting. My landlady's idiot husband built a little prefab storage unit under the back stairs that lead up to their balcony to try and shore up the backstairs.
It sure doesn't help YOU any. I can see why the rent that they charge would be extra-cheap, and also why you would have a really hard time finding a better alternative. That sucks. I feel for you!
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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake
America is an oligarchy
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I realize it's uncomfortable ... that said, do you feel that the place is going to come down on your head? Is it a fire-trap? (no exits) Is the wiring bad? Is the heat - what little there is - from a gas furnace?
I guess I'm asking, is it so dangerous something could kill you in the short-term? It seems so shoddy, it COULD be THAT bad.
And that's concerning to me.
HAS IT NOT OCCURRED TO YOU BY NOW THAT IF YOU HAVE TO RESORT TO LOGICAL FALLACIES AND TROLLING YOUR SO-CALLED ARGUMENTS ARE LIES?
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OH ... OK.
Just, ... uhm, I know you're doing your best with what you have. But do you think you could get yourself a nice, loud, battery-powered fire alarm? I used to be pretty dismissive of that, until I saw firefighter training videos. It takes no time at all - less than a minute - for a fire to get too big for a fire extinguisher. And 3 - 5 minutes to get to flashover in a room - where all the gases are superheated and just waiting for more oxygen. It was truly scary. If you only have one way out, that could be a problem. Unless you can come up with a plan to quickly get out of a window, assuming there are any.
HAS IT NOT OCCURRED TO YOU BY NOW THAT IF YOU HAVE TO RESORT TO LOGICAL FALLACIES AND TROLLING YOUR SO-CALLED ARGUMENTS ARE LIES?
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I really wish you could get out of there somehow Brenda. I've lived in some very questionable places before when times got rough, but I've never felt that I could possibly die from any of them.
Maybe Second could help? I don't know how you feel about accepting charity though.
I can't even give you advice on the situation. I have no idea what Canada's laws or any of their governmental support programs for people with disabilities, and it sounds like you are really living there because you have no other alternative. I don't think that causing trouble for your landlady would do anything for you other than put you out on the street.
I have a few days off of work. Maybe I can look into it a little bit. I won't make any promises that my effort will be fruitful, but maybe I can help in some small way.
Do Right, Be Right. :)
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Well I have to admit that I feel better that it's only a year away. What happens when you turn 55 that would change your circumstances?
I don't mean to pry, so please feel free to tell me that you're uncomfortable talking about this, especially since this is a public forum, but are you considered in BC to be a PWD already?
I haven't seen anything so far that looks like it will pay for much in the way of housing, but I did find this:
Quote:
Co-operative Housing Share Purchase
If you are moving into co-op housing, you may be eligible for money to pay for your membership share. You will have to repay this money when you move or leave assistance.
The having to repay doesn't seem to be a very good option, but depending on your circumstances and what you think might happen in the future, it may be something to look into if it means that for the next year you could at least find something where you weren't in danger.
There was also this:
Quote:
Moving, Transportation, and Living Costs
You may be able to get money to cover your transportation and living expenses if you move or need transportation for:
Starting a confirmed job, if you aren't eligible for supports from WorkBC
Attending a court hearing when receiving family maintenance services
Getting a court-ordered paternity blood test
Finding a new place to live because your current housing has been sold or condemned
That underlined part is something I still probably wouldn't force if I were you, but since that is out of your hands it might be good to at least look into this program if something non-life threatening were to happen and you quickly lost your current living space if it were condemned.
There was also this:
Quote:
Security Deposit
If you rent your housing, you could get help for your security deposit. You will have to pay this money back.
Again, you'd have to pay that money back, but in a pinch it could be a life saver. I don't know how security deposits generally work around you, but they're all over the map by me. I've lived in one place that only had a $100 security deposit and a free month's rent, and I've also had to pay two times the monthly rent for a security deposit before. Knowing how to apply for this quickly might really help you out if an emergency happens.
I'm assuming you probably already know all about all of this, and I'm not being of much help here. It doesn't seem as thought the program for people with disabilities in the BC is as good as it is if you are fortunate and persistent enough to be deemed eligible in Illinois. (I'm not going to say "In America" because I only know how it works in Illinois and have no idea how it works in other states).
Everything that I quoted here can be found: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/services-for
-people-with-disabilities
There seems to be quite a few different programs there, but none that I didn't already comment on that help with housing. There may be something that benefits your current circumstances in other ways though that might be able to free up some cash for you.
I really hope that you can get out of there one way or the other. Whatever turning 55 does, I'm looking forward to hearing that it will at least put you in a safe spot.
Do Right, Be Right. :)
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Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
What happens when I turn 55 is that I become eligible for senior housing and they can't turn me away by saying, "Oh, you aren't old enough."
I am under PWD in BC.
I've looked at some of those programs but they are for Families. 1 person in BC doesn't make a family even if I am considered disabled.
I have transportation costs covered and my meds.
BC Housing already knows that this place is a disaster but they aren't any help unless she outright threatens me with eviction.
I have gotten help with damage or security deposits before, so I know about that one.
Damn... Yeah, I figured you probably knew all of this already. I was hoping there might be something in there you didn't know about that could help out.
I'm surprised that you say BC Housing already knows the situation of the house though. I'm not surprised they aren't helping out at all because it doesn't sound like they help out much with housing for single people who are disabled in the BC, but what surprises me is that their home hasn't been condemned yet.
That wouldn't help you at all, and that's why I suggested not creating any waves. I'm just really surprised there isn't more government interaction between agencies. If one government body here were to be aware of a situation like that I can almost guaranty that in any situation the local Code Enforcement would be at the house ASAP to force an investigation on the structural integrity of the home and it would be condemned shortly afterward if it is as you say it is.
In any event, 55 can't come soon enough. I'm sure you won't be getting anything close to a palace, but I hope that the housing assistance for seniors more closely reflects the housing my brother was able to get into. It's a pretty spacious apartment for one person in a building that is secure since you have to have a key to even enter it. I'm positive under Section 8 that the entire building is up to code.
I did just think of something though. When you turn 55, you may want to consider moving away from the area that you're in if it's a more dense population. My brother would have been on a waiting list for housing assistance for eternity if he had stayed anywhere near Chicago. He had to go some place about 200 miles south and the wait wasn't long at all after he had been deemed disabled by the state. I'm not sure if that would be an issue for Seniors or not in the BC, but it might be something for you to consider if there happens to be a waiting list when it comes time.
Do Right, Be Right. :)
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It burns me when I hear about people like that taking advantage of others and not paying for it.
Part of me wants you to tell your landlady that if she doesn't drop the rate back down until next year that you will demand an inspection be done on the home after you leave so the place does get inspected and subsequently condemned. Then again, that's probably not a great idea. I'm not sure how Canadian, BC or local law goes, but the fact that she hasn't been inspected already when it's known the property has issues leads me to believe that she might have a few friends in relatively high places and the only thing that threatening her would do other than give you a brief moment of satisfaction is being kicked out on your ass and no way to even make sure she's out on hers afterward.
I understand your concerns with transportation. Luckly, at least for now, my dad is very active in checking up with him and staying at his place once about every 3 weeks or so. I'm a little concerned about what will happen when he's no longer able to do that. He has no mobility on his own other than walking and using his scooter, and fortunately he's not afraid of long hauls and is still relatively young, but that too will not last forever.
They do have a program out there that he can call and schedule a ride for important things. I was surprised to hear that since he's so far out in the boonies now.
Would something like this be available to you out of the city for important procedures for you?
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/passenger-travel/bus
es-taxis-limos/bus-pass
Quote:
Low-income seniors and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) have access to the BC Bus Pass Program. The pass is valid in communities served by BC Transit or Translink.
Persons with Disabilities can receive a bus pass as part of their disability assistance.
Low-income seniors and other eligible people can access the program at a reduced cost.
A BC Bus Pass is a Compass Card pass that can be used on both BC Transit and TransLink systems throughout the province. HandyDart is not included in this program.
Only you can use your Bus Pass. You cannot lend, give or sell your pass to another person.
It might give you more options of where you'd be able to stay and how quickly you could get a place when the time comes.
Do Right, Be Right. :)
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Completely off-topic
But hey! I saw a couple of osprey today! And I don't mean birds, I mean ....
I first saw one a month or so ago, but it was between the trees and I thought ...Naaaaah. Couldn't be But today two of them flew slowly and directly overhead. I thought they might be VTOL of some sort, so I memorized the outline and drew it for hubby who has, I swear, a near-eiditic memory for anything mechanical, and he ID'd it for me. I confirmed the ID by comparing it to online pictures.
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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake
America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876
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Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Completely off-topic
But hey! I saw a couple of osprey today! And I don't mean birds, I mean ....
I first saw one a month or so ago, but it was between the trees and I thought ...Naaaaah. Couldn't be But today two of them flew slowly and directly overhead. I thought they might be VTOL of some sort, so I memorized the outline and drew it for hubby who has, I swear, a near-eiditic memory for anything mechanical, and he ID'd it for me. I confirmed the ID by comparing it to online pictures.
I wonder what they are doing in russia?
T
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THUGR: So you've seen them in Russia? Fascinating!
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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake
America is an oligarchy
http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876
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