The Past Few Weeks

So in the coming days it is my intent to fill you in on what has been going on around here the past few weeks.

I'll start with April. A few weeks after we moved into this house (which happened on the same day I had back surgery) our landlord informed us that he had a buyer for the house. He said it had always been his intention to sell and these people wanted to look at it. So they came (with out him) to look at it. They asked us why we were moving if we had just moved in and we said we aren't moving, the rug is being pulled out from under us. When they discovered that the owner had been decietful with both of us (he told them that the house had been empty for 7 months) the husband told my husband and then came and said again to me that they would not even consider buying the place under those circumstances. I didn't really believe him as after he said that they continued to look around. I mean really, if you wouldn't even consider buying a place why stay? Just go. So anyway after they left we found 3 internet sites that have the house listed. He is asking a different price on each site but they are from 300 to 400 thousand euro. When he initially told my husband about the potential buyers he offered the house to us but for 440,000 euro. Essentially 100,000 euro over the price he is asking of others and 200,000 over the market value. Interesting. So a few weeks after these people wouldn't even consider it we get an email from them telling us that this house is on their short list to buy. In the mean time we had consulted a German lawyer who informed us of our rights. According to German law our current landlord does not have the right to kick us out for any reason. Therefore, if he should sell the place the new people would have to do it but they would also be bound to honor our contract. Also, there are specific rules that govern all of this and none of them have been followed. Enter May. The landlord has moved to intimidation tactics to try and force us to move going so far as to come to the house when he knew my husband wasn't home and bring someone with him to threaten me. What he didn't know was that my sister was there and a witness to anything. He said publicly that he had a key to our house (illegal) and that it is his house and he can come in any time and do any thing he wants to. Of course none of that is true, but he stuck his finger in my face and kept advancing on me as if to hit me. I felt in danger and yelled for help. He and his buddy quickly left. The MP's and police were called, reports were made, an every 30 min. drive by was started by the MP's, my husband was called home, and the LL was informed in no uncertain terms that to enter our home at anytime without our prior knowledge and consent will result in his immediate arrest. Our lawyer was informed and he wrote him a letter that he is not to contact us again in any maner. By writing, telephone, email, text message, he cannot come to the house, he cannot come by the house, etc. If he does he will be arrested for assault. They don't have harrassment laws here but they would count it as assault because he is making my blood pressure go up and that is damaging my body. An interesting point in German law is that had he called me an ___ ____ or any other dirty name he would have been arrested right then, that is illegal but it's just fine to threaten to come in the middle of the night and do anything he wants. I don't really get that. I should let you know the German police were amazed at all of this and had a hard time believing that a German would do such a thing. Until of course I informed him that he is not German but Irish and married to a German. lol Then they understood. Not that the Irish are bad but that a German would naturally know better. Anyway, so here we are and here we will remain. I'd be suprised if those people buy the house because they will not be able to move in when they want to. At this point they would have to spend several months in a hotel or temporary housing before they can move in. Anyway that is the latest with the house. We have gotten back on the post housing list but we are not on top and will have to wait until something opens up. Thankfully they will pay for the move for us as none of this is our fault and we had found him through the housing office in the first place. The matter has been taken up the chain of command to the garrison commander and I would not be a bit surprised if they canceled all of his leases with the government and made his bar off limits to all military personnel. He has delt with us wrongly and as we all know, you reap what you sew.

The next dramatic event tomorrow.