New drug dealer roommate
 

So our old roommate moved out, and we find out the new one the apartment office stuck us with is a drug dealer. He has alot of foot traffic, and my roommmate saw him with 2 big ziplock bags of weed in his room (his door was open). We don't think its cool, and we want him out. Unfortunately we're afraid of retaliation if we turn him in, even anonymously. Also, his friend moved into the other empty room, so even if we get him kicked out, his friend, who is probably also a druggie, is going to still be there.

My mom called the apartment office and they basically told her they have to catch him in the act. If I want to change apartments/rooms, its a 200 dollar moving fee, and if I want to break my lease and move out, its a 225 dollar fee.

I wouldn't care if he just smoked weed or whatever, but a drug dealer dealing that much volume is a nice target to get jacked, and I don't want to be around when someone comes to rob him/shoot him/witnesses, plus I don't want random people coming in my apartment at all times of the night, for my own personal safety and my property's safety.

What should I do?

hey, at least it's not crack!

no maybe just ask him if he can make deliveries instead of having people come to him (your apt)

Innovis, I'm not knowledgable about the landlord/tenant law where you reside so it is difficult to offer any advice. It may be worth a call to your local police to determine if this person and his friend are "known" to them. They will likely tell you that much, but little else. Depending on the answer you receive, a letter to the property manager requesting release from your rental agreement may get you out of there without the penalty.

There must be folks on TFP with better advice. Good luck.

Is this college housing? Did you meet these two roommates before they moved in?

If you are OK with him dealing... make a deal with him - no dealing out of the apartment, or you will turn him in...

The 225 dollar fee might be worth your peace of mind...

I have no advice....the cops here were useless...my ex was having crack in the house, people here at all, and I mean ALL hours of the nite, I'd trip over them when I walked out of my bedroom in the morning cause they were passed out in the floor....I could get the cops to the driveway but they wouldnt come in the house even when I told them they were sitting in there smoking it. All I got for my trouble was a broken arm by a pissed of ex...Friends contacted the sheriff's office, they said they'd investigate and I never heard another word.

I've really lost all faith in the police these days.

Shani, my sister and brother-in-law have a similar situation in the house behind them. The home is owned by an absentee landlord who doesn't care what goes on there, as long as they pay the rent. The police have known of this dealer for years, but have only recently started making their life difficult. I agree with you that the police are slow to move, but I don't know what their priorities and resources are.

Pay the money and get out.

That is a small price to pay for your safety. Anything could happen with him dealing drugs out of the next room. If the druggies know where he lives, they could break into the apartment looking for his stash. If these people are in and out of your home you'll probably find things start to go missing. Hell, the cops might catch wind of it and throw your ass in jail with him.

Get out while you still can.

I agree with everyone else, get out now. With the cops do finally go after him, they might go after you as well, for aiding and abeiting or whatever the hell its called.

I would see if you have a lawyer friend, or maybe your mom, that might write up a letter requesting release from the lease do to a dangerous situation.

Ayup, I agee with everyone else. Get out now.

Definately see to the lease agreement. Many leases have a clause that includes ensuring the relative safety of the tenants. If they won't remove the offending tenants then it releases you from the lease and any further charges for changing apartments. If you cannot find anything like this in the fine print then according to most state laws the landlords are required to provide safe living conditions and I would consider this unsafe. See a lawyer post-haste and get yourself moved. There's no reason you should have to pay for the landlords lack of taste in residents.

Even further - if you can find another place comperable then you should be able to be released from your lease for the above reasons. I personally would be moving out of that complex because the dealers are still there.

btw, let us know how things turn out.

<! I wonder if this will get around character limits>

FYI in many communities, a landlord's property can be seized as drug property by the police if they determine the landlord knew the property was being used for drug trafficking. Might wanna see if that applies in your area, and if it does, mention it to the landlord, and mention you'll be calling the cops next.

You need to take care of this because if the cops raid the place they're gonna assume EVERYONE in the house is messing with 'em.

I don't know where you live, or the exact circumstances, but I'd get out, and if you don't have the $225, I'd make the apartment office aware of a great many things. You were afraid for your safety, you were afraid you'd be charged with a crime the other person committed, or any way you want to put it.

Example (after you're safely out): "You mean you want me to pay $225 to get out of an apartment where crimes are committed on a daily basis?" This wouldn't look good in the local paper."

If you could have evidence of any sort, like for example, a digital camera left on movie mode, that happened to record comings and goings of people, or anything else, you'd be on very firm ground.

As I think you know, it wouldn't be a good idea to get caught doing that. One or two witnesses, on the other hand, would certainly boost your credibility.

If you're a college student, I've always found that a parent showing up to inquire why it costs money to preserve his kid's safety always gets attention.

Just ideas. Someone may shoot them down, but they're what occurred to me.

I dated a drug dealer. It's worth it to just move out. He'd have gangs after him and people calling all the time. It's a completely different world, a dangerous one too. Until you can move I'd advise getting a lock for your room door and storing all your valuables in there. Or you could tip off your landlord...a lot of traffic through the house would probably be suspicious enough for him to notice without you telling him.

as far as only dealing weed is concerned I doubt there will be much in the way of theft of property depending on how smart the person is. If he has any brains, it would be to only people he trusts and you dont invite people you dont trust into your own house.
I would pay the 200 or talk to the manager seriously. Snitching is just asking for bad shit to happen.
I would suggest talking to your roomate and his friends and let them know you dont mind smoking in the house but dealing (with pickups at your guys' home) is unacceptable and wont be tolerated.

sucks, but it might be true. you could ask him to stop for a bit. and still go about your plans to move out. he must have some extra cash. he could pay your $225. j/k

seriously, if you're not down with what's going on, leave.

Once upon a time I had room mates that turned out to be dealers and were petty thieves - they owed me for the safety deposit and rent - I couldn't get my coin in time from them to move into another place before the bust - I went through a lot of grief because I didn't bail anyway.

Trying to convince a drug dealer not to deal because it makes you feel uncomfortable is like asking a dog not to bark because you like to sleep in on the weekends.

Get out, and get out now. $200 and change is much cheaper than lawyer fees when your door gets kicked in and you're booked on possession with intent to distrubute charges.

Just the fact you found out he was a dealer (without being a customer yourself) should tell you he is not a very good dealer. And when the bust comes down, so will you..........

I think it's terribly unfair for us to sit here and say "Pay the $225 and get out." when it was the drug-dealing roomie who is the problem, not the other friend(s). I say do whatever you can to get the dealer removed, and move out only as a last resort.

Set up a webcam, if you have one, to catch him in the act. Or use the photo function on a cell phone to take pictures of the drugs while he's out.

Call 911 when you know a deal is going down, tell them you think someone broke into your apartment.

You have at least one other person rooming with you that can help you get the offender out of your space. Don't let this guy come in and turn your life upside down without at least doing something about it. In the mean time, protect yourself and your valuables by locking your bedroom door and hiding your stuff. Maybe taping a hair across a drawer to see if it has been tampered with.

I agree, it's terribly unfair... but I doubt that his roommate really cares about fair. He's a drug dealer, and it has been my experience that when you start screwing with a dealer's business, they usually aren't too pleased about that. Especially when you start bringing the police into the situation. What I'm suggesting isn't the fair solution, it's the one that prevents you from getting the shit kicked out of you.

Make it blatantly obvious that you don't like what he's doing, and even act sketchy. Tell him your uncle is a cop... mention that you were talking to him the other day on the phone.. if you make yourself the Bastion of Anti-Drug, no drug dealer would be stupid enough to room with a possible snitch. You've not snitched, so he can't be mad... you're just a loose cannon and he doesnt need that.. might even move out himself.

Be certain to contact the building owner (not manager) about the situation. They tend to be a touch more sensitive about tennants dealing due to the seizure laws shakran mentioned. If you've contacted police, the management, and owner, you'll be in a better position should things go sour. Still, I'd rather be out just to avoid foot traffic, retaliation, whatever. Bad things sometimes continue after the dealer moves on.

How big are these zip-lock bags?

You can have alot of weed and still only be a small time dealer, and your very unlikely to get 'retaliation' from 99% of pot dealers.

Ask him why the hell he has the stuff, and that you don't want him dealing.

We're not talking crack or coke here, tell him straight you don't want it here or your calling the police. Get a couple of your bigger friends to come watch TV while your doing it if your scared.
If he doesn't like it, call the police when he's got some stuff in the room, tell them theres a deal going down (even if there isn't) and be done with it.
Retaliation against normal law-abbiding people is rare in these situations, because it generally involves them getting the police further involved. If you'd be buying off him and then turned him in, thats a different matter, but since your not, then tell him to fuck off.

I would not reccomend falsely calling 911 or lying about a deal to get the police involved. Maybe try contacting the narcotics division of the police department if it's something that you can't work out yourselves. Also, you might want to talk to the rental office and tell them that you feel the aprtment management put you and your other roommate at risk. Ask them to find either him or you another apartment or living arrangement because it is the aprtment that has put you in this situation. And if all else fails, then try writing or calling whomever owns the property where you are living and tell them the situation. Most are very happy to have people like that off their property for liability issues regarding crimes like theft and violence, although you are not likely to get that from someone who just smokes pot.

If you're not comfortable just pay the money and get out. If you cannot afford the money or would like to offset the costs take it up with the building owner and politely ask to be moved to do another unit.

Without knowing your current place of residence it's hard to gauge the possibilities of a retalation of another dealer. In many places in the USA marijuana is not a drug many major dealers prioritize largely because of the obvious: it's extremely bulky compared to other drugs thus making it harder to transport, the profit is not nearly as large as other drugs, and the penalties are so rediculously extreme for dealing marijuana that the risk often outweights the reward. As a result, in many places you'll find a decent amount of drug being pushed about by quite a few dealers who have enough turnover on their relatively small amount it doesn't matter that a guy down the street is also selling.

Have you tried talking to him about it? He might be very understanding of the situation. If you want to throw him for a loop without showing all your cards say something to the affect of "How come I always see you buying sandwich baggies yet never see you use one?" Maybe you can talk him into changing units and not yourself.

Words to the wise though, don't call 911 if he is in the middle of a deal. Making a routine sale of marijuana for a small price is not something you should call the same number if your house is burning down. Not only will it be minor for him, but it will also put him on EXTREMELY bad terms with you.

I wouldn't worry about retaliation from some small time weed dealer. He probably clears only enough to smoke for free and buy lunches. I wouldn't worry too much about the customers either, they are probably just college kids. Talk to him about it. If it doesn't go well bring it up with the manager, then the managers boss, then further up the chain of command.

Man, if I was going to deal, I'd just get my own house/apartment and live by myself.

But really, as long as he's not dealing to high schoolers I wouldn't worry about getting your stuff stolen.

Best advice yet. Do it....unless you like getting your ass dragged off to jail. :rolleyes:

Its only weed. It should be legal anyway. Don't turn him in. Tell him to deliver it. Its also your place too. Come up with some kind of a compromise.

I started to write a bunch of shit, but it's tough to say without more info. If you can talk to him and feel comfortable with it, do so. It's better for him to have roommates that are comfortable with what he's doing. I would try to avoid bringing in local authorities, and do not threaten to do so until your shit is out and they are on their way. once the cops get involved and people future lives are at stake, then it's a different ballgame.

if possible, see if you cant roommate swap with some other people that would think it was the greatest to have a drug-dealing roommate. your landlord will probably let you out if you've got someone else to take your place. $$$ is $$$. see if the dealer has some other friends looking for a place, or if someone else in the complex would be more amenable to having dealer move in. everyone is happy, no one feels threatened, etc.

It's not often often that I agree with Ustwo, as he will, no doubt, gleefully acknowledge. This time, however, I have no choice. It's the best advice that you're going to get. It seems to me to be a small price to pay for safety and peace of mind. If the cost is outside of your financial abilities, at the moment, can your mom help with some of the cost?

You might try to get someone to sublease your room (although sometimes there's a sublease fee, but its got to be less than the $225 for breaking the lease). Just an option. Till you're out get a good lock on your bedroom door and a sign that says you don't have any drugs so its not worth kicking your door in.

...............

pay it... it's not a high price to pay for piece of mind.

You were there first.
Tell him, in no uncertain terms, that you will not tolerate anyone dealing drugs out of your home.

Tell him to either stop now or get the fuck out. There's no way he has a right to move into your place and compromise your safety and welfare.

Question, though (two parter) - Do you smoke weed, and, if so, is this guy giving you freebies? If so, righteous indignation might not be the way to go.

Then again, I would imagine you could always find someone willing to pay $225 for two large baggies of weed :D

Seriously, though - good luck. Let us know what happens.

I am presently representing three people in three different cases that were arrested for just being present in a house when a drug raid took place. On principle, I don't like the "you move now" answer--you're not the criminal here. But you better make sure the police know in advance that you are NOT a part of this, that he was assigned to your apartment, etc.

In most states, a resident can give the police consent to search the entire premises--the logic is that if the roomie has access to an area, he can give permission for another person to enter. That, of course, assumes you can get the police out to the residence. The best situation would be if the police would send a young undercover cop to be your "studying buddy" at a time when the most activity is taking place (probably Friday?) and watch who is coming and going.

Otherwise, photographic evidence would be good, and if you can talk to the prosecuting attorney (or one of the deputies), they might be willing to encourage the narcs to take a look at it. You'd have the added bonus of having spoken up BEFORE the bust.

You wont get into trouble if you just mind yer own business and act like you had no idea when the shit hits the fan...


chances are the shit won't hit the fan anyway, unless you start throwing it.

I agree, but at this point, too many people know about your drug dealer roommate. After all you told your mom, and she called the apartment office too. So it is going to be hard to disavow any knowledge if any of this got out. At this point I'd just put up the money and move out. $200 is worthwhile investment to avoid a big headache that could happen to you in the future.

Very...very...bad advice.

I don't understand all these people who tell you, YOU should be the one moving.

It's very simple really, tell the guy in no uncertain terms that what he does is his business but if he brings it into YOUR home (and it is yours as you were there first) that you'll have to protect your interests. Don't threaten just talk to him and tell him your concerns....

1) strangers in at all hours possibly ripping you off
2) needing your privacy and space respected and it can't be with that going on
3) getting busted for his stupidity
4) wanting your place to be a safe place to rest and relax and it isn't

If he has any respect he'll work with you.

Then there's plan B if he doesn't respect you:

I am not a violent man nor in anyway do I promote violence..... however, a few big friends coming over and telling him that shit doesn't fly in YOUR place may prove to get the point across in a better way.

Then simply whenever you are home you have 1 or 2 or a couple of these friends over and when someone comes to do "business" with him, you and your friends simply tell them that your roomate doesn't deal in the apartment anymore and you appreciate it if they leave and not come back.

Plan C

Go to a lawyer and file a grievence against your landlord and explain that you have had multiple discussions with him/her and they refused to help you in any way, shape or form resolve the problem, therefore you should not be forced to pay a red cent until the situation is resolved...... or if you move there is no fee for terminating your lease.....

If the landlord runs any type of business wanting to maintain some form of reputation he'll work out something with you that will be beneficial to you.
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But to tell you to just move and pay the fees without you standing up for your rights first is just letting someone else take over your life to me, but that is just my opinion.

yes he should talk to him, but in the absence of agreement there:


because if the dealer friend decides to escalate to the same level of "bringing big friends" over... he brings "bigger" friends over or "armed" friends. Or harassing you on campus or around town...

landlord says,"Not my problem, I've got my back covered, I don't care about you."

to get lawyer to file grievance may cost more time and $$ than $200.

Now if we're talking it's MY house, meaning I own it, then that's totally different, but to just be done with the whole thing at the cost of time of moving...

pick your battles as wisely as you can... there's no need to fight them all the time.

It's called reality, not a fantasy world.

Though it is true too many people know that you know about it now, but that goes back to the thing about throwing the shit into the fan, which has already started... so now it's just like... throwing a tiny terd into the fan... but it still causes a big fuckin mess.

hi everyone this is my first post it's really nice meeting you all! :)

anyway if you just ask him to leave and tell him that it's really not cool with you that he's selling drugs he'll leave. if not then call the cops repeatedly. Im sure if you're polite at first then make it clear to him that you're a narc (snitch) he'll leave asap. Actually calling the cops would be pretty extreme, but if he wants to take it there...

Make sure you end up moving out anyway if you do this, so your address changes when his buddies come to kick the fuck out of you for sending him to jail.

Just leave it be if you ask me..

True, but the last thing dealers want is attention and usually they won't mess if they know there could be trouble.... it could escalate but I seriously doubt it unless the dealer is extremely stupid.

It's business and they want to avoid anything that disrupts or draws attention to that business. At least the intelligent ones do.

Depends on your landlord's reputation and how much he values his business. I know in the state of Ohio if a landlord allows drug dealing on his property, he can lose the property to the state. Also, he is in direct violation of the lease which guarantees you a safe place to live (as far as his abilities allow.... acts of God, terrorism, etc. aren't covered) but to put a drug dealer in.... that is definately within his ability to prevent.

If you go to college where there's a law school, you can get a student lawyer dirt cheap, possibly for free. I know Univ. of Akron has a program where you can use their law school students and profs for minimal charge or free to help you with your case. I know because I am in the process of using this.

Also, most lawyers will give a free consultation and tell you if you have a case. I believe you would, and as such upon winning or settlement being reached 99% of the time the landlord has to pay the attorney and court costs.


I do agree with this, and if you run, you may find that things are worse..... paying money you can't afford to move, getting a place that is not as nice, whatever.....

I'm sorry but I deal with people like this everyday and the only way you get respect from them is to stand up to them. I seriously doubt the guy makes enough to do any harm to you.

Worst case scenario: he tells you to go fuck off and that he'll do what he wants..... and like I said if that is the case then it is best to move because he is an idiot that will get caught withing weeks.

I wouldn't just "move out." I would first talk to him, acknowledge that you know what he is doing, and tell him you don't like it. If he makes excuses or gets hostile, THEN move out. But you need to talk to him first, at any rate.