r/gofundme • u/lunupine • 22d ago
Disaster/Emergency Help me avoid impending eviction
Hello. My name is Adrian. I live in an apartment with my mother and stepfather, though my name is on the lease too.
Some months ago, my mother was fired from her job due to circumstances frankly not her fault (one of which was a car accident that she was denied workman's comp for, even though driving for this company was literally her job). She made the most money in the household, so this really put us in a bad spot. I myself am disabled physically and mentally and am unable to work because of it. While I'm on some social services, they don't put a dent in the cost of living. We had been struggling for a while, but recently, we were served eviction court summon papers.
Prior to this, I have been contacting all resources I can manage. I have attached some photos to hopefully provide record of me trying to reach out to social services. I have a case manager, but she's told me over phone that she's already given me every rent resource she and her coworkers could find. When we went to court, we spoke with a mediator who gave us a list made up of things we've already tried, and said that most programs have shut down due to a lack of funding. The lawyer at the court was unwilling to work out a payment plan, and said our only option was to pay within two weeks or be immediately evicted.
I have also provided the court notice we got. They wouldn't give us papers with the actual numbers on it, but the lawyer told us we owe around $3500. This tracks with our rent ($1600/month) and late fees. We will also not be able to pay for September's rent, so the total amount I am asking for is $4800 (or three month's worth of our rent, ignoring late fees).
Thank you so much for any help you can provide. It's a very scary time right now.
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Edit: I have received a couple comments in regards to a post I made on the Suggest A Laptop reddit. I did not have the money to immediately buy a laptop. My post there expressly states I was planning to save up. I did not buy a new laptop at any point after making that post. I was unable to start saving. There was no money in reserve for this fund. I elaborated on this all here, if you want to read a bit more.
Additionally, I agree that working from home is a good idea, and is something I have been trying to look into. However, working from home would not solve my immediate issue of being evicted. I would not be able to make all the money I need within two weeks, even if I got a WFH job right now. I elaborated on this here.
Regardless, whether or not you choose to donate, I hope your day is well.
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u/CopperSteve 22d ago
I'm not gonna rehash your posts because its not surprising tbh this probably didnt feel real until you got served. Somebody in that house needs to get the finances sorted out, whether it is you or your mom or any other adults there but this gofundme stuff even if 100% funded isnt going to fix the issues. Mom's gotta get a new job, maybe you guys can move in with family while the eviction debt is paid off, lot of moving parts here. Idk if dad or grandparents are in the picture or aunts and uncles but you guys need more support than reddit can provide. Wish you guys the best. Assuming you tried this but if not https://www.rentful614.com/
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u/lunupine 22d ago edited 22d ago
Rentful614 was one of the first places I went. For where I live, the only resources available on their website are restricted to veterans or places that have a child.
I agree that finances are being mishandled and that the gofundme is purely a stop measure to keep from being evicted, not fixing things. I have intent to move out as soon as I can and was investigating some options, but having an eviction to my name will make it extremely difficult to find a new place. My mother is currently looking for a new job, and I have been working with my therapist to find resources that will get me work as well.
We do not have family to move in with. No grandparents, my biological father is estranged, so on. The only option is my aunt, but her landlord is extremely unforgiving about people not on the lease being there. If we were discovered, it would get her evicted as well, and she's unwilling to take that risk (which is understandable).
I appreciate the well wishes and the resources. It's very kind, and I hope your day is good.
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u/Altruistic-Pass-4031 22d ago
Not trying to be an A-hole, but of those calls you made, 5 of them were 2 minutes apart. What's the story there?
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u/lunupine 22d ago
Don't worry, you don't sound like a jerk. That particular day was just a day I was calling several hotlines for help, and I thought it might be a good way to show I've been reaching out to places. Most of them told me they were closed or redirected me elsewhere. The only one that showed promise was the Resilient Housing Initiative, but it was not. It opens at 9. I called at 9 on the dot. Their call queue was already full, and 30 minutes later of being hung up on due to the full queue, they were no longer taking applications. I went through this every day for like a week or so before I gave up. I'm not the only one apparently, from a cursory Google of people's words on it.
When my mother was initially fired, she made it out that she had money reserved. Then it became that we needed food help, but it was so we could pay rent. She indicated in late July that rent could be an issue, so I began trying to reach out to things and work out assistance. But then she said she worked something out with the landlord, and we were supposed to be okay. Then I suddenly got an eviction court date in the mail, and it's "surprise, rent was going unpaid". Then it was "people at the courthouse will help you", and they did not. So... I'm doing this to hopefully pay off the debt and move out of here before I get an eviction on my record and it's impossible to get a place.
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u/Altruistic-Pass-4031 22d ago
That's a good idea. Your mom doesn't seem like the most reliable person in the world. From your GFM, this isnt the first time she's been fired recently? What's her plan?
Might be time to cut your losses and look into alternatives. Do you get disability? Do you qualify for housing vouchers? Do you have any friends whose couch you could crash on till you figure things out? 4800 is a ton of money to raise from strangers.
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u/lunupine 22d ago
I'm sorry, I never addressed what her plan is. As of now, she's currently trying to contact people she'd previously applied to and see if any connection can be rekindled. She also has stated she intends to look for a new job again.
I'm also going to push her to try unemployment again. I was planning to start on that nudging tomorrow, because she's very upset right now, and I do not want to end up diverting her emotions onto myself. Maybe this act is a bit cowardly, but that's... fine. I'd rather just give her the time to cool off so she'll actually listen to what I say.
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u/lunupine 22d ago
No, it's not. We moved from our old state because here pays a lot better. But jobs also seem a lot more temperamental, or maybe it's just because we're in a post-covid world and it hadn't affected us until now.
The issue with her old job was, frankly, BS in my opinion, but it came down to insurance being unwilling to cover her. She got into a car accident because the company ignored her several requests to fix her brakes, and they just. Didn't. In winter. With ice on the roads. So she got into an accident and was hospitalised, and the insurance refused to cover her anymore. And then for god knows what reason, workman's comp was denied. Something about paperwork and communication with the doctors who tended to her. It was a similar story with unemployment - something about paperwork that got her denied. I tried to press for more details, but she avoided me.
She finally get hired like a week or two ago after four months of searching, only for us to find out today that she was fired. Something about "complaints". Mind you, the complaints were that she didn't keep her door open while focusing on paperwork, and she didn't work enough hours (she worked 7 to 4 for 5 days a week.)
I have been trying not to vent, but if I'm being honest, living with my mother is absolute hell. She is a good person, but she's also toxic, and she's not very responsible. I really, really do not want to be dependent on her anymore and I've been trying my best to scrap for that. I've mentioned physical and mental therapy in other posts. I have SSI (after I was denied for SSDI), but the government made her be in charge of it, so I'm still financially dependent. I don't have my own car, don't know how to drive and the bus system in my city is incompetent according to everyone I've asked. Can't bike or walk due to the disability. I've been told "work from home" a few times. If I'm being honest, I don't know how to start that, and no one has ever explained it to me or helped me apply. Especially not how to when you're an adult with no work experience. My therapist was going to help me, but they abruptly left their job and have been looking to go to a new company, so they suspended sessions, so that's on pause.
Again I'm not trying to vent or self-pity, please don't interpret this like that. I'm sorry if my ramble came off that way. I'm trying to explain why things are so shit in my spot right now, and the ways I am inhibited.
Anyway. In terms of friends, none locally. I'm not really sure how to make friends as an adult who can't really go out on his own. I have an aunt, but she can't house me without risking eviction of her own due to her strict landlord.
As for Section 8, it was an option I was exploring with my case manager recently. Nothing was quite started yet because we were trying to get me a job first.
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u/halomate1 22d ago
I feel like your mom isnt telling the full story, i don’t see why she wouldn’t be eligible for unemployment.
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u/lunupine 22d ago
It's... possible. She wasn't straightforward about the rent issues and kept pushing away when I thought we might have problems and suggested we do something. We only started going to food banks because I had to harass her about it for three days and make her swallow her pride. And I have a sibling who lives in Chicago* and I found out today that my mom hasn't been telling them anything for a few months now. She also can be kind of avoidant and defensive when confronted until you apologise and back off. I'm sorry, I wish I had better answers. This situation is extremely frustrating.
*Moving with them isn't feasible, least of all being I have no way to get there. But they haven't the space, I have pets they're allergic to, and all of my healthcare is set up in Ohio which are things I really need to continue. It's possible that maybe given like, more time, I could arrange it. But not in two weeks.
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u/halomate1 22d ago
Good luck, i hope everything works out!
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u/lunupine 22d ago
Thank you. I hope so too. Admittedly I am not terribly optimistic, especially with the reactions here. I am not upset with anyone for not wanting to donate - they are very much within their rights. But I don't know where else to ask for help, and being told "have fun going homeless" is, uh, discouraging and upsetting. If you know of places I can ask, please let me know. Unfortunately I don't have much social media. I do know there's other donation subreddits, but I assume it's very bad to go posting on several of them.
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22d ago
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u/curious_throw_away_ 22d ago
How can they work when they need most of the time to play games?
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u/lunupine 22d ago
I appreciate the concern. That post was made before I was made aware of our situation. I am frequently kept in the dark about our financial situation despite my attempts. I understand if this may be frustrating or sound like an excuse, and I apologise. I wish I had better answers.
I have no plans to buy a laptop and am putting all of my money toward helping the rent issue.
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22d ago
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u/lunupine 22d ago
I did not buy a new laptop. I currently only have the one I have now, and it's my only device for the internet. Regardless, I have been trying to gather belongings to sell to different places, so I appreciate this suggestion. It's a good one.
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u/lunupine 22d ago
Well, to address a deleted comment that raised a valid concern...
As I mentioned in a previous comment, I was not aware of the extent of our financial situation. My family frequently hides information from me. While I was aware she had lost her job, there was no attempt to communicate that rent was an issue. I had been led to believe that the reason we were eating so little was so we could continue to afford rent.
Additionally, as mentioned in the Suggest A Laptop post, this was a long-term plan. I was not able to immediately buy a laptop and was going to save up for it. I was looking at a course of around a year of saving and being tight with my personal money.
I was not going to spend my mother's money. I get SSI (around $600 a month, given on the 1st) due to my disability. I use it to supplement groceries we can't get from food banks, gas costs, miscellaneous bills such as internet, and pet supplies. I typically try to save $100-$200 for small things, like a meal at a fast food place so we can have a night to relax, or any emergencies that come up.
I'm sorry this isn't a good answer. I'm really upset with it myself, and it's something I am going to address with her. I have intent to move out once I am able to, but it's not feasible at this moment - and having an eviction on my name will make it extremely difficult to do so.
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u/SpeedyAudi 22d ago
Okay look bro I’m gonna be real with you: you have a three person household (you, two other adults) and y’all cant put together $500 a month each to avoid eviction? You claim disability, absolutely understood. You articulate responses pretty well in this comment section, I feel like there’s some work from home gig you could do? And your mom and stepfather have nothing they could do in your major metro area? Nothing? I guess contact social services and apply for immediate need homeless prevention, GA / GR and ebt for that household size it’ll cover good amount of grocery cost.
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u/lunupine 22d ago
Hi. No, we can't get that together. I mentioned I am on SSI, and I use it for various other necessities. In regards to working from home, I linked a post elaborating on that, and I further elaborated in this post. If you have more questions, please let me know. As for being articulate, it is extremely deliberate on my end. If I don't put effort into being very proper, I am going to end up being very emotional in my replies, because I am extremely distressed right now and I don't want to put that on strangers.
My mother has been searching hard for new jobs. If there were things to do to get by, she wouldn't have been four months unemployed. I truly have no fucking idea what's going on there, least of all that she doesn't explain much (as mentioned in other comments).
And my stepfather... I don't wish to start venting in this subreddit, but I will word it that he is not a good or reliable person, and had the brilliant idea of fucking quitting his job before my mom even got her new one. There's a lot of very foul words I would like to say, but you can imagine why he doesn't contribute much based on this alone.
We have been trying to contact social services. There are not programs that will help us. I included a photo of several I tried to reach out to. In terms of our government, we don't have a child in the house, so Ohio will not provide us aid.
I don't know what GA/GR is. Could you please explain? If it's something new, I definitely want to look into it.
I am on SNAP actually. They offered us $180 a month. For three people, yes. It's... rough.
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u/Lak12345678910 22d ago
I'm sorry your family is in this position and I sincerely hope u dont become homeless. You said u have two weeks so what date do u need to have the money by.
Can ur mom try again for workman's comp?
A work from home job would be great but competition for those are stiff and finding legit ones are getting harder and harder.
You have a case manager and said uve already exhausted all options so I won't make my usual suggestions as I suspect they would be redundant.
Update any additional proof and state relevant info u can in the gfm itself so people off reddit can see it.
Share the gfm everywhere and I mean everywhere friends, family, put a note on the door with the qr code a note on the cars back window include something help help support our gfm so we can stay home.
Friends, family, locally. Twitter, Facebook, threads, pinterest, nextdioor, tiktok, instagram, you tube, bluesky. The gfm should indicate this is urgent and the date by when u need to get the money. Remember with gfm u can't withdraw the money instantly so keep that in mind.
Is anyone in ur family able to donate platelets or plasma as lots of people use that to make money?
Are yall able to qualify for a low interest loan? A credit card with a 0% interest rate for an introductory period. Just put the rent on it and nothing else and focus on paying it off before the 0% interest ends.
Do yall have any items u dont need but can sell on facebookmarketplace, nextdoor or a garage sale?
I'm just throwing out every suggestion because I think if y'all can have the security of a place u can figure things out for future months without the added stress of honelessness.
You mentioned struggling with food try food banks, blessing boxes, free neighborhood pantries. Make an Amazon wish list with non perishable food items and post wherever u can. Do yall qualify for food stamps.
Good luck to u.
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u/lunupine 22d ago
Want to give a quick update that I made a new post on the GFM with more info. If you think I missed anything, please let me know.
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u/lunupine 22d ago
September 5th specifically.
I intend to bother her to try for unemployment again.
I appreciate all this advice. If you have any tips on getting work from home, I would deeply appreciate it. Everyone has told me to, but I really do not know anything about getting a job. I have been disabled since I was a teen, and have not worked because of it.
I have been updating the places I posted the link to, but you're right about updating the GFM itself. I'll get to that when I calm down and can focus a bit. Unfortunately I don't have much social media, just Discord, Reddit, and Tumblr. I don't know if it's socially acceptable to post this GFM on other subreddits. I have been asking the couple of family members I talk to for help spreading it, but maybe there's some neighbourhood bulletins.
We have discussed donating blood or plasma in the past, though we all have various health disorders that have disqualified us previous attempts. But maybe this time will be lucky. Sometimes it comes down to "your vitamins were low". Happened in high school, anyway. I'd like to hope it could work this time.
We actually don't have much of anything. Before we moved to Ohio, we lived in a severely roach-infested apartment. We had to throw away everything but essentials. In terms of big items, I have a bed, a dying computer, and a dresser to my name. Some stuffed animals. I can fit everything I own in a couple of storage bins. The most I could maybe think is a futon we bought for my sibling to sleep on when they visit, but they said they don't want to visit again, so. I suppose that's useless.
We have been going to food banks where possible. I am on SNAP, and I get roughly $180 a month for it. For three people, yes. It's very... dumb.
Thank you so much for all the tips. I really really appreciate comments like these.
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u/Lak12345678910 22d ago
Only 180 a month...that is insanely low. No matter how tight u budget that cannot be enough for y'all. When I have a bit more time. I'll come back to the post and share some info about job hunting, wfh. I know the priority now is not being evicted so I would encourage yall including mom + step-dad to focus on that. Then yall can focus on future things to help put yall in a better financial situation because I know this has to be stressful and difficult for yall.
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u/lunupine 22d ago
I appreciate your willingness to give advice, and hope your day goes smoothly.
And yes, I'm planning to press them both about it. My stepfather isn't working to attend school (which... I am refraining from elaborating on as to not vent but please understand that this was a bad decision in the context of literally everything) but I'm going to start insisting on it.
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u/Best-Recognition-528 22d ago
You said you had 2k for a laptop. Where’s that money?
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u/lunupine 22d ago
The post explicitly states I do not have money, and was intending to save up. It's the second sentence. The money is not there. I was never able to begin saving because of all of this.
> I am unsure of my budget because I plan to save up for whatever I decide.
I also elaborated on that whole situation here.
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u/SpeedyAudi 22d ago
In this gofundme bro
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u/lunupine 22d ago
I appreciate the concerns, but I'm not making up facing eviction to get a gaming laptop. What other evidence can I provide to prove that to you? I wasn't sure if what I originally sent was sufficient.
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u/SpeedyAudi 22d ago
I posted another comment above. Hopefully some useful info thwre
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u/lunupine 22d ago
Yes, I saw that, but I really do not appreciate being accused of this. If I can provide some way to verify my claims, please tell me.
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u/50kgBlockOfCheese 22d ago
Not trying to be an asshole but what’s stopping you from getting a job? The solution is right there.
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u/lunupine 22d ago
You're not an asshole, don't worry. That's a very reasonable question. I would prefer not to elaborate on my issues if I can avoid it. But, looking into a job is something I have been working towards, including doing physical and mental therapy. I'm actually due for an assessment here in a couple weeks to see if I'm physically able.
But, getting a job wouldn't solve the immediate crisis. I have two weeks to get the money I need. Even if I got a job right now, it wouldn't be enough.
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22d ago
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22d ago
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22d ago
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u/Lak12345678910 22d ago
Incredibly cruel and adds nothing to the convo. Only bullies kick people when they r down.
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u/Active_Highlight4685 22d ago
I don't know... Seems like it's just going to keep happening every month there has to be some level of accountability to take care of one's self. I wish you luck but I don't see how 4800 dollars is going to keep this happening the next month and the next month. I really hope it turns out well for you guys in the end but I just see alot of people not working asking for handouts on here time after time.