So I hadn't seen Sam for a while, although I knew he was around because of hair in my soap and the like. Then on Good Friday, which was a public holiday, I noticed he'd left his keys on the hook behind the door. I examined three possibilities:
1) He'd gone on holiday and forgotten his keys. Early last month he mentioned he was looking to go on holidays over the long weekend.
2) He had moved out but had left a bunch of stuff including food in the fridge and newish shoes. And had neglected to actually tell me.
3) He was actually in his room sick/dead.
On Monday, I decided to check out #3, so I rapped on the door and entered. Virtually empty save a stripped bed, a pedestal fan and an empty packet of Allen's Retro Party Mix. But did this mean #2? Who leaves a newish bed?
Complicating matters was the fact that I didn't have his latest mobile number because late last year his phone was stolen and he only recently bought a new one. So using phone records from my home phone I tracked down his dad's number and called his dad. I relayed the situation to Mr A and asked him to tell Sam to call me, then asked if he could please send me Sam's number. He said he would. He didn't. I then called Sam's old number and was put through to a 'leave a number' service.
Yesterday I decided that if he hadn't come back from 'holidays' and if the week's rent hadn't been paid, I would need to get in touch with him to tell him that according to our agreement I could evict him if he hadn't paid for 14 days (this Friday).
This evening I emailed him. This is how the correspondence went:
Samuel A,
I don't know whether you have officially moved out or whether you have just forgotten your keys while you have gone away on holiday; communication either way would be helpful.
This is to inform you that, as of Wednesday 27 April 2011, I have not received your rental payment of $270 for the week ending 22 April 2011. According to the tenancy agreement you signed last year, Note 6b states that the tenancy ends "if the tenant is more than 14 days in arrears of rent".
This is therefore a courtesy notice to inform you that at 12.01am, Friday 29 May 2011, all possessions that remain in the household of [address], are to be treated as abandoned and disposed of as required.
This includes, but may not be limited to:
1 double bed
1 pedestal fan
1 DVD 'Princess Blade'
1 ironing board
1 umbrella
1 pair brown shoes
1 exercise band
1 chest of drawers
2 containers of food
1 bowl of snacks
Additionally, if no forwarding address is forthcoming, I will send all mail 'Return to Sender'.
If you would like your bond back, please provide bank deposit details by Friday 6 May 2011. Unpaid rent and the cost of any repairs required will be deducted.
If this is a mistake, please let me know by return email or phone (call or SMS between the hours of 8.30am and 6pm - any phone contact outside these hours will be disregarded) by 6pm, Thursday 28 April 2011.
I have tried calling you but I don't think the number I have is your current one. I have also called your dad to tell you this, but I'm not sure whether I can trust him to inform you.
Regards,
Adeline Teoh
A couple of hours later I received the following:
Well I have moved out now officially and I am staying in a clinic for the time being. You can despose of my belongings as you please I have no interest in those items, the dvd is actually yours that you mentioned had gone missing, I have paid the rent money which was sent on Monday. i wouldn't want my bond back you can keep as it will cover the next week and a bit's rent which is fine with me. Yoy haven't been trying to phone me and as for saying to not trust my dad is highly offensive of you to say which deeply upsets me.(sic)
Thankyou
Highly offensive? After all he has put me through? Well, this was my response:
Sam,
I do many things but one thing I do not do is lie. Take a look at the attached phone record [I attached a photo of my phone's 'dialled numbers'] that shows a call to you and a call to your dad on the 25th April 2011.
When I phoned your dad on Monday he said he would send me your new number. He didn't. I told him to tell you that I wanted to speak to you and for him to tell you to call me. The fact that you haven't called indicates that he didn't do that either. Maybe 'trust' was not the right word to use. Perhaps I should have said 'I don't think I can rely on him to tell you'.
Look, I don't know what kind of issues you have, but I have always been open with my communication with you. All I ever wanted was the same in return. If you wanted to borrow some bedsheets, I would have lent them to you. If you wanted a piece of chocolate, I would have said 'go ahead'. The fact that you took these things without my knowledge and without asking is an offence to me. And I know it has not just been those things, and I know it has been going on for a number of months.
I hope you find what you need in your future. Sometimes it really is as simple as asking.
Adeline
P.S: I don't know where you got the 'Princess Blade' from, but it isn't mine. The DVD that's missing is 'The Princess Bride'.
I called Boff but it's his gaming night so he didn't answer. I called Skippy but only got her voicemail. Then I called Assie and chatted to her for a bit about it, which made me feel better. It's over.
Now all I have to do is get someone to fix the cupping of the floorboards in his room, sell/donate his stuff and have Boff move in.
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