Success! And.... Suspicions
So I wrote my landlords a letter; sympathetic yet strong enough to let them know I had the leverage to get the police involved if I wanted to. I also gave them the offer of keeping my last month's rent ($325) and deposits ($200) but returning my $100 cat deposit if they'd just leave me the hell alone. In return I said I wouldn't get any further involved with making the other tenants' business my own. (I am so a L33T M4F14 G4NGS74) I also made them a less lucrative offer where for the return of my deposits (all $300), I would continue looking for a replacement tenant for a month and a half using fliers and an ODE classified ad, provided they clean up the house to make it possible.

Yesterday I faxed the letter. Today they called me and told me they would accept the first of the above two deals. They want to release me from my contract ASAP. I can absorb the loss of the last month's rent and deposits- they're already sunk costs. I'll also be getting a $100 check from them- yay! Of course, since they so readily agreed to the offer.... it does (just as Ilona said it would) make me wonder if I could have gotten more out of them. They were originally proposing keeping all fees plus one more months' rent, so I didn't want to push my luck. But they said a few things that sound a little fishy....

First, they want to get it all done ASAP. Not just ASAP but by "May 5th." Marla said "by May 5th" to me multiple times on the phone. What's so special about may 5th? What do they have planned on May 5th? Why does my stuff need to be out by JUST THAT DATE? Secondly, I offered to put up new house fliers with their number on it as a last service to them. Marla said that I didn't need to do this because there were some "other things they needed to take care of first." What other things? More important than renting the room? Third, I called them back and asked for a clause in the agreement (which I should have stated in the first place) that makes it possible for me to get my $200 deposits back IF and ONLY if they rent the room within the next month. She declined to do this. I can understand why they wouldn't want any further obligation to me... but it makes me hesitant to sign this new (albeit satisfactory) agreement before being SURE that they're not going to turn around and rent my room to someone else the next day and make a profit on my misfortune. I probably do owe them something for their troubles (and attorney fees) (and putting up with me) but I don't wanna be USED. So I think I'll just ask them up front what their plans are and maybe ask them to swear that this isn't what they're doing. Cause that, my friends, WOULDN'T be legal.

But thank god I called their bluff at all.

Score: Kat 2 : Beesons 1

Why the hell isn't it Wednesday? Err... more appropriately, why do I keep thinking it IS wednesday???