Although I was exhausted from the speed of repacking my household effects from September 19 to October 4th. I took a deep breath after drinking a cup of coffee for breakfast and begin carrying boxes containing office supplies, business phones, router, printer, scanner, file cabinet folders, copy machine, satellite dish, Echo’s large dog cage, my suitcase; everything from the freezer, refrigerator, kitchen cabinets, two large bags of dog food, and finally Echo down 32-steps to my pickup truck for the trip back to my motorhome. I loaded everything into the motorhome, drove my pickup truck back to the apartment garage, backed the jeep out, and drove the truck in; locked the door. Returned to my motorhome, attached the jeep to the back and rolled out of Sioux Falls.
I usually hookup office equipment once I settle in an area, I plan to stay for a while. Meaning, once my office is set up in the motorhome it stays that way, since I am usually working on a few projects at a time until I decide to change locations.
As usual it’s always great to be back on the highway with no particular destination or time frame to arrive or leave anywhere. I love my highway life and have learned to deal with whatever occurs such as now. For the last six years, I have had no overhead or living expense requirements until now; paying for an apartment I am absent from which sucks and won’t ever happen to this women again. No matter the types of weather I am forced to deal with in the future. Basically, I don’t ever have to return to Sioux Falls in April or May. It’s just been a habit that I always return home on April 4th.
Prior to this year’s weather change. On a monthly basis, I only pay $230 for household effects storage, $80 for storage of my pickup truck in a private garage, and $150 a month for food to restock my refrigerator and motorhome cabinets. Also, I pay $250 for my annual non-resident New Mexico State Parks System 12-Month Permit, and $180 for my long-term permit which covers a 7-month long-term-stay at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) properties permit.
Furthermore, Dispersed Campgrounds and Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds; owned and managed by the government allow campers to stay 14-days free. Then you are required to move to a 25-miles radius for any 28-day period.
Dang it. I had been driving for four days. Suddenly I heard a strange sound from the rear of my motorhome. As a result, I pulled my motorhome onto the shoulder of the highway and did a walkaround of the motorhome and jeep which is my tow vehicle. The jeep’s front tire on the driver’s side was ripped open and laying on the shoulder under the tire mount. I could see exposed tire wires from the wheel and noticed fluid leaking from under my jeep. I don’t have flat tires often, but I do expect it to occur from time-to-time.
So, I returned to my motorhome and called AAA, whom I pay annually for roadside services. I thank God for AAA; they are reliable and have rescued me from some hellish situations. This time, the tow driver and I had to disconnect the jeep and load it on a flat-bed tow truck. I followed the tow truck to Dodge City Kansas. The Western Tire Shop determined the gearshift slipped into lock position which caused the tire to blow.
As a result, the tire shop mounted the new mountainous terrain tire which had been stored under the rear couch in the motorhome for the last five-years, because it was too big to be carried on the spare tire carrier on the back of the jeep.
Thirty-minutes later the new was mounted on the driver side and the passenger side front tire which was also damaged and showed a large drag mark patch in the center; was moved to the rear of the jeep and the rear tire which was not damaged was moved to the front on the passenger side. So claimed the guy working on the installation of tires on my vehicle. Then the jeep was reconnected to the back of my motorhome, and I was back on the highway.
Upon my arrival in Quartzsite Arizona, I dropped the jeep at an auto repair shop, who finally in the second week of my vehicle being parked on their lot, determined the front tire blow-out damaged the jeep’s transmission. As a result, the shop gave me two repair options; buy a new transmission for $5000, or a used transmission for $3000. I elected to purchase a used transmission because I could not justify putting a new transmission on my Jeep Wrangler T.J which is twenty-one years old. While waiting for the arrival of the replacement transmission, I was told the radiator was also damaged which I also decided to purchase a used radiator for its replacement.
Yes, my jeep has been well cared for, looks new when it is clean and runs great. I have never had any severe problems with my jeep other than the occasional running out of gas due to its small gas tank. Therefore, I have called AAA to bring me some gas on the side of the highway; other times I push the limits and roll into service stations with my tank light flashing empty. Meanwhile, this is the worst experience ever.
Laughing…., I know nothing about the newer model Jeeps, but these older Jeeps were built to do some amazing things. I really love my Soft-Top Jeep! Once my jeep is repaired, I will be moving onto my next destination which is currently unknown.
As a five-month resident at Penbrooke Apartments, located in Sioux Falls, SD. I quickly discovered, Office and Maintenance Personal at this complex seems to enjoy scheduling crap and taping notices to residents apartment doors such as the following:
Dear Residents, A member of our Pest Control Provider will be entering your apartment on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, after 8:00 am to conduct an inspection. Please have all areas accLY essible for this inspection. I made it a point to be home. Upon letting the man into my apartment, I asked what are you looking for? Roaches he responded as he walked into the kitchen, briefly looking around and left. What a joke!
Attention Residents of Penbrooke Place. This is a 24-hour notice to enter. A member of Twisted Pair will be coming into your apartment home between Monday, August 14th , and Tuesday August 21st to install the new routers. (Something I did not request, nor did I need.) So, I made it a point to be home to meet and speak with this person. Upon letting the women enter my apartment I asked, what or you doing and why? My husband’s company got a contract with this complex to install routers in every apartment so that’s what I am doing, she replied. She quickly mounted a router close to the floorboard and plugged the cord into the wall receptacle on the right side of the Livingroom wall, which I immediately unplugged once she left my apartment.
After finding this notice taped to my door: Penbrooke Place and ICS Advanced Technologies are pleased to announce the completion of a major infrastructure upgrade for your community. Indigo Living has partnered with ICS to exclusively provide high speed internet services provided by other service providers such as Midcontinent by October 1, 2023. After October 1st, other providers on the property will be disconnected. If you are in a contract with your current provider who requires you to furnish a letter providing exclusivity, this letter should be acceptable. If not, please reach out to ICS Advanced Technologies at 515-268-4000. I usually read and file these notices in my Penbrooke folder in my file cabinet and never give it another thought.
However, this notices was different: Not only were managers forcing their decision to upgrade their property by installing router/internet service on the backs of residents, but they were also adding an additional utility expense to residents rent and dictating how much residents will pay. Based on my observations and eviction notices taped to doors, some residents were struggling to pay his/her current rent. Then, managers makes it worst by sending the following 30-day notice:
On October 1st you will now be billed $50 per month for the Internet Service per the lease agreement and this 30-Day notice of increase. The internet charge will first appear on your November Utility Statement. I had enough!
Now, I am pissed… How dare these managers demand apartment residents cancel internet/router services they might can afford with his/her current provider and pay for a service they did not request? Further, as a traveling writer my router and dish service is mobile. Not only does it run all of my office equipment in my motorhome it does the same in apartments, homes, and motels. As well as, when I sit outside my motorhome working or watching television.
I must admit. I thought my days of ensuring residents were treated fairly was behind me until September 4, 2023, I decided to write a letter to the properties management company requesting copies of Housing Laws that gives them the authority to charge Apartment-Owner Expenses such as Pest Control, Sewer, Trash, and their personal selected Router and Internet provider service as Utilities to be paid as a rent attachment by residents.
I detest property-owners and management companies taking advantage of apartment residents using unfair rental scamming tactics. I tried to turn a blind eye, pay my rent, and ignore everything else. After seeing so many rent eviction notices taped to residents doors monthly and observing tired residents returning to our parking lots with three or more young children in tow. Vehicle bumpers, mirrors, exhaust pipes hanging and/or broken vehicle widows not being repaired. As well as vehicles sitting on parking lots with flat tires monthly. I had to acknowledge these residents are rent poor and struggling because of rent fluctuations. Not because of the economy but due to owner and management company greed.
Further, I am a retired federal nationwide property inspector, and these expenses has always been an owner expense as well as the cost of during business in the housing industry. Otherwise, tenants are paying owners business expenses, and he/she uses this money to pay for these and other monthly apartment complex services, while claiming these monthly service payments were out-of-pocket expenses for them as owners and management companies. Thereby allowing both to claim these expenses as tax deductions on his/her tax returns. Not fair at all!
After not getting a response from Penbrooke Place Apartment’s management company, Hubbell Property Management, LLC located in West Des Moines. I filed a complaint with Consumer Protection to call their attention to this matter. In hopes my efforts will benefit struggling residents.
I acknowledge, during the month of April to August my life was filled with unexpected challenges due to weather conditions that up-end my daily living routines which was a constant way of life for the last six years.
My dog, Echo, and I tried to accept the regular routine of taking thirty-two stairs to enter and exit our third-floor apartment. Rather than the two steps we were accustomed to taking from our motorhome living room to the ground or an outdoor patio slab.
The real downers are: (1) Taking 32-stairs to haul moving boxes from the apartment to outside dumpsters. Then determine where I can put crushed boxes and my trash into already overflowing dumpsters.
TRASH DUMPSTERS ACROSS FROM MY APARTMENT ENTRANCE DOOR
(2) taking Echo out four to six times a day, (3) I am in the habit of spending $150 a month to restock the refrigerator and cabinets in my motorhome which continued upon moving into the apartment.
As a result, I made four trips up and down thirty-two stairs carrying grocery bags on both arms while dealing with balancing and joint discomforts due to a right-knee replacement, a right shoulder prosthetic, a slack right wrist, and a pending right ankle replacement surgery when I return home in 2024.
Meanwhile, due to the constant need to walk stairs joint pains occurred. Therefore, my surgeon immediately sent me to Avery Hospital For Warm Water Pool Therapy three times a week from July to September. However, those one-hour P.T. Sessions caused extreme exhaustion, making it hard for me to return home and immediately take Echo out to potty. Somehow, I always found the mental strength to soldier through because I had no choice. However, in mid-August I decided to quit P.T. and returned to walking various Sioux Falls Parks three times a week, instead. While looking forward to putting this entire apartment living saga behind based on my own assessment of our situation.
Not only did I not like above living situations. I didn’t like anything about apartment living such as environmental apartment smells; the constant itching, sneezing, and coughing caused by the smell of carpet, dusty ceilings, and a single window unit air-conditioner perched from the living room interior to the outside exterior of the Living-room wall, which is then blocked in by a makeshift wall on the patio which limits the use of the entire patio by residents.
Although, the previous window air-conditioner was replaced after I made a complaint of the smell of mold, cat pee, and smelly hardworking male underarm musky sweat. The new air conditioner unit didn’t smell like the previous one, but it too had a smell.
I had been so busy trying to adapt that I hadn’t noticed Echo was having his own challenges. From the time Echo was born, he went from living in an outside enclosure near a field with his mom and eight furry siblings freely running through open fields and dodging a few cows while playing in a nearby field; to travelling in a 30-foot motorhome with me from place-to-place.
Echo quickly adapted to his life of motorhome living. He learned he could sleep all day without having to deal with siblings or me. This I loved because, as long as Echo slept, I more I could get done such as write articles, updating blogs, respond to customers, make phone calls, write a variety of reviews, work on new novels, and how-to books.
Whenever Echo woke up, we worked on usual dog training commands such as Come, Down, Heel, Lay, No, Off, Sit, Stay, and stop. As well as fetch my cellphone, his brush, rope, ball, etc. Often, like Dakota my three-year old, deceased German Shepherd. Echo enjoys seating in the driver seat keeping watch, barking at unknown people, black bears, coyotes, rabbits, and deer. Occasionally, blowing the horn while looking back in my direction which is my prompt, to come see what he see.
Upon my arrival, Echo looks forward as I tell him what we are seeing.
Further, Echo’s ability to exit and re-enter the motorhome on his own when he needed to potty had never been an issue. But became a serious issue once we moved into this apartment with thirty-two stairs.
The first day of our arrival to the apartment, I was concerned about how I was going to get Echo up the thirty-two stairs we needed to climb. After using my key to open the security door and stepping through the entranceway. Echo immediately sat beside my left foot staring up at the staircase like me.
Finally, I took a deep breath and placed my left foot on the first step. Echo did the same, then followed me up to the third floor. I was impressed, Good Boy Echo, I said.
That was the only time Echo followed me up or down this staircase. As time passed, I found myself hanging onto the stair railing trying not to fall while jerking Echo back during his fast-paced race and dives up or down this staircase. One day, he lost his footing and rather than falling down the stairs with him. I decided to let Echo’s leash go. Echo slid down the stairs on his belly while trying to grab the carpet with his paws.
When he finally fell onto the floor, he quickly stood and looked up as I finished my gradual descend down the staircase due to a right knee replacement.
A few days later, I noticed Echo was limping. So, we made a trip to a nearby animal hospital. It was determined Echo pulled his left hip joint during the fall and was put on anti-inflammatory medication for a week.
This was the end of Echo’s dives up or down apartment staircase. Now he takes a few steps ahead of me; wait until I catch up and continues this routine until we arrive on the third floor or descend to the exit door. Laughing, he turns out to still be an attentive fast learning, since I did have to teach him this!
Other difficulties I have discovered about living in this apartment: Children running up and down the hallway like they are running marathons on an outdoor track, which makes this a problem when Echo needs to go out to potty. As a result, I have had to approach and ask parents if they could have their children join them in the laundry room or send these children to their apartment so I can take my dog out to potty.
Further, I always carry poop bags in my pocket to pickup after Echo. Nothing is more irritating then picking up Echo’s poop, then stepping in another resident’s dog poop while heading to the dumpster to dispose of my dog’s waste.
A little after 9:30pm, I took Echo out to potty. We had been outside for a while when I heard something noisy being dragged from the door of my apartment building. I quickly turned and saw a female resident dragging a large black heavy-duty construction type trash bag from the door down the sidewalk; across the parking lot to the dumpster location where she left the bag and returned to the building.
Upon returning to the entrance door of my apartment, I was met by the smell of something dead. The smell was so overwhelming; I had to back out of the building and use my foot to retrieve a rock and push it into the door frame to hold the door open for a while. Because the portable floor placed ventilation system is so small, it does not force any significant air flow towards the second or third floors. Therefore, the entire entrance up to the third floor had a strong unpleasant death smell.
Further, there was a trail of slimy residue on the left-side of the staircase that I ensured Echo didn’t walk-in or smell. The same situation exited upon opening my third-floor entrance door. This time, the trail of slim was on the right-side of the hallway, leading to the door the bag was dragged from. That awful smell lasted for a few days.
I don’t like the constant slamming of doors and trying to quiet echo because this returning home resident routine, seems to disturb both of us. Nor do I enjoy rushing home to get a parking space near the entrance door because my knee or ankle hurts.
Nope, I can’t do it! Knowing this is not the life for me, I brought moving boxes from Lowe’s Home Improvement and begin repacking my household effects which will be returned to a storage facility when I return home in April 2024.
Usually, a few days after returning home from my winter season exodus I schedule an appointment with my nearby Sioux Falls Camping World to give my motorhome the usual checkup and make repairs months in advance of my return to the highway.
I accept the regular service needs of my motorhome as those of my previous homes; when the roof, and exterior siding needs to be treated or replaced. As well as repaint interior walls and ceilings, window replacements, annual professional cleaning of hardwood, and ceramic tile floors. The lawn mowing, grass beside driveways and sidewalks edged; the driveway, deck and patio stained and/or power washed and shoveling snow. Not only were these constant home and property maintenance tasks expensive; they were time-consuming and exhausting. However, my lifestyle as a 30-foot motorhome dweller is so much better, less expensive with the occasional replacement of big-ticket item such as Cummings generator replacement which I have replaced twice.
Currently, my motorhome is six years old. And there are so many interior things that irritates me and needs to be repaired that I began to keep notes with the intent of sharing my list with camping world when I take my motorhome in for its annual return home repairs. It’s crazy as I think of it now. If I weren’t forced to move into an apartment due to climate change weather conditions, my dog and I would be living at My Place Hotel which is my favorite place. After selling my Maryland home and moving to Sioux Falls as a new resident, this hotel was my home for two months until I decided to buy a motorhome and become a full-time traveler.
Since I am constantly on the highway travelling from place to place, things inside my motorhome always need to be repaired or screws tightened. As a result, I carry replacement screws and rolls of Gorilla Tape to hold things together until I return home. Meanwhile I have noticed my repair list is getting shorter. When I first bought this motorhome as a new RV, I had so many serious things that were wrong I considered returning it to the dealer; because I was constantly travel from place to place to secure warranty repair services until the warranties expired. Then repairs became an out-of-pocket expense for me.
As a result, I get repairs done as soon as possible; like I used to do when I was a home owner. So, repairs aren’t as bad as they used to be. I am scheduled to dropping my motorhome off at Camping World on May 10, 2023 for the following repairs:
(1) Replace broken vent garnish in bathroom, (2) Pull driving pit rug up, and tuck electric wire under rug. (3) Kitchen drawers slide open when driving. Removed all drawers and rebuilt replace glides. Also locks and latches were installed on all drawers. (4) Slide-out does not fully extend. Discovered broken wheel which was replaced. (5) Cabinet door above couch – hinge broken. Hinge was replaced. (6) Strut replaced on motorhome side entrance door. (7) None of the three tv’s works. Problem diagnosed and resolved. (8) Vinyl on counter top near couch and counter top edge near closet needs to be reattached . Also, and counter top was re-attached. (9) The faucet sink needs to be remounted to the counter and faucet needs to be tightened and secured to stay in place. (10) All four-leveling jacks drag while driving into or exiting shopping malls and service stations with aprons. They were removed two-years ago, but sensors still flash and beep like jacks are still attached and dropping to level motorhome. Beeping identified and resolved. (11) LED interior lighting installed two-years ago flashing was identified and corrected. Everything under the hood was checked and fluids topped-off.
Okie Dokie; I am glad these repairs are done. I am ready to roll out of Sioux Falls in October 2023. Prior to retrieving my motorhome from Camping World, I found and paid $150, for a five-month storage space for my motorhome. So, I drove it from Camping World to its new storage space. Secured everything, covered the tires and windows, made sure every outside compartment was locked, with the intent of returning to check on the motorhome; start the engine and let the motorhome run for 30 or more minutes twice a month.
For six-years I have enjoyed living my nomad lifestyle on my own terms, and the thought of returning to my past way of life; though rewarding, productive and profitable. It was financially draining, physically confining and time consuming. Further, I had a mortgage note, yearly increased property taxes, county taxes, state taxes and federal taxes to pay. As well as mowing and edging my lawn; cutting, pruning, and replanting hedges; repainting the interiors of my home and shoveling snow. These were the energy and financial drainers that made it easy for me to sell my home; rid myself of many important belongings and walk aways from my traditional lifestyle, which was how I was raised. However, I discovered living a lifestyle with minimum to no overhead expenses is appealing and doable. In fact, I love it!
I kept my most expensive belongings, collectables, office equipment and enough furniture to furniture a two-bedroom apartment if I had to shorten my nomad travelers due to illness or harsh weather conditions. I never expected to feel pressured to change my nomad lifestyle because of harsh weather conditions caused by climate change.
Meanwhile, for the last three years there has been an internal mental insistence; warning and directing me towards finding an apartment to move my belongings from my storage unit. No matter how many times I dismissed this insistence it returns often.
Annually, I return home to Sioux Falls. The purpose is annual checkup visits with my doctors, mammograms, and medication refills. As well as visit, chat and workout with my gym rat friends, and reconnect with other Sioux Falls Nomad travelers, who also returns to our local fairground camp area to homestead until it’s time to leave before the winter season begins, because we are all snowbirds. This year because of crazy weather conditions including tornadoes, hurricanes, snow, and wind storms, I returned home nine days later.
Meanwhile, for the last three years there has been an internal mental insistence; warning and directing me towards finding an apartment to move my belongings from my storage unit. No matter how many times I dismissed this insistence it returns often.
Annually, I return home to Sioux Falls. The purpose is annual checkup visits with my doctors, mammograms, and medication refills. As well as visit, chat and workout with my gym rat friends, and reconnect with other Sioux Falls Nomad travelers, who also returns to our local fairground camp area to homestead until it’s time to leave before the winter season begins, because we are all snowbirds. This year because of crazy weather conditions including tornadoes, hurricanes, snow, and wind storms, I returned home nine days later.
Instead of seeing the original camping residents in motorhomes and trailers. I saw a new scene, one similar to a twilight zone episode before dark. I saw an empty fairground covered by frozen snow piles and gopher holes in lawns inside and outside the fenced perimeter of the fairgrounds parking areas. The smell of gophers, dampness and mold was pronounced. The apprehension of my nine-month-old Shepherdadoodle puppy was obvious by his refusal to step on certain grass areas to potty. This is the worst effect of climate change for people that live his/her life as nomads. If weather conditions continues as it has from October 2022 to April 2023. Full-time No-Mad Motorhome Dwellers won’t have many places to call home. We will have to travel in caravans as clans members to ensure our survival, I said to myself.
The next morning, I reached out to the fairground’s camping coordinator to determine when the fairgrounds will open for returning camping residents. He confirmed South Dakota had a very harsh winter making it hard to remove snow piles, repair campground sewage-lines, and gopher ruined campground areas, he said.
Has any other fairground residents returned, or am I the first?
No, you’re not the first. Others have returned, who I have talked to as well. Once I explained why we won’t be opening until May, some returnees decided to return to Arizona, some went to the Red Barn, and to other cities, he replied.
Okay, I will do a few google searches to determine if I can found another nearby area to live until May, I said.
I found Big Sioux State Recreation Area Campgrounds in Brandon South Dakota which is 12.9 miles from my location. Upon speaking to a reservation specialist, who told me Big Sioux had spaces available to accommodate a 30-foot motorhome as well as amenities and the fee was $305.00 for a fourteen day stay. I had no place else to live at this time, so I paid the required amount. Then drove the 17-minutes to Brandon, found the Big Sioux Campground, located my space which had a small frozen snow pile. I unhooked my tow jeep from the rear of my motorhome and backed my motorhome over this pile into my space.
Once settled into my space, I drove around the campground in my jeep and discovered the dump-station was closed, the fresh water spicket was shut off, and the only available amenity was electricity which I could have lived without. I was beyond pissed!
My motorhome is self-contained. I have a generator and solar panel. The only thing I need is a dump station to dump my tanks, and a fresh water spicket to fill the side-water tank on my motorhome to flush my toilet, take showers, and prepare food. I have a large water jug which I refill as needed from fresh water spickets or stations to have drinking water. As well as fresh water to wash and prepare food when I am boondocking in the forest, deserts, canyons and on BLM or U.S. Army Corps of Engineer managed properties. Since I had ‘not stayed at either of the above-mentioned locations prior to arriving South Dakota I had no reason to refill this water jug.
After a week of not being able to dump my tanks, found a pay to dump station, and made regular trips to a nearby grocery store to buy jugs of water for cooking and drinking in Brandon, South Dakota. I wrote a review sharing my experiences and amount paid to stay at a campground without the services I needed based on false claims. I made a returned phone call to the booking office and discovered the male scheduling appointments for Brandon Campground was located in Florida. As a result, I wrote a review to call attention to this issue, so other motorhome dwellers won’t be defrauded. I forfeited my paid fee and returned to Sioux Falls; where I secured a full-hookup site containing a water spicket, sewage dump hookup, and electricity with additional amenities I did not need or use at Tower Campground which was okay.
While staying at both of the above-mentioned campgrounds my thoughts of finding a place to call home never ceased. Therefore, two weeks after settling at Towers I gave in to the constant prompts of finding an apartment and began a serious search for a two-bedroom, as well as a private garages. Because I can’t tow my pickup truck behind my motorhome without dropping its drive shaft, I usually store this vehicle in a public self-storage garage. When I returned home, I took the truck out and put the jeep in. Therefore, having a private storage garage at my apartment will alleviate the use and payment for a public garage.
Upon creating an apartment.com account and listing the type of apartment I was looking for. My cellphone was swamped by messages and videos of available apartments. I cancelled my account and briefly visited places I wouldn’t mind living for a brief period. Because this process was overwhelming, I had to remove a lot of personnel effects from the motorhome prior to dropping it at Camping World. A resident at the campground told me she had stayed at Penbrooke Apartments while having a lot of work done on her motorhome. It was okay, but I wouldn’t want to be a permanent resident there. Also, they do have private garages for residents which I needed to store stuff from my motorhome, the complex is not far from here, she replied. I need a garage and a two-bedroom apartment for office equipment. I’ll check them out. Thanks, I replied.
I drove to Penbrooke Apartments which was not far from Tower Campground. I really hated the crowded appearance of this complex. It as well as a similar associate complex took up an entire block on both sides of the street. Vehicles were parked everywhere. Well, you need a garage, and they appear to have many on both sides of the street. It might not be as bad as it looks, also you are flexible. Further, this is only a temporary solution for you. It will also give you the opportunity to check your household effects up close and personal, I told myself.
I walked thru the apartment and decided it was okay, not like my motorhome or my previous home; but it might be okay for a brief time. I also looked at the private garage and decided to sign a lease agreement. This is when I saw all the crap they had as an addendum lease add-ons. However, I don’t call seeing the list of utilities which include owner fees being paid by residents. The greatest shocker for me was the requirement that all residents were required to either via the complex or an outside provider a rental insurance policy in the amount of $300.000 dollars on his/her apartment unit. Geez, I have owned three homes, and never had that much coverage on either. Why so much, do the owners expect residents to rebuild the entire complex if there’s a fire, I asked?
My agent laughed. No, they just want to make sure their property is covered if residents are callous and cause harm to their property, as well as that of other residents, she replied.
Two days later, I moved into this apartment. This is when I discovered some of my belongings and household effects were missing, damaged, chipped, as well as items in my 8-piece Vintage Tiara Glass and Dinnerware Set is missing, broken, and crushed which had to have occurred in 2021, when a customer at my storage unit had a fire in his unit.
During this time, the day after the fire, I was on my way back to Sioux Falls when I got a text regarding this matter from the facility owner. I pulled off the highway to respond to his text and shared my in-route location. He was at the facility and went with me to check my storage unit upon my arrival. When I opened the door to my unit, there was no soot, no smoke smell and no water indicating a fire had ever occurred or was fought anywhere near or on my side of the facility. My unit was located near the exit door on the opposite side of the firewall and storage facility.
Everything at that time was still in its original heavy-duty long-distance transport boxes. Well labeled and tagged; identifying what was inside every box. Furniture was still saran wrapped, and my unit was arranged so I could walk around to access all items, even those needed occasionally from my file cabinet, supply cabinet, and safe. At this time, I could send a stranger into my unit and tell them where to find all items, including those in boxes.
A few months later, I went to get something from my storage unit and discovered my unit empty. Everything was gone! In a panic I called the owner, who was swamped by calls from other storage customers discovering the same. During my conversation with the owner, I found out he was blind-sided by his insurance carry, who hired Intek Cleaning & Restoration without his knowledge. As a result, it is these people who are removing customers belongings from their units and transporting them to their warehouse for service so roofers can begin repairing the facilities damaged roof, he replied.
How can they do this without talking to me or having me sign a contract, I asked.
Edith, they are doing this to everyone. I can give you their telephone number and the name of the contact person, which he did. This turned out to be the biggest mess I have ever encountered in my life. I found the contact person to be evasive and a liar. I couldn’t get a response to the simplest questions: (1) When did you remove my belongings from my unit? (2) How could your company do this without authorization from me? and (3) When do you plan to return my belongings to my storage unit?
I was so irritated with these people; I didn’t return to check my unit until mid-October after total right knee surgery. Upon opening the door to my unit, I was pissed to find my cloth furniture (chairs and couch) were unwrapped and sitting in front of the entrance door, and majority of stuff appeared to be shoveled into my unit with a bulldozer. I grabbed my cellphone, gave the contact person my name and said, I am at my storage unit now and just discovered the appearance of my unit; if you don’t send somebody to cleanup my unit, I will call the police and file a claim against you and your company!
Yes, four people arrived to clean up their original mess. They moved every easy to move item from my unit into the hallway of the facility. I had them open every box to identify every item inside, write it on labels and display it on the outside of every box. Then, rearrange these boxes against the left wall, boxes with mattress sets against back wall with bedroom and dresser and mirror in front of mattresses. Office desk, file cabinet, supply cabinet, and medium size book case against the right wall, etc.
I admit, I was so angry and in severe pain as I dealt with these people. Therefore, I don’t recall seeing my matching chest of dresses at that time. So, I was never sure if all of my belongings were ever returned to my unit. So, this move would give me the opportunity to check. Meanwhile there were things in my unit that did not belong to me. Once I called the leader of the group’s attention to these items, she had her workers remove and load them on their truck.
A few weeks later I returned to my unit to retrieve my box of shoes and the portable ice machine for my swollen knee. My box of shoes were not in my unit. Upon making a phone call to the office, I was told to stop pass the Intek warehouse the following day. Upon arriving at the warehouse and banging on the door for a while. The door was opened, and I was escorted to a large laundry and work room. Where my box of shoes and a few other belongings were stacked. I retrieved my belongings and left.
Currently, I am overwhelmed by anger for Intek and its employees. These people turned my easy-going, laid-back lifestyle into a serious nightmare which didn’t have to occur, since there was no damage to my belongings because of the fire occurrence at my storage facility. All these people had to do was leave my belongings in their original boxes and saran wrappings and return them to my storage unit after the roof was repaired. The unauthorized removable of my and other storage unit customers was all about the $5,000.00 charge Intek planned to get from each customer, which I refused to pay.
A year later, after constant letters and phone calls from Intek which I ignored. Because, I knew I didn’t have to pay them anything, especially not $5,000.00, because they had nothing with my signature on it. Finally, they left a message on my cellphone, requesting that I can them from my desert location to discuss a happy medium settlement in order to close this account. I talked to them and offered $3,000 which was accepted. I sent a check for $3,000.00, end of story.
Meanwhile here it is three years later, I’ am still having to deal with Intek’s callus handling of my household effects, resulting in damage, broken and missing items. Now, I need to decide if I should take these folks to court before my time runs out. My spirit tells me to let it go. But my flesh tells me to kick their ass because they loss my daily 4-pc dinnerware set, cookware and utensils, chest of drawers that matches my bedroom suit, etc. And damaged expensive belongings such as my 8-pc Vintage Tiara Dinnerware Set (Edges Chipped on 5-plates), and my “100 Greatest Books Ever Written” Collectible Leather-Bound Books Accent by 22-Karat Gold Trim Pages. Some books were turned on their front edge rather than back spine or bottom edge. Front edge of a few books were damaged.
65 BOOKS FROM MY 100 – BEST STORIES EVER WRITTEN LIBRARY COLLECTION
Currently, I am exhausted. I have functioned in overdrive ever since my belongings were delivered from my storage unit to my apartment. Again, I visited Intek warehouse looking for missing items. I found my black Tiara Vintage Wall Clock broken in half in a book with my name on it. The worker asked, “Do you want it?” What do you propose I do with a broken wall clock, I replied. I took a picture of the clock in the box, looked around for other belongings which I did not found. I finally said to the worker who was shadowing me as I looked around their warehouse for additional belongings. “Well, I hope the storage facility customer who got my belongings enjoy them and left the warehouse.”
Upon contacting my insurance company to discuss not finding missing items at the warehouse, as well as broken items found while unboxing glassware, I was told: “We can’t paid you for missing items. But you can hire a lawyer and sue Intek for all items not returned to you. However, you only have six years to do it. Starting from the time Intek took your belongings from your storage unit to when they were returned. Meanwhile, I will send you a damaged and broken items claim package. You will have to complete this package, provide as much information as possible regarding each item, and submit photos of all items you are claiming,” she said. I spent days setting up broken items to take photos for submission with claim forms and carrying empty moving boxes down 32-Steps to dumpsters every day. My entire body hurts. I am so over this!
Staying at various campgrounds, as well as boondocking throughout Arizona from October 10, 2022 to April 6, 2023. Attempting to dodge winter weather such as snow, sleet, ice, high windstorms, dust storms and cold temperatures. As other full-time and temporary no-mad travelers, who dwell in motorhomes, travel trailers, tents, vans, etc. from various U.S. States, British Columbia, and the United Kingdom.
Mid-October 2022 to April 2023, most of us had and continued to deal with unusual chilly days and nights during our stay in parts of Arizona, which was very usual to say the least, and were looking forward to returning home sooner rather than later usual in the month of April. However, we were caught off guard by the above weather conditions. As well as fierce winds, fires, heavy rains, floods, and mud slides in various parts of Arizona.
Shortly after many of us had determined what date might be the perfect time to start our return journey home, reports of tornadoes began to surface which were traveling from the north, west and east, heading south. Now, the question on all of our minds were how to plan out-of-the-way-routes beyond or skirting predicted tornado areas to escape these dangerous storms. It was turning out to be a crap shoot, as we listened to radios and watched television trying to determine when to make a dash for our home states.
I decided to leave Hi Jolly, the 14-day free day stay Boondocking campground on April 6th. As a result, I left Quartzsite Arizona at 7:30am arriving in Phoenix around 9:00am. My trip went pretty well until I took I-10 East. Two hours later I was pretty much standing on my brakes trying to bring my motorhome to an unexpected quick stop because traffic was at a standstill and people were out of their vehicles on the shoulder of the highway. In between our slow crawl, stop, wait then crawl again up the highway. I opened my google app and asked: “What happened on I-10 East in Tucson Arizona?” Reply was: Single vehicle crash with multiple casualties. Interstate -10 is closed near Tangerine Road”.
I had no idea where Tangerine Road was, nor did I know upon finally seeing highway cones blocking further travel up I-10, the name of the small town I was being directed to enter by local police officers. As directed, I swung off the highway, took the short exit. Then swung across an empty side road to park on an open dirt field. “This is home for tonight, I will figure it out tomorrow, I said.” as I left the driver seat of my vehicle for the nearby couch. I asked Google, “What is my location?” I discovered I was in Marana Arizona.
I microwaved my dinner, fed the dog, and took him out to potty. Secured my motorhome and went to bed. Other travelers who didn’t know another route from this small city or a back road to get around the accident did the same.
The next morning a check of Google app indicated the deadly crash was the result of a rollover. The driver a 78-year-old male, and two female passengers, 81 and 69-years old were thrown from a 2005 Dodge Ram and rolled over by the truck. I didn’t know any of these people, but my heart ached, and I felt sad for the pain these victims’ families would endure for years. After breakfast, I begin my long journey home to South Dakota again.
This time, my GPS would not cooperate at all. It would not acknowledge the route I wanted to take. I had never traveled any of the many counties and backroads this GPS put me on. Nor had I ever traveled through Albuquerque, high mountains or peaks thought-out Colorado which never seemed to end. I was exhausted and only wanted to reach my home state. Often there were no rest areas, gas stations, or road shoulders to pull off the highway onto. So, I had to just keep rolling and pray service station signs were mounted high enough to recognize these stops prior to my motorhome running out of gas.
This was not a happy trip. It was identical to the trip from hell my girlfriend and I took from South Dakota to Why, Arizona on October 4, 2022 because of a GPS problem. So, I told myself. “This is your second trip through hell; the only thing that is different is, you haven’t had a water pump blowout. Thank you, God, there’s no problem with my motorhome, I said. Arriving in Sioux Falls on April 9th.
