Need advice for past rent..
 

I'm past on rent.

I fell into this hole because we don't make much money, my wife makes comission off of her job, and she had the flu for awhile and couldn't work too much. Now I have the flu, but anyways that's besides the point. I am on disability for schizoaffective disorder, and I make just enough to pay rent, her job makes enough to pay the bills, usually..

Now, I know some of you are thinking 'why did you pay for internet access over food!' .. well, her job relies on it, a spreadsheet and paper/printer ink, some of which I have to take out money of my check to get those two when I get paid tomorrow.

We've been lately contacting charities, churches, all that we can think of and what 411 recommends, and we just aren't getting there.

I'm asking advice on what to do, as I already live in Austin MHMR housing, where only if you have a mental disability you can live here, and yes I have contacted them on any help, and if I don't hit our $500/mo we're out of luck. I'm afraid if I get kicked out of here me and my wife will be on the streets.

Anyone advice?

Thanks for your time. If you want more detail of my problem if it'd help you advise me, please PM me.

Well hey, I don't have any real great idea, and I also don't have the deepest pockets and all, but I can (and will, cause you're cool) send you 20-30 bucks. Its not enough obviously, but i'm sure you can make use of it.

GakFace

Did you try everybody on this list? Apologies for seeming patronizing, if you have.

http://www.foundcom.org/helpful_info/default.asp

Nahh, you're fine..

Thanks for the list, we have tried some on there but it'll help us try more.

All I can suggest is to sell unnecessary possessions as necessary to meet the rent. Lose the unnecessary services, use less electricity, don't drive around / ride public transportation unnecessarily, and so on.

That is if you are unable to get loans from friends/family. Sometimes your loved ones can chip in a few bucks to help out. Sometimes they might even have a place for you to live short-to-mid term.

Also consider getting a second job.

Consider moving to a cheaper residence.

Last but not least... banks are giving cheap loans nowadays.

That's all I can think of. Good luck.

The only thing I can think of is more work,
and negotiating with the landlord for more leyway.

I would also contact your local & state govt. officials,
they hopefully will be able to at least negotiate some terms with the landlord,
and help direct you to aid.

Especially, if you are on disability...there are special laws on that.

I wish I knew more...take care.

Unnecessary posessions are gone already.
We don't have a car, we use the bus.
I already owe my friend. We don't talk to our familys for other reasons.
Second job wouldn't help, it wouldn't pay soon enough..
Cheaper residence? This place is $500 ABP (Electricity, Gas, Cable, Phone) .. which is pretty cheap!
Loans.. heh, if my credit was good enough, no problem :(
I wish there were special laws for that, if there are, I've yet to see them or see anyone we've called tell me about them..

Thanks for the help guys...

Yeah, okay, that's pretty cheap. That's about how much I pay for a tiny studio for myself. I assume "cable" doesn't include any TV service.

Well... when it comes down to it, you might have to sell things you're taking for granted (and this is what will suck: it will only help in the short term). :(


edit: aw, heck, i'll join gakface & numist. pm me your postal address and i'll send you some money (won't be much, unfortunately I only work PT, FT student). maybe others will be encouraged to send you some, though.

meff - PM with with some contact info.

I may be able to chip in to help out a little.

Besides, I owe you anyway. :)

[edit:sent]

Everyone --

Thanks for everything, I've got more places to call, some things to think about, and even people chipin' in with a little! :D

Everything helps.. Thanks for everything you all.

Drop a post here or PM me if you need to.

This is totally a showing of the power of TFP.. people *trust* each other here.. I'd really like to scan/snap a pic of my notice, but what we write, people trust you on what you're saying..

Only here.
I appreciate everything from you all :)

Updates:
The only thing I could sell, even short term, is my computer (my lifeline basically) (yes I know but how would you feel without anything to do besides sleep?) and my TV that's smaller than my 17" monitor. If I absolutely have to, I'd still be shaky on the topic, but I guess it's better to live somewhere and do nothing all day than keep my box. This is probably my last option, as here I would have to place an add and it'd probably get sold way lower than what it's worth, and probably wouldn't offer enough money to get me catched up.

Oberon, yes its free cable service, but we pay for rr. My wife's job needs it. We only have one phoneline and she looks up spreadsheets and email very many times a day and doing the phone-shuffle (phone is contracted to MHMR, we can't get another line, if we did it'd be more expensive than rr anyways) would suck to all hell, plus all I got is a winmodem and you all know I run Linux.

As far as my landlord, I probably have about another month (read: this month) to get as most as I can in. I hope for more time.

Some numbers: I get a $550 check today. For Shyla's work and various needs (food, rr, stuff for Shyla's job, etc) will probably leave me with $250 to give to rent. She gets paid around ~$100 next week, which will help a little after food. I am guessing my hole will be around $700 total this month.. Anything helps, advice, pointers, or helping out even if you want to. If you need more details, as always, PM me.

Thanks everyone for your advice and help.

Wow, ya'll are so wonderful and caring This place r0x!! We truly don't have anything disposable, the computer is needed for my job. So *shrug* we'll muddle through, and thanks so much for the kind offers of help :)

most lenders will forgive the principle for some time as long as the interest is paid...

try negotiating with the landlord for work in exchange for rent or part thereof

Lenders would never give us money, we're still working on fixing our credit.

As for working, Shyla already has a job, and I just cannot work right now. Schizoaffective is one thing, but I am off my narcolepsy meds and all day I feel like my body is spasming and I am very tired but the one med I am on, Provigil, is barely keeping me awake, and I have horrible sleep. My appointment for my new psychiatrist is a ways off.

Thanks for the thought..

Good luck with your situation, remember that they can't take your spirit! I'm kind of in the same boat you are in (luckily our landlord is semi-understanding) so I can imagine all too well how you must feel. I have no advice, anything I could say has already been said. Everyone in this thread is great.

By the way, is that a Massive Attack lyric in your signature? If so, then we have even more in common than just being broke.

Meff, check into getting a case opened with Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
They might be able to help you find work that you can do with your disability.
They will make sure that you don't loose what few benefits you have and find others you might no know about.

I've been told I can't even hold a job. And if I do get one and lose it, my $550 benefits go down the drain. Too risky for what situation I am in, and a few personal issues about it. No, I would *like* to work, but there are problems with working and my benefits, and it'd just be too hard right now. I plan to get a job when we're more stabilized that can possibly pay me with me still recieveing my benefits.

And another problem, if I make too much money my Medicaid goes out the window too. There is no way I can pay for all my medications a month, over ~$2000.

Thanks though..

Edit: I know you said I wouldn't lose my benefits, but I have spoken to SSI people that say otherwise, especially about Medicaid.. :(

Edit2: I think I figured out why. I'm married and my wife's income counts too..

Sorry for hijacking the thread here.

But as an aside, yes, that's a Massive Attack lyric. Meff and I discussed it on the TFP IRC channel recently and his translation is "Fun people make me younger". My translation, OTOH, is "idiots make me throw tantrums." :D

Wow, that's a crappy situation to be in... in fact, it's very similar to the one my friend who killed himself used to be in, 9 months before his unfortunate death, except you have Shyla and he had no one (sorry to be morbid). Drugs mess people up, as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately they seem to be the only "solution" for a lot of mental diseases.

How did you manage before you met Shyla??? I guess you still lived with your parents?

Let me tell you, shying away from one's family is a bad idea. They are my support net, and I am theirs (in different ways). Is the problem you have with them really so bad you can't reconcile? You don't need to tell me about it, just consider this.

FYI I have PM'ed oberon why I've made this decision..

Lets just say I can't and won't.

To 'rely' on them again would be literal hell and I'm not about to start that.

Wow I'm new here and I am amazed at the show of support people have for other members instead of bashing one another (not just in this thread) Meff if I had extra cash I'd deff. send some your way. I right now have have -$150 to my name. Keep your head up buddy!

Due to relevance, Im bumping this.

Thanks also to Z for his support.

Well, an update is that I had my wallet hijacked on tuesday, with the rent money order in it I had *just* bought it at the grocery, crossed the street to buy burgers, and then walk the 1/3 mile home to eat and mail off the rent. I honestly didn't see the person who took it.
We *have* to get money to our landlord by FRiday. I know most people don't have much money, but my idea is that most people have $10 or $20 extra dollars. If you can spare this, please pm me or meff and we'll give you our addy. thanks, shyla

That is some crazy bad luck... my thoughts are with you!!

Your situation is astoundingly bad. You knew that, though. The wallet hijacking is almost too much to believe (though I believe you completely.) It just seems like so much more bad karma than you deserve.

I have no money, but I will have someone actually pray for you, which I just don't do. I will send out as many good vibrations as I can. Good luck. :(

thanks to all for their good thoughts and vibrations, we really appreciate it.

You have some messed up luck. If you have no money, why are you buying burgers? Iplayed in a band and lived off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for two months when times were bad. Sorry not to be more sympathatic, but I think there is more going on here than you are letting on. You need more help than these folks can give, some serious, institutional assistance. Depending on where you live, there are tons of homeless resources that help get you back on your feet.

Sometimes you still have to do something nice to yourself in a stressful situation, you know? Spending 5 bucks to go to the burger place down the street isn't going to really hurt our money situation.

As far as 'serious institutional assistance' give me a break. You can analyze everything we say and criticize it all, but there isnt 'more going on'. We're searching for help from all of our friends and people we know, because our past rent started happening because my wife doesn't have any health insurance and that costs out of the ass.

Thanks for your reply, even if it's in some ways insulting.

*Edit* I forgot, but everyone who has been helping including my friends in Oregon has been writing all of the money orders and checks in my landlord company's name, so there is no way I can use the cash for anything else anyway, and I wouldn't if I could. I understand you lived off of PB&J, we have just a little more because we've been going to food banks. Our food stamp case for me is pending, and we have been visiting all the churches we can. How does this mean we're doing anything wrong? If we didn't pay for Shyla's meds she would be very sick still with bronchitis that we both got awhile back.

Please ask more and be a little more considerate before you guess and jump to conclusions.

what do you mean by "insitutional assistance"? just wondering. as far as the burgers go, I still had the rent money order and some money when I got burgers, heh. somewhere betweent there and home is where my wallet went bye bye. *shrug*

I notice that you say you can't earn money because it threatens your other benefits.

Do you know math? Play an instrument? Know some high school subjects? Another language? If so maybe you can try your hand at tutoring which pays cash usually so it's not reported, or any other job that's the same. I mean, it's probably not a long term solution, but it might help you a little for the month.

Or maybe you can take over your wife's job for the time being until she gets better?

Best of luck.

It's pretty fucked up that the government discourages people from trying to get out of their social programs like that.

I think what thingstodo was saying is that you're basically living off of taxpayers and the charity of others. In that dire of a situation every penny counts, so $5 for burgers should be out of the question, especially if this is on a regular basis. $10 can pay for 2 fast food meals, or it can buy enough bread, tuna, ramen noodles, and a couple veggies (to cut up and put in the ramen so it's a little more than salt-laden filler :)) to keep you fed for days. And it's a lot healthier too--which is important as well. Once I ditched the constant fast food and TV dinners I started feeling a hell of a lot better and more energetic.

And lafemmefatale had a good idea, look for work that pays under the table. If you can do manual labor, look for construction sites with a lot of Mexicans. Only thing is if you get caught that'd probably screw up your benefits, too.

Shyla, I believe the Postal Service can give you a new money order and void the old one. It's part of the fee you pay them for the money order. At least that's been my belief; I never had to find out for myself. Or does the grocery store sell their own or something?

Sorry I didn't notice this thread bumped til now.

You are correct. The USPS will replace lost or stolen money orders.

I don't know what to say. Many people have kindly helped us out, and we really appreciate that--you know who you are, and I thank you for that. Pretty sure we can stay here, almost have what they are asking for. Thanks to everyone again.