Entry bubble Kicked Out!

By: Colleen | March 12, 2008 | Category: General

While out of town over the weekend I received a most disturbing phone call from my roommate. In the elevator of our apartmentapartment building building she overheard two other girls talking about how they were being forced to move out due to renovations that would occur shortly. Nervous, my roommate went to the leasing office where they gave her some run-around story about our building being completely re-done and that we'll need to move out sometime in the next three months. This is more than a little sketchy seeing as we signed a lease that runs through August.

We immediately got out our copy of the rental agreement to see what it said about early termination of the lease by both the tenant and the rental agency. What we found was a lot of legal jargon neither of us quite understood. Luckily for us, my sister is an attorney and she offered to take a professional look at our situation.

In the meantime, before I become homeless, I decided to consult the Consumer Action Handbook for advice. Here I found out that each state has its own tenant rights, laws, and protections. For a state-by-state directory visit http://www.hud.gov/local.

The reality of the whole deal is I'm going to have to do something I hate more than seeing the Red Sox win the World Series - move.

I must say, I've been kicked out of far better. Has anyone been caught in a similar situation? Any advice?

| Comments [1] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: apartment   cah   colleen   lease   moving   rent   tenant  

 

Entry bubble Choosing the Right Cable & Internet

By: Jake | October 22, 2007 | Category: Money

Preparations for the move are going well. I am borrowing a friend's truck the first Saturday in November (if I used a mover I would have used the Protect Your Move Guide).

Now I can focus on utility adjustments. Trash, water and gas are included in the rent at both apartments, but my cable and internet bill have been getting a little high and I've been looking to save some money.

Utility rates like water, electricity and gas are regulated by state utility commissions, but cable and internet are different beasts. Local franchising authorities (LFA) regulate cable prices for the basic services tier (includes most local broadcast stations, as well as the public, educational, and governmental channels) when there is a lack of “effective competition.” The LFA does not regulate what cable companies charge for other cable programming. Internet Service Providers have no government regulating body.

When it comes to cable and internet (like everything else), it's up to the consumer to find the best deal. There are many things to consider when choosing cable and internet. Many cable companies also provide internet service and offer bundle packages with savings on each. With cable you need to decide if you want analog or digital. For my cable service I like having a digital video recorder and I need digital cable to get it. As far as internet goes, I prefer basic broadband internet service with a wireless router.

I spent a week weighing the different options. When all was said and done I stayed with my current provider. Why? Before I switched my service I checked with them to see if they have any moving specials and they actually did.

| Comments [1] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: apartments   cable   internet   moving   utilities  

 

Entry bubble Moving Out!

By: Jake | October 15, 2007 | Category: General

postal stamp: return to sender for better address

The apartment hunt is over! I found a new place in Alexandria and I move in early November. One of the first things I will do is tell various government agencies about my change of address.

I've found in the past the best place to start is the post office. I can change my address at any post office, or go online and do it for a dollar. After changing my address, the U.S. Postal Service will forward my mail to my new address for a year.

Though USPS will not tell people who mail me I have moved, they will forward my address change information to the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS will send my tax forms to the last address change furnished by myself or USPS. The last time I moved I did not change my address with the Internal Revenue Service and my tax forms arrived at my new address (though the IRS also got my new address when I changed for W-2's at work).

If this move were taking place during tax season and I had filed my tax return before changing my address, I would have notified my old post office and the IRS of the change so my refund and any other materials went to my new address. If you are collecting social security benefits,  have a passport or receive other services from federal agencies you should notify them of your address change.

For address changes on the state level, I've found the best place to start is at the state motor vehicles office. I can get my driver's license and car registration updated here, and most department of motor vehicles offices also allow you to update your voter registration.

Many municipalities require you give notice if you have a vehicle in their limits, so they can assess and collect property tax.  In the past I have received bills from former counties, so I will notify my old municipality so they don't send me a personal property tax bill.

After all the address changes are done, the Pueblo website has a moving checklist of things I need to do. I will be addressing things such as choosing a mover and utilities next week.

| Comments [2] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: address   apartments   change   housing   irs   moving   taxes   usps