Roommate Troubles (very long, but in digestible pieces!)

[MattSuspect]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Here's something you can do to make sure he knows his place in life...if at 11:00 (or some other time closely approaching the 11:59 deadline) he has not packed and does not look ready to leave, call the cops, they're probably not gonna arrive until 30 minutes after wards anyway. It'll take you a full 10-20 minutes to explain your story, and by then it'll be almost 12:00. He'll be faced with the choice to either leave immediately & send for his stuff later or be arrested. In either case you would've put the bastard in his place - where he belongs. All of this will ensure you will:
1)get the last laugh
2)make him think twice before pulling some crap like this on you again
[img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice try, but there is no way that a police officer is going to get in the middle of a bunch of smartass college kids and decide to force out into the street, without a court order, someone who is clearly living there.

[/ QUOTE ]

OP is living in Manhattan, and is out of college.

[EMc]

He has to enter the room sometime, or leave, so when he does you and your other guy or some friends keep the door open and take the lock off. PS, IIRC, the doorknobs that locked are pretty easy to open from the other side if there is a whole in it, but this was from my old house when I was younger.

[MattSuspect]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
How do people ever find themselves in situations lke this. Adult men shouldn't have "falling outs" thats for high school chicks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tell me about it. I feel like I live with the #1 drama queen in New York.

[ QUOTE ]
Unless you are violating terms of your own lease that is. You may want to check that out before you go stirring the pot.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am aware of this possibility. I will check tonight. It likely says something about "subletting" without permission, but I don't know if inviting someone into a share while the lease-holders live in the apartment and pay the rent (we send the checks to the LL, Joe pays us) is technically subletting.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lesson learned dude. Finding anything off of Craigslist is likely to turn out [censored] up.

[JordanIB]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Here's something you can do to make sure he knows his place in life...if at 11:00 (or some other time closely approaching the 11:59 deadline) he has not packed and does not look ready to leave, call the cops, they're probably not gonna arrive until 30 minutes after wards anyway. It'll take you a full 10-20 minutes to explain your story, and by then it'll be almost 12:00. He'll be faced with the choice to either leave immediately & send for his stuff later or be arrested. In either case you would've put the bastard in his place - where he belongs. All of this will ensure you will:
1)get the last laugh
2)make him think twice before pulling some crap like this on you again
[img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice try, but there is no way that a police officer is going to get in the middle of a bunch of smartass college kids and decide to force out into the street, without a court order, someone who is clearly living there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nail. Head. (Except for the "smartass college kids" comment). I obvious don't expect the police to put him on the street. My trespassing comment was definitely meant more as a threat for him to get out than it was an actual expectation that a police officer would escort him out. That is why my main course of action, I feel, is changing the lock if he leaves the building after Feb. 28th.

He's not an idiot by any means. I'm sure he realizes he can probably just chill until when he's ready to move on the 3rd. I'm just trying to prepare for that.

I have considered not returning his deposit for failure to giving me notice of his departure. The point of giving me notice is so I can have adquate time to find a tenant to rent the apartment. Locking the door prevents me from doing this.

Lastly, you can sure as hell be sure I'll never be doing a CL roommate search again.

[Bluffoon]

The guy is a dick. Let him have his little victory and be thankful that he will soon be out of your life. It's just a few days.

Take a look at your actions in order to see what you can do to make a better choice on your next roommate.

[highlife]

[ QUOTE ]
We "talk" face to face when things come to a head. Like last night with him proposing his "deal." I put the key things in writing so that I have legal recourse and backup.

I'll check into the door off the hinges, but if I'm outside of a locked door, I don't think there's much I can do (aside from kicking it down, which I've though about).

[/ QUOTE ]

A locksmith can easily open the door.

[chesspain]

My advice:

Try to work it out with the roommate, and remind him that it is standard when a tenant/border breaks a lease agreement that he allow unfettered access to the living area so that his damages for early termination can be mitigated by allowing the space to be easily rerented.

If he refuses to cooperate, I would do whatever is necessary to open the door; I would probably first call a locksmith (which will be cheaper than repairing a busted door), and if necessary, just show your lease and ID and give some story why the door has to be opened. After he leaves, I would remove the door, since leaving it on, even with the lock changed, gives the roommate a chance to somehow open the door and rechange the lock. Of course, he is welcome to remain until the end of February. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[JordanIB]

I appreciate the feedback guys. I wasn't looking for a pat on the back or anything, just honest comments.

I think I've handled it well up to this point. I avoid the verbal arguments he tries to start, I never yell or raise my voice, I never become embroiled in face-to-face debates with him.

I can just see things getting a little ugly next week, and was looking for comments.

[DoubleTwentyOne]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Here's something you can do to make sure he knows his place in life...if at 11:00 (or some other time closely approaching the 11:59 deadline) he has not packed and does not look ready to leave, call the cops, they're probably not gonna arrive until 30 minutes after wards anyway. It'll take you a full 10-20 minutes to explain your story, and by then it'll be almost 12:00. He'll be faced with the choice to either leave immediately & send for his stuff later or be arrested. In either case you would've put the bastard in his place - where he belongs. All of this will ensure you will:
1)get the last laugh
2)make him think twice before pulling some crap like this on you again
[img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice try, but there is no way that a police officer is going to get in the middle of a bunch of smartass college kids and decide to force out into the street, without a court order, someone who is clearly living there.

[/ QUOTE ]

College kids or not, trespassing is still trespassing... and since OP has this guy's email stating his intent to move out by the deadline (11:59 pm) ON PAPER...it's binding regardless of what this [censored] roommate can come up with...if the cop won't arrest him, OP can at least get him kicked out for good...which might be just as effective in gaining the psychological edge over the [censored]

[chesspain]

[ QUOTE ]


College kids or not, trespassing is still trespassing... and since OP has this guy's email stating his intent to move out by the deadline (11:59 pm) ON PAPER...it's binding regardless of what this [censored] roommate can come up with...if the cop won't arrest him, OP can at least get him kicked out for good...which might be just as effective in gaining the psychological edge over the [censored]

[/ QUOTE ]

Does it hurt when you talk out of your ass?