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Have You Ever Been Evicted?

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:00:16 -0700

You can be evicted for a number of reasons, including failing to pay rent, damaging property, violating your lease agreement in some way, or simply because the property owner wants to move in. If you're at fault (not if the owner wants to occupy the space), an eviction will be recorded on your credit report, making it an obstacle for future applications to be accepted. I myself was evicted a few years ago when my owner said he planned to move into my apartment, and regardless of whether it would affect my credit, I must say having to move unwillingly is far from a desirable situation. How about you?
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Moby Wants to Be Your Landlord

CasaSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:15:44 -0800

Your favorite tea-drinking, vegan DJ would like to moonlight as a prosperous property manager. That's right, Moby has put his Hollywood Hills home up for rent. The 2,298-square-foot, three-bedroom, 3.5-bath property can be yours for the small price of $15,000 per month. Yes, you heard me, fifteen. With your monthly payment, you can enjoy "12 foot paneled ceilings, parquet flooring, grand French windows, a gourmet eat-in kitchen, big city views" and a "geometric-shaped pool with a classic John Woolf pergola adjacent." If I had 15,000 smackers to spare, I'd lease this place in an instant just for kicks. It's stunningly decorated with Henri Bendel-esque striped wallpaper, mirrored ceilings, and an Art Deco chandelier, and the killer city views are worth every penny. To see more photos, read more.

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Would You Rent an $1,850 Apartment With No Bathroom Sink?

SavvySugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:15:26 -0700

The next time you're kvetching about your apartment's shortcomings, consider 27-year-old Atossa Movahedi's one-bedroom Chelsea apartment. The New York Times tells the story of Atossa's search for something within her price range that wasn't a studio and located in one of her preferred neighborhoods. After living with roommates in various Manhattan neighborhoods, she was determined to find a place to call her own for about $1,600 a month.

When it became obvious her budget and vision wouldn't work together, she reconsidered and increased what she was willing to pay for monthly rent. After a long, frustrating search, Movahedi found something she could live with in her now apartment, but the place isn't perfect - the apartment is missing a bathroom sink. She says the shortcoming doesn't really bother her (she notes that her hairdresser doesn't even have a bathroom) and said, "It forces me to do my dishes right away. I make sure the kitchen is really clean."

Would you sign a lease on an apartment with no bathroom sink?

Ask Savvy: What Are Your Tips For Renegotiating Rent?

SavvySugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:30:23 -0700

Dear Savvy,

My boyfriend and I have been considering downsizing into a cheaper apartment. I was looking online and noticed that a similar apartment to ours in our complex is being offered for $300 less a month than we pay. Our lease is up in two months. Do you have any advice on renegotiating our rent? We are willing to move, but it would be ideal if we could stay and pay less per month.

Savvy says: I definitely think you and your boyfriend should try to renegotiate your rent. It can't hurt, and depending on your renter's history, you might have a good chance of getting what you want. See my thoughts on your situation when you read more.

Your argument for rent reduction will be strong if you have been reliable tenants that have always paid on time (some NYC landlords have even been voluntarily reducing rent for good tenants to get them to stay). If possible, find out the key differences between your unit and the one that's advertised for $300 less. The apartments may be more different than you think, thus justifying the difference in rent, but if they're in fact very similar then your case will be even stronger.

Because you only have two months left on your lease, you should contact your landlord ASAP and explain that you'd like to discuss renegotiating the rent on your apartment. Say that you very much like living there and want to stay, but you've checked out similar apartments for less money - including one in the same complex. If possible, present other places for rent that are also charging less. If your landlord is unwilling to come down as much as you'd like, consider offering to extend your lease if you're granted a reduced rent.

Be prepared to answer questions like whether your employment situation has changed; your landlord might be paranoid that you want cheaper rent because you're having financial problems. If your finances are as good as they were when you were first approved as a tenant, then your case is solid. Good luck!

Jessica's New Lease on Life and Hair

PopSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 08:25:00 -0700

Jessica took Daisy along for some shopping in New York after her fun weekend with the Pussycat Dolls in Vegas. Jess is looking much happier these days and it's not just because she's found a great guy. While in Vegas, Extra grabbed a moment with Jess to chat about life these days. Here are highlights:

On the next year:
“I'm so happy...it’ really going to be the year where I am no longer the girl with potential – I am the butterfly!”
On her hair:
“I’m happy to be a brunette because it reflects who I am now.”
On life (and her hair):
“There’s a lot of discovery and that’s what’s so amazing and humbling about life… everyday there’s a new discovery whether it’s as simple as hair color or a new friend in your life, a new person in your life.”
In summation:
“I’ve got to get my life together and become the woman that I’ve always wanted to be and just love life and love who I am.”

I have to admit I have softened up on Jessica again since her divorce, but the butterfly and brunette comments both seem a little weird to me. Wasn't it her blonde girl act that got her famous? Anyway, it sounds like she's got a couple of good men to thank for her newfound happiness. Not just John but her hairstylist and BFF Ken Paves, too!

There are times, however, when her new look betrays her -- like last night's Costume Institute Gala. Check it out here.

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The Shower Hug: Ga Ga or Gag?

LilSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:00:23 -0700

Showers are few and far between for new mothers, but a few minutes under the rushing water can give them a new lease on postpartum life. Warm water can lead to painful letdown so one woman created the Shower Hug ($30), a terry knit wrap with a Velcro closure designed to ease the pain and protect the bustline. The fast-drying material can be wrung out after a shower and hung to dry until the next time mom finds a few minutes for herself. Would you invest in one?

Would You Buy Clothing Created by Amy Winehouse?

FabSugarUK — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Hang on to your beehives girls, I definitely didn't see this one coming! It has just been revealed that singer Amy Winehouse will collaborate on a collection for PPQ.

Grazia got the skinny at the Mulberry Romance party from Amy Molyneaux, co-designer of PPQ who said, "The range will be all about high-end statement pieces, inspired by Amy's style. For example maybe an amazing piece of jewellery like a bracelet or a dress. It's going to be distributed online, we are going to be providing all materials and doing the design, but Amy will definitely be involved in the creative process. It will be very different to Peaches' line for PPQ as that was more of a diffusion line - this will be a homage to Amy's look."

I'm intrigued. My bet is that we can expect to see at lease a few body-con dresses, mini skirts (in denim perhaps?) and sweetheart halter tops. Would you be interested in buying Amy Winehouse for PPQ?

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Ask Savvy: I Relocated and Was Laid Off After Two Weeks, What Are My Rights?

SavvySugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:58:53 -0700

Dear Savvy,

I have a major dilemma that I'm hoping you can help me with. I moved to Seattle for a job that seemed great on paper but turned out to be a total nightmare. They actually let me go after 2 weeks, without any reason given other than "you weren't the right one" - this is after I just moved several states away from home, and before I was given a chance to perform my job! Because of the lovely legal agreement known as a contract, I now have to pay $3,700 to break my lease.

Sad, this has been an absolute nightmare and I want to know - what are my rights? I have only had the keys to the apartment for a week! If I absolutely have no rights and must pay that ridiculous fee to break my lease, can I write the $3,700 (plus the first month's rent and deposit) off as a relocation/job-search expense? Thanks so much for your help, I am truly devastated by this turn of events.

See my answer when you read more.

What a terrible situation you're in - I'm so sorry that you're going through such a difficult and overwhelming time. Relocating from your home is an emotional move and when the one thing you're looking forward to turns sour, you begin questioning your decision. While it doesn't seem like anything positive could come from this situation, try not to resent your new city. Seattle has a lot to offer both culturally and job-wise, so why not give it a chance?

If you're totally against the idea of trying to make it work there, here's what I would suggest in terms of your apartment fiasco. You signed a lease and your rights are whatever is stated in those papers. Have you tried discussing your situation with your landlord? It's worth approaching her, but do so without any expectations or sense of entitlement to get out of your lease because you've been served a raw deal. She may be sympathetic, but she may simply tell you what you already know about the terms of your lease.

So, what should you do if she says sorry, but a deal is a deal? Request that you be allowed to find someone to take over your lease. The apartment where I currently reside became available for that very reason: the tenants wanted to move back to their hometown but were only six months into their year-long lease. The owner agreed to let them find new tenants that would take over their lease, they placed an ad on Craigslist, and the only involvement the owner had was running a credit check and reviewing our rental application.

While you're searching for new tenants, consider taking a temporary job to bring in some money in case it takes longer than you anticipate. Hopefully, your luck will change very soon!

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10 Reasons It's Wonderful to Be a Woman

TresSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:00:00 -0700

I was going to call this "10 Reasons Why It's Awesome to Be a Women," in homage to the Yahoo Answers post yesterday, but I knew if I did, both you and a copy editor would think it was a typo. Anyhoo, here are my 10 favorite reasons from Dave's Daily (a man drew this up!) that it's wonderful to be a woman. (And since it seems necessary - yes, this is a joke.)

Women aren't covered with hair like shag carpeting.
If a woman inexplicably disappears for two weeks, one of her friends will notice.
A woman can fully assess a person just by looking at their shoes.
Women can be groupies. Male groupies are stalkers.
A woman can get a whole new lease on life just by changing her lipstick.

Want to see my other faves? Then read more.

Women never lust after a cartoon character or the central figure in a computer game.
Women can admit to others when they've made a mistake.
Women know who their children are without having a DNA test.
Women have total control over their eyebrows.
Women can get drunk quicker and cheaper than men.

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First Recipient of US Face Transplant Speaks

TresSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:10:00 -0700

Connie Culp, the recipient of the first US almost-total face transplant spoke to the media for the first time.

The 46-year-old mother of two had the middle section of her face shot off by her husband in 2004. Surgeons in Cleveland, OH, replaced 80 percent of her face with that of a dead female donor in a 22-hour operation, and it seemed that her appearance before the media was in large part to thank the donor's family. The transplant is only the fourth to be carried out.

Because of her injuries, Culp had no bone support and was unable to eat or to breathe without a tube in her windpipe. Surgeons used donor tissue to replace her nose, mouth, lips and chin.

Experts say that face-transplant recipients may feel remorse, grief, and guilt toward the donor, but my first thoughts were about how radically Culp's husband's violence has altered her life. Our faces, for better or worse, are integral to how we're seen and treated in the world. This story reminds me of an autobiography Lucy Grealy wrote about having part of her jaw removed due to cancer. To get a sense of how wrenching her experience was, read more.

Diagnosed with a rare form of jaw cancer at age 9, Lucy Grealy spent the rest of her brief life dealing with reconstructive surgeries (a third of her jaw had to be removed) and a world which seemed to privilege physical beauty above all.

In Autobiography of a Face, Grealy, who went on to attend Sarah Lawrence College and discover a love of poetry (apparent in this lyrical memoir), explores what it meant to have an unideal face in such a world. Although she seemed to come to some kind of peace with her situation, after her final reconstructive surgery, she became addicted to OxyContin, and eventually heroin, and died of a presumed accidental overdose in 2002.

Our best wishes to the brave Connie Culp. With the love of her two kids and family, and her sense of humor - she joked with reporters, "Here I am, five years later . . . I got me my nose" - she's got a new lease on life.

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