EVICTION IMMEDIATELY

My name is Michele, I’m 54 and live in New Jersey and here’s our story. We never saw this coming, an eviction notice. The feeling of helplessness. As soon as you wake, the feeling of fear sets in. People struggle from time to time with bills but financially we are in no position to move.

My husband Richard 59, was a union sprinkler fitter. He is now permanently disabled with a pacemaker defibrillator after going into congestive heart failure twice. He gets a social security disability check once a month that doesn’t cover much. He’s on Medicare but still has some costs that aren’t covered for medical and his prescription meds. It leaves very little for house expenses. Rent, utilities, food, car insurance, repairs for a 15 year old vehicle.

This is a nightmare which started when I lost my Westie, Bailey last September. I had to let him go after 14 years. He lost his hearing, he became diabetic at 13 and lost his sight. He wasn’t happy being Bailey anymore, so I set him free. I guess, it’s best he’s gone.

I wouldn’t be able to afford his meds and food. But he was always my source of strength and calmness. Good days and bad days, he was always there. When he died, part of me went with him. It’s been a struggle everyday for me since he’s been gone.

I started a new job in December which I thought would help us greatly. It turned out to be part-time. With any luck it will be full-time in about 4 months. If I knew this, I would have held onto the last job. The last job was a dead end, no room to advance and I didn’t get any raises the entire 9 years I was there.

I was paying more for the medical coverage they provided each week along with the high deductible and out of pocket and hardly anything was being covered. The bills just keep coming in for everything this insurance didn’t cover.

We were behind with the rent but we’re current. We sent the April rent and it was sent back to us. We told the landlord the roof was leaking again but he said he’ll repair it after we’re gone. He wants us out immediately. We’ve been here 23 years and had issues with him not making necessary repairs and were forced to hold the rent. He lives in Vegas now and could care less what happens with his properties as long as he gets his rent. He wants us out, no ifs and or buts. He can do a little renovation and raise the rent and get section 8 for the entire duplex. The unit next to us has already converted over to section 8. Bottom line, he’s a slumlord.

We’ve tried to move out before, then Richie became disabled and money for that became non existent. Trust me, we would love to move but on our terms and having the money to do it.

We have no where to go and no money to move. We have family but they can’t help. We need money for storage immediately, which is $300/$400 a month. We have to find a rental which we’ll need the first month’s rent and the security, which could be about $3,000+ and money for a moving van.

We definitely need the help of a moving company because we can’t do it in our own. We have practically nothing right now in the bank.

We’re still behind with some utilities and looked into assistance but they want the landlord to fill out the application. That makes no sense and just won’t happen. Other agencies aren’t taking anymore applications. We keep running into brick walls, wherever we turn.

I’m terrified and I don’t know what we’re going to do or where we’ll wind up. I hope we don’t wind up in a shelter but I don’t think we’ll have much of a choice. We’ve tried for assistance from the state but with Richard’s disability money we’re not considered poor enough, which I think is ludicrous. I’m still trying to get a full time but it doesn’t look promising.

I have 3 goals for the year of 2018:

Item #1 Find a new job that would benefit us both. Make some extra money to finally move.

Item #2 Find another place to live. Move, get out of this toxic environment. It’s not going the way we originally planned but does anything in your life?

Item #3 When things settle down for us and we’re in a safe new place we can call home, I would love to be owned by another Westie. We both need a new baby to love. Bailey left a huge hole in our lives. The way things have turned out, I’m not too optimistic about this either.

Here’s a new development that we just found out. We applied for SNAP or food stamps. We just received our card with funds. It sickens me further. It has $33.00 on it for a month. How is a couple supposed to survive on this for a month? They just revoked that because they said they never received necessary information but it was dropped off at their office. This is the assistance you get when you call the state. I feel even more disillusioned.

I don’t know if I rambled too much with everything I’ve just said. I wasn’t exactly sure what is relevant and irrelevant with our story. It’s just been one big nightmare. God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. I don’t have much strength left. I’m just so tired from the worry and panic. I don’t want to lose everything we own by being locked out be a sheriff. A lot has sentimental value and cannot be replaced.

Whatever anyone can give us would be greatly appreciated. I don’t know if this is even going to work but we have to try. Along with your generous donation, can you please pray for us? We greatly appreciate anything you can spare.