We cooled down from an exciting weekend and you guessed it, Jane didn’t move out on Sunday, or that week at all. I started researching eviction that Monday. There’s no plan or move date so I need to be a thorn in her side to keep the pressure on getting her out. I texted her on Wednesday saying that I have a contractor doing a walk-thru on Thursday and we need access to the unit at 5pm (I don’t actually have a contractor, I had a friend from work that was willing to be a ‘contractor’ but couldn’t make it last minute). She responds quickly and confirms with “Heard”. I then ask, “I assume you have vacated the unit as you last stated on Sunday”, we both know the answer to this, but I need to start being a dick since being a nice guy hasn’t gotten her out. She responds that she is ‘so very close’ and her father is coming in from Grand Junction (about a 4hr drive) to help with the last of it. I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t accept my help to load her car when I’ve offered numerous times but she needs her father to drive 8hrs round trip to load a small SUV, but at this point, I stopped trying to understand any decisions this crazy makes.

I give her a 30 minute heads up the day of the walk-thru. When I got to the door (alone) I had that uneasy feeling that I might be putting myself in a potentially dangerous situation. I knocked but there was no answer or noise from inside, so I gave Jane a call. She said her dad just got to town and she was staying with him at his hotel. They are picking up a U-Haul van and are going to load it this weekend and he is going to drive the van and she is going to drive her car. Whatever, you are now avoiding me, but I’m still going to be a constant reminder that you need to GTFO. So I did a walk-thru and scoped out the work I plan to do and got an inventory level of what’s left to move. It was a lot of worn out stuff (old desk, beat up bed frame, crappy dresser) and a few personal items that could totally fit in a van and Rav4.

By the way, she’s moving in with her sister in Wyoming and told me the drive is 6-7 hours. Also, I’m not trying to psycho-analyze her, but she told me that her husband ended his life a few years ago and that is obviously something someone will deal with for the rest of their life. I’ll respect this, but she also needs to respect the laws we have in this country and will enforce them if needed.

Saturday rolls around and there’s no sign of a U-Haul van or sightings of Jane. I text her, “What’s the plan?” and get no response. Sunday, the exact same thing, no progress.

Monday, I’m pissed and call Jane. She picks up and I tell her that I’ve started the legal process (I’ve just Google searched so far) and she says something along the lines of, “I totally understand and am surprised that you didn’t earlier”. Don’t tell me how to evict a tenant! I’m starting to feel the manipulation at this point. That comment and all of the comments saying that I’m a good person for not getting mad at her and giving into the extension requests all seem to be false and just a way to keep stringing me along so that she can delay her move. She then says that her father had a hernia and is/has getting emergency hernia surgery. I acknowledge what she says but don’t ask about details because I’m not getting involved with this. She says that she just ‘shut down’ this weekend between her father and all of the emotions the move is bringing up. The current plan is to pick up the U-Haul van tomorrow and load it over the next day or two and then her father will drive the van and she will drive her vehicle. I’m super skeptical that an elderly man who just had emergency hernia surgery will be able to drive 6-7 hours, but I’m going with it. She then asks if I’ll be available to help move the heavy items since her back gets tired and some things actually need 2 people to move. I am overly willing to help and say that I can help out anytime after work.

Tuesday, she texts me mi-day and says that she’s not able to get the U-Haul but it’s now scheduled to be picked up on Wednesday. Another delay, but at least she’s keeping me updated. I get home from work and she’s on the porch and flags me towards her. She’s got a big smile on her face and has a childish excitement. There’s a water leak in the basement that she wants me to see and she wants to show me all of the progress she’s made on the move. The house actually looks good! There’s some clothes, personal items, most of the kitchen is packed and already moved, but it’s mostly packed and it’s actually a reasonable amount of stuff to fit into a U-Haul van and Rav4. We go into the basement (danger zone) and the hot water line to the washer is leaking at the connection to the washer. There’s a small pool of water on the floor, but it’s a cement floor and the pool is slowly making its way to a drain. We close the valve on the wall and it reduces the leak to a slower drip, I’m also able to hand loosen and remove the hose from the washer and let it drip into the utility sink. Overall, it’s weird that the hose was hand tightened and just started leaking, but I’m not going to read into it any further than it being a leak in an old house. The entire time she keeps patting me on the back and calling me ‘buddy’.

We go back to the front door and she promises that she’s picking up the U-Haul van tomorrow and she will accept my help to load the heavier items. After that she will be ‘out of my life forever’. She offers to pay thru Saturday (it’s Tuesday) since that will be the ‘absolute latest’ she will be there. I decline and say, “Let’s focus on the move right now and we can settle up after she moves”. I intentionally shook her hand after agreeing to this. Great plan and everyone is optimistic at this moment.