Houston single mom issued eviction notice with smiley face emoji

[Sugar Cookie]

And you thought your landlord was bad!

A struggling single mother of two was left in tears this week after receiving a heartless and vile eviction notice that included a smiley emoji and “wave” emoji.

Sonja Lee, 33, who has been out of work since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, came home Monday to find the emoji filled notice taped to her door at the Steeples apartment complex in Houston, Texas, that read: “Guess who’s moving? You!!! Pay your outstanding balance or release your apartment and turn in your keys to the leasing office by 6:00 p.m. today. Eviction will be filed promptly Tuesday morning, 8/18/2020.”

“I was mad, I ain’t going to lie,” Lee told People magazine about receiving the letter. “I didn’t think it was funny at all. I felt like they were antagonizing the tenants through the situation and it was heartless, especially during a pandemic. A lot of people have lost their jobs. A lot of people aren’t able to get the resources. I was denied unemployment five times.”

Lee has been applying for jobs online for months and is three months behind in her rent.

“I was overwhelmed because, to be honest, I felt like I was in a big hole and I couldn’t get out of it because I was set back so much,” Lee told the magazine. “So it’s like, I’m a single mother with two boys. I do the best that I can and am a very hard-working woman … I didn’t know what I was going to do after exhausting all of my resources from calling 211, local health assistance, and wasn’t able to get through, I didn’t know what to do.”

After local news stations picked up Lee’s story, Swapnil Agarwal, CEO of Karya Property Management — which operates The Steeples complex — apologized on behalf of the company, telling local TV station KTRK: “Buck stops with me, so yes, I do personally apologize. I wish I had the time and the resources to reach out personally to every one of them who have dealt with any issues at our properties. But I am apologizing personally in case it was insensitive, and if she was really trying to work out a payment program with the property or that she was in communication with the manager, then I accept it’s truly our fault.”

Agarwal told the outlet the manager who wrote the eviction letter has been “reprimanded” and Lee is no longer being evicted.

A GoFundMe page for Lee has now raised over $33,900.

Houston single mom issued eviction notice with smiley face emoji

And you thought your landlord was bad! A struggling single mother of two was left in tears this week after receiving a heartless and vile eviction notice that included a smiley emoji and “wave” emo…

nypost.com

I hope she does the right thing with the money and pays her rent several months in advance.

 

[caitierig]

Glad they rescinded the eviction since it wasn’t legal for them to do it, and I hope she uses that money to ensure they have a place to live for the next few years.

 

[Metal Mcfly]

Landlord is a savage lol

 

[alifinrox]

She paints herself as an innocent struggling mother and that may be true but the 'gtfo' tone of the letter could mean that there were some underlying hostilities there. My heart hurts for her situation but with so many people facing housing insecurity cant they get a low rent paying roommate or cohabitate?
I also wonder wtf landlords are supposed to do in this crisis. Im sure many would prefer to not charge their tenants right now or charge them less but the reality is, their mortgage is due too. Wtf do we do??? This hurts my heart.

 

[Muriel Schwenck]

I agree with @alifinrox about possible underlying hostilities. But even if it is the most aggravating tenant on the property, the landlord and property management has to keep it totally professional. Even if it doesn't become clickbait news, it looks good before the judge when processing the eviction notice..

 

[knockout]

I need a gofundme, it’s an automatic jackpot, definitely better than wasting time playing the lotto

 

[JackBurton]

Ill never understand how single parents cant pay rent. They should be getting substantial tax returns, where is that money going? That 's enough for a years rent in some places, not sure cost of living in Houston.

the landlord and property management has to keep it totally professional.

haha where have you lived/rented? Landlords/property management companies are by far the least professional folks ive ever dealt with. Your ordinary average fast food worker is more professional and upstanding by FAR.

There is prob no business on earth where actual customer service/professionalism/etc. matters less than rental/property management. They know they have folks over a barrel, they know if they lose one tenant there's another who will fill in right around the corner....and they will actually make MORE money off of it given the bullshit nature of security deposits as that's usually a full 2 months of rent upon move-in plus MOST of them will find a way to screw the prev tenant out of returning their original deposit upon moving out.

They absolutely, 100%, definitely do NOT have to keep it "totally professional".

Swapnil Agarwal, CEO of Karya Property Management

Not surprising. Sounds Indian. People from poor Asian countries who had to bust rump, work 7 days a week, etc., to make a life for themselves, truly have ZERO empathy or compassion for others. It's true of Indians and especially the Chinese.

 

[Spider]

Honestly in this day and age with the internet and cameras everywhere why would anybody use a sign like that? That's just begging for bad attention.

 

[Sevens My Charm]

@JackBurton .. I often agree with a portion of your post and then you go down some rabbit hole and loose all perspective..

 

[Muriel Schwenck]

haha where have you lived/rented? Landlords/property management companies are by far the least professional folks ive ever dealt with. Your ordinary average fast food worker is more professional and upstanding by FAR.

I've mentioned this before, so of course I'm on your shit list (but then, what Demonite isn't?): I am a landlord. The management company that handles the rental is top notch. On the other had, it is a desirable home in a nice mountain bedroom community. So it hasn't been difficult to be professional.

 

[JackBurton]

I've mentioned this before, so of course I'm on your shit list (but then, what Demonite isn't?): I am a landlord. The management company that handles the rental is top notch. On the other had, it is a desirable home in a nice mountain bedroom community. So it hasn't been difficult to be professional.

It IS likely going to be a bit different if it's a higher priced property/home.

It is a totally different ballgame when youre not talking super nice/fany/expensive places. Your common/usual property/apt/etc. is NOT being managed by folks like this, guaranteed. Of course there will be some rare exceptions(or simply slumlords who hide their scams better), but the rule unfortunately is "fuck the renter!"

 

[Sejanus]

Pay the rent look into a small house

 

[Sugar Cookie]

@alifinrox

She has children finding a roommate may not be that easy.

Encouraging people to save for a rainy day is something that needs to be encouraged more.

Luckily all the tenants know my sister will evict if they don't pay rent so we have had no problems.