WheatenLover
Senior Member
- Location
- Georgia
First, everyone (except her landlord) is very nice to her. She speaks French at the B1 level, and has moved to France to study French at a university there. Where she is, most people don't speak English or don't speak it well. Still, she manages to communicate.
Second, she had to go the emergency room because she gets severe asthma attacks from being near cat hair or dander. The people there were very nice and treated her well. When they gave her a prescription for asthma medication and an inhaler, they were concerned because she doesn't have health insurance -- could she pay for the medication. Well yes, she could. Total Cost for the ER visit: $80. Both medications: $8. These were not subsidized, just the usual cash price. (She doesn't have health insurance because the university or government is still looking at all her papers and the rubber stamp to get insurance will come through in a few days.)
She had to visit a doctor because of further severe asthma attacks. Cheap visit cost, cheap medications including an epipen. All the medical people are taking her seriously. No guff given. No one said the cause was stress, anxiety, all in her head, she was being a drama queen, etc. It is rare to be allergic to cats so severely that one could die from the resulting asthma attack.
Third, she informed her landlord about this allergy, in writing, in saved texts, and on the phone. He assures her that the apartment is extremely clean and no cats have lived there, not one bit of cat hair exists in that place. She arrives. The apartment has not been cleaned at all. There are copious amounts of cat hair on every surface - upholstery, wall baseboards, counters, curtains, even in the bathroom. The fridge has rotting food in it. She starts vigorously cleaning it, has a very serious asthma attack while sleeping that night, ends up in the ER, and has to move to a hotel.
There is a lot more to this story. Suffice it to say, she has so much evidence that the landlord lied to her, defrauded her, etc., that she has hired an attorney to get her money back (3 mos. rent, hotel costs) and to reimbursed for other damages.
This guy sounds like a typical slumlord who rents to students. My daughter is not the typical student. I can't fathom how the landlord didn't realize that, just in speaking with her. He deleted everything that he had communicated to her via texts and What's App, but not before she saved it. So at least he figured out that trouble was brewing and tried to delete evidence against him.
Anyway, I am proud of my daughter. She has handled the process of moving to France and renting an apartment exactly like I would have. I said to her that maybe I'd been wrong, maybe she should have been an attorney. She laughed and said, I learned it all from you, Mom! This is what happens when a person has attorneys for parents.
Fourth, I can't get over how nice everyone is to my daughter. My whole life I have heard about how the French people hate Americans and treat them rudely. This includes people in Montreal. I mean, before my daughter left, I was heavily wishing I had enough money to send a body guard, a guard dog, and an interpreter with her. So far she hasn't needed any of those things.
Fifth, no one, no matter how politely, has asked my daughter anything about the situation in the US. This is a good thing because she doesn't have to worry about conflict arising -- she has been a volunteer activist for a long time. Not that she was worried. But her mama was.
Now I can't wait to go to France to see her. I was looking forward eating at bakeries and candy shops. Now I'm looking forward to the entire experience.
Second, she had to go the emergency room because she gets severe asthma attacks from being near cat hair or dander. The people there were very nice and treated her well. When they gave her a prescription for asthma medication and an inhaler, they were concerned because she doesn't have health insurance -- could she pay for the medication. Well yes, she could. Total Cost for the ER visit: $80. Both medications: $8. These were not subsidized, just the usual cash price. (She doesn't have health insurance because the university or government is still looking at all her papers and the rubber stamp to get insurance will come through in a few days.)
She had to visit a doctor because of further severe asthma attacks. Cheap visit cost, cheap medications including an epipen. All the medical people are taking her seriously. No guff given. No one said the cause was stress, anxiety, all in her head, she was being a drama queen, etc. It is rare to be allergic to cats so severely that one could die from the resulting asthma attack.
Third, she informed her landlord about this allergy, in writing, in saved texts, and on the phone. He assures her that the apartment is extremely clean and no cats have lived there, not one bit of cat hair exists in that place. She arrives. The apartment has not been cleaned at all. There are copious amounts of cat hair on every surface - upholstery, wall baseboards, counters, curtains, even in the bathroom. The fridge has rotting food in it. She starts vigorously cleaning it, has a very serious asthma attack while sleeping that night, ends up in the ER, and has to move to a hotel.
There is a lot more to this story. Suffice it to say, she has so much evidence that the landlord lied to her, defrauded her, etc., that she has hired an attorney to get her money back (3 mos. rent, hotel costs) and to reimbursed for other damages.
This guy sounds like a typical slumlord who rents to students. My daughter is not the typical student. I can't fathom how the landlord didn't realize that, just in speaking with her. He deleted everything that he had communicated to her via texts and What's App, but not before she saved it. So at least he figured out that trouble was brewing and tried to delete evidence against him.
Anyway, I am proud of my daughter. She has handled the process of moving to France and renting an apartment exactly like I would have. I said to her that maybe I'd been wrong, maybe she should have been an attorney. She laughed and said, I learned it all from you, Mom! This is what happens when a person has attorneys for parents.
Fourth, I can't get over how nice everyone is to my daughter. My whole life I have heard about how the French people hate Americans and treat them rudely. This includes people in Montreal. I mean, before my daughter left, I was heavily wishing I had enough money to send a body guard, a guard dog, and an interpreter with her. So far she hasn't needed any of those things.
Fifth, no one, no matter how politely, has asked my daughter anything about the situation in the US. This is a good thing because she doesn't have to worry about conflict arising -- she has been a volunteer activist for a long time. Not that she was worried. But her mama was.
Now I can't wait to go to France to see her. I was looking forward eating at bakeries and candy shops. Now I'm looking forward to the entire experience.
