Going Back

Took a bit of time out to visit the old place. Took a couple of photos of the grass, as it is growing nicely now, and knocked on the doors of all of our old neighbors. Really all we had planned to do was drop in and say helloes, but once we realized our old neighbors weren't home, we decided it best to see someone...

So we went for it and knocked on the door of our old place to say hi and welcome to the neighborhood to the new tenants. Well, only one of the ladies was home, but she invited us in to have a look at how the place had been changed. At first we declined, but when she offered again, we accepted. Littlebit played with their adorable doxie puppy while we chatted and made friends.

She offered us a tour, a beverage, and a beer. We took the tour, but declined her other hospitable offers. Come to find out, the landlord didn't bother to clean the carpet, but instead replaced it all. I bet that's what he is saying we "owe" him for. The little gift basket we left in the bathroom was left for them by the landlord's representatives, but they took the little cleaning supplies and light bulbs we left on the kitchen counter, as well as all of the compact fluorescent light bulbs we left in the sockets.

The new tenant told us that our old neighbors nearly gushed about us and said we were really great neighbors, and that they were sad to see us leave.

I can't believe the manager took the great energy-efficient light bulbs and replaced them with incandescent crap! I can believe however, that he told the new tenants that we were expecting to be kicked out because we knew he was looking for us a better place to live. She told us that's what he'd said to them to get them to sign the lease knowing someone was living there still. *sigh*

But the conversation was great, the refrigerator was fixed(!), things that were broken when we moved in still weren't fixed for the new people, and the new tenants now know that their landlord is a deceitful liar, a sneak, a thief, and..... Well, let's just say that without sounding negative during our visit, they are now fully forewarned.

Informing them was the best we could do to help them protect themselves, and making a new friend was an added bonus. At least they got their little welcome basket. *smile*

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A friend called today to tell us that her family drove by the old place too. Her husband said the place looked so plain, and her son said it didn't look special anymore. *sad smile* It really touched my heart to hear that, and I'm glad she called to let me know.

I guess I didn't realize how much of an impact we had had on the neighborhood until other people noticed we were gone, and our visible influence left the place.