I'm shocked and surprised, but very pleased. Here's the short end of a long story:
Jill and I were roommates back in the summer of 06. Jill went through a couple of jobs, and I paid for most everything in that apartment. I covered the deposit, rent, most utilities, and the food. She kept saying that she was getting a job, but couldn't really keep one long enough to pay anything besides her car payment.
I stayed for about three months like that, and then I was done. We had a running tab on the fridge of how much she owed me, and the total was just over $1000 at that point. Jill and I were mostly on good terms, but there was tension. When I left, she begged me to leave some of my kitchen items for a while so she could get some. All of these items were pretty expensive, and some of them were gifts, so I was very hesitant to leave them. We agreed I would come back and get them when I came back for my sister's wedding, six weeks later.
I showed up to get my stuff, and Jill's boyfriend, Tyrel refused to let me have any of my stuff. He said that Selo owed him some money, and I wasn't getting my stuff until he was paid. I took Jill into the other room to talk about this, since my stuff had nothing to do with Selo at that point, but Jill said she was sticking with Tyrel and I had to take them to court if I wanted anything.
I got back to NC after the wedding, and started getting things together. I had my bank statements and utility receipts and amounts for my items and everything sent to me. As I was going through all the paperwork, totaling up the amounts, the total came to over $4000. I was amazed that I had paid so much during that time, and not even thought about it. Jill was responsible for about $2500 of that amount.
During this time, my mom kept going over to Jill's and asking if she could get my stuff. Mom lived next door, so it wasn't out of her way and they saw each other all the time. Jill would occasionally take something of mine over to Mom's (a picture of mine, my leather jacket) but never gave back my kitchen items.
While I was building my case- and it was a lot stronger than I realized- Selo and I started planning our wedding. As soon as we were married, I changed careers and we moved. Then we went to a funeral in California. Then Selo's dad passed away. Then Selo got sick. Then, then, then. Basically, the case got put on the back burner.
Well, Selo and I moved back to Utah in December-ish. A couple of weeks ago, Jill and I started talking again. She was talking about how she and Tyrel were getting married in the temple and what a change had come over her. I told her if that was all true, I was happy for her. Then she said she was moving back to her parents, and I asked her about my stuff. She told me that Tyrel had taken it when he moved out and hadn't asked her and she couldn't get it back from him. After talking to her, she said she would get it, clean it, and bring it back to me. She wanted to meet me that night to give it back. We decided to meet at Kinko's, since that was close to where she lived and I had a million and half copies to make.
I was at Kinko's with Crystal and Jim from a quarter to six until eight thirty that night. Jill never showed. She later told me that she had been in the parking lot the whole time and hadn't seen me, and I asked her why she hadn't come inside where I was? After talking for a while- again- she said she would meet me that night.
We finally met up, and she pulled out a contract she wanted me to sign. No big deal, I will sign something saying I got my stuff back. I specified on there exactly what I was getting and how many. But then, lower in the contract it stated that I had abandon my belongings, and that when she returned the rest I had to pay her for storage and cleaning fees. Rather than laughing in her face, I underlined them (notice I said underline, not cross out) and wrote out to the side DO NOT AGREE. I signed her contract and handed it to her, but I wanted it clear that very moment of signing that I did not agree with those specific points of her contract. I still agreed that she was returning my stuff, and that I wouldn't take her to court for it, but that I did not agree to pay her and I did not abandon them. But I still signed nicely and gave it back. She took it, looked at it, and said if I was disagreeing then she wasn't giving my stuff back.
*sigh* This again? So I took the contract, tore it in half, and walked away. I was so tired of this game with her. I made a few calls, and then decided it was to court we would go. I had made several attempts to get my stuff back, and I was ticked off. I still had all the receipts and paperwork I needed to prove my case. I didn't call, text, email, or message Jill again. I was so done with this back and forth game.
Now the interesting part.
Two days ago, when I got home from work, Jill had brought some of my stuff back. She had brought the box she was going to give me the few nights before, PLUS almost half of my pots and pans set. I was shocked! And she didn't even ask Susan to sign anything when she dropped them off. She just put the boxes on the couch and left. By the time I got home she was gone.
So I have my stuff back. Not all of it, and I probably won't ever see the rest. But how amazing is that? It makes me wonder what happened. Did someone say something to her? Did she feel guilty? My dad and my step-mom, both who gave me a lot of it, were also happy to hear she gave them back. And I am happy to not have to go to court to get them back.
I haven't thanked her yet, but I plan on it. I am thinking I will send her an email, or maybe even a thank you card in the mail. I really truly appreciate getting my stuff back.
Jill and I were roommates back in the summer of 06. Jill went through a couple of jobs, and I paid for most everything in that apartment. I covered the deposit, rent, most utilities, and the food. She kept saying that she was getting a job, but couldn't really keep one long enough to pay anything besides her car payment.
I stayed for about three months like that, and then I was done. We had a running tab on the fridge of how much she owed me, and the total was just over $1000 at that point. Jill and I were mostly on good terms, but there was tension. When I left, she begged me to leave some of my kitchen items for a while so she could get some. All of these items were pretty expensive, and some of them were gifts, so I was very hesitant to leave them. We agreed I would come back and get them when I came back for my sister's wedding, six weeks later.
I showed up to get my stuff, and Jill's boyfriend, Tyrel refused to let me have any of my stuff. He said that Selo owed him some money, and I wasn't getting my stuff until he was paid. I took Jill into the other room to talk about this, since my stuff had nothing to do with Selo at that point, but Jill said she was sticking with Tyrel and I had to take them to court if I wanted anything.
I got back to NC after the wedding, and started getting things together. I had my bank statements and utility receipts and amounts for my items and everything sent to me. As I was going through all the paperwork, totaling up the amounts, the total came to over $4000. I was amazed that I had paid so much during that time, and not even thought about it. Jill was responsible for about $2500 of that amount.
During this time, my mom kept going over to Jill's and asking if she could get my stuff. Mom lived next door, so it wasn't out of her way and they saw each other all the time. Jill would occasionally take something of mine over to Mom's (a picture of mine, my leather jacket) but never gave back my kitchen items.
While I was building my case- and it was a lot stronger than I realized- Selo and I started planning our wedding. As soon as we were married, I changed careers and we moved. Then we went to a funeral in California. Then Selo's dad passed away. Then Selo got sick. Then, then, then. Basically, the case got put on the back burner.
Well, Selo and I moved back to Utah in December-ish. A couple of weeks ago, Jill and I started talking again. She was talking about how she and Tyrel were getting married in the temple and what a change had come over her. I told her if that was all true, I was happy for her. Then she said she was moving back to her parents, and I asked her about my stuff. She told me that Tyrel had taken it when he moved out and hadn't asked her and she couldn't get it back from him. After talking to her, she said she would get it, clean it, and bring it back to me. She wanted to meet me that night to give it back. We decided to meet at Kinko's, since that was close to where she lived and I had a million and half copies to make.
I was at Kinko's with Crystal and Jim from a quarter to six until eight thirty that night. Jill never showed. She later told me that she had been in the parking lot the whole time and hadn't seen me, and I asked her why she hadn't come inside where I was? After talking for a while- again- she said she would meet me that night.
We finally met up, and she pulled out a contract she wanted me to sign. No big deal, I will sign something saying I got my stuff back. I specified on there exactly what I was getting and how many. But then, lower in the contract it stated that I had abandon my belongings, and that when she returned the rest I had to pay her for storage and cleaning fees. Rather than laughing in her face, I underlined them (notice I said underline, not cross out) and wrote out to the side DO NOT AGREE. I signed her contract and handed it to her, but I wanted it clear that very moment of signing that I did not agree with those specific points of her contract. I still agreed that she was returning my stuff, and that I wouldn't take her to court for it, but that I did not agree to pay her and I did not abandon them. But I still signed nicely and gave it back. She took it, looked at it, and said if I was disagreeing then she wasn't giving my stuff back.
*sigh* This again? So I took the contract, tore it in half, and walked away. I was so tired of this game with her. I made a few calls, and then decided it was to court we would go. I had made several attempts to get my stuff back, and I was ticked off. I still had all the receipts and paperwork I needed to prove my case. I didn't call, text, email, or message Jill again. I was so done with this back and forth game.
Now the interesting part.
Two days ago, when I got home from work, Jill had brought some of my stuff back. She had brought the box she was going to give me the few nights before, PLUS almost half of my pots and pans set. I was shocked! And she didn't even ask Susan to sign anything when she dropped them off. She just put the boxes on the couch and left. By the time I got home she was gone.
So I have my stuff back. Not all of it, and I probably won't ever see the rest. But how amazing is that? It makes me wonder what happened. Did someone say something to her? Did she feel guilty? My dad and my step-mom, both who gave me a lot of it, were also happy to hear she gave them back. And I am happy to not have to go to court to get them back.
I haven't thanked her yet, but I plan on it. I am thinking I will send her an email, or maybe even a thank you card in the mail. I really truly appreciate getting my stuff back.
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