9 Months into 13 and rent increase!

[start-n-over]

Hello, to everyone. I have been reading posts on this board for nearly 10 months now. I filed a chap 13 in May of 05. As of this week I have made 9 months of a 36 month payment plan. I just found out that as many of the apartment complexes in my area are going condo, my wonderful management is increasing the rent for everyone renewing this year to nearly 1250.00 a month. I am currently paying 885.00 for a nice 2 bedroom and have been here for a year and a half. Called my lawyer and she said look for a new place asap.. Well, let's see bad credit strike one, have to pay pet deposits and fees again as well as all those moving expenses, strike 2. Also there is nothing available in my area as my neighbors have allready been all over Orlando looking. I have a daughter in a great school and hate to make her uproot again, she is a great girl scout troop and is finally enjoying life. I had a plan to stay here for 2 years, she finished elementary school and then we are debt free and can move on towards home ownership.

So, here is my delemma, pay the 1200 or so and give up a vehicle or see if my husbands company can relocate us to a less expensive area like Charlotte NC. Both our vehicles are in the plan. Will they let us sell one of them to free up those funds for our housing costs? We pay 355.00 a week into our plan and since my husband works flat rate our income is not the same each week. Help with any advice you can give me!

[robivi3]

Start, as you are aware the "BOOM" has run its cycle. Perhaps your building will delay plans or scrap them. They are only expecting 10% growth in home prices this year and TH/Condos have dropped slightly.


A co-worker of mine is looking to relocate to Charlotte so we have been looking over home prices on the Computer on Sundays. Honestly, it is a better deal there.

[Minnymouth]

Are you under a rental contract with your apartment complex.... if so they really cannot raise your rent until your contract is up.....then they can....

Also an amendment can be filed with the court and the trustee to amend your plan for financial changes in your bills.

$400.00 a month price increase in rent would be considered - GOUGING............... Also check with the Trustee on this..........

Let us know what your attorney tells you,

[start-n-over]

Well we pay 1520.00 per month 355.00 a week into our plan. I checked Florida has no laws about rent increases (what else is new) We can ammend our plan of course for 500.00 bucks. I have been checking out apts within 10 miles of me in the same county and they all around 1100 a month plus some have parking fees or higher water/garbage fees. Plus add in all the fees you pay to move like application fees, reconnect utilities and pet fees ( I have 2 dogs) It would be rediculous to go through all that. None of the complexes I called have any availability until after I have to renew my lease. So, since my complex has relocation assistance and I can move to another complex owned by the same company and my fees transfer and I need to credit check as long as the rent is the same or lower than my current rental agreement, I may do that. They have a dozen properties in Charlotte.
I have looked at homes in Charlotte and north South carolina near charlotte and they look great. 200,000 can get a brand new 2000 sq. ft home with stainless steel appliances, crown moldings and wood floors. If I stay in Orlando I'll be house poor and having been through thiis financial struggle I now know better. I love cash now and love paying for things up front.

Oh and another thing is that florida home owners insurance could be so high after another bad hurricane season that it would add 200 bucks a month onto any house payment. Geezzz!

Thanks to all who answered my post.

[FDNYLadder124]

Start,
Grab some under the table work, (Legit of Course!)
Everyone in a 13 busts their asses to make it work, but the courts and creditors don't give a DAMN about tax increases, light&gas increase, $2.50 for a gallon of gas. I work under the table more hours than my regular job just to make ends meet and feed my wife and 4 girls, and she works full time as well. You get a decent pay increase, or lots of OT, or grab a PT job, well tell that extra dough to say hi to the trustee, cause that's where its goin.

No wonder wht ch. 13s fail.
TonkaTruck

[Jenny]

I thought you could have your Chapter 13 plan adjusted if things like rent goes up or the price of gas goes up so much.

[13inOR]

I honestly think you could ask for an amended plan for something like that. I would check into it with the trustees office. We started our chapter 13 in August 2004 and about 10 months into it my son needed braces.
(The braces payment of $100 a month we were able to absorb because our car insurance had dropped about $200 month), but they wanted a $2000 down payment----
of course we didnt have that. We went through our attorney, and all I had to do was send the treatment plan with the costs outlined and showing the need for the down payment, and the attorney requested the amended plan.
The trustee approved it with no problem, and they stopped the wage order from my paycheck for 2 months, and changed the amount we owed from $1302 down to $302 for those two months, which I paid directly. This enabled us to accumulate the $2000 down payment for the orthodontist.
This worked great for us, I just wanted to pass this along in case it might help you or someone else. It really wasnt a big deal at all. : ) Kelly

[FilingOnMyOwn]

Start, as you are aware the "BOOM" has run its cycle. Perhaps your building will delay plans or scrap them. They are only expecting 10% growth in home prices this year and TH/Condos have dropped slightly.

Not everywhere! I live in atlantic beach, which is in north florida. Things are still skyrocketing here. Since '02, the condo I live in has doubled (nearly tripled) in value, and in this neighborhood buyers are still paying MORE than the asking price, due to the high demand and multiple offers on each home. But the overall cost of living here is extremely low compared to south florida. The last year I paid $600 for full coverage auto insurance, on a CAMARO. Utilities have never been over $200 a month, and in the summer we ran central a/c and window units continuously (1300 sq feet). People have it to spend here, and it seems there is no real slowdown in expansion.

Start N Over you mos def need to look for a new place if you can find one. A sudden 50% rent increase is ridiculous.