One hearing down, at least one to go

We had our eviction hearing this morning.  So stressful and so fast paced.  The bad news: because the apartment is uninhabitable, we lost the possession hearing--meaning we had to get out anyway.  Oh wait, isn't that good news?  Especially since we are moving into our new place TOMORROW?!  :)  So the lease is now null and void. The good news is that we have a hearing on the 29th--hopefully one that lasts longer than the minute they had scheduled for us today--and we get to plead our case to someone who might actually listen to us for a change.  If we win that, we won't have to pay the rent/fees they are currently charging us with.  Yay!

And even if by some off chance they find a loophole in a law (that really doesn't protect the little guy anyway) and we lose, we STILL win, because we get out of this awful place and into a nice, clean new one--with maintenance people on call 24/7 who actually respond the first time you put in a request. 

Stressful morning, but good day.  And now we have more time to prepare--although, I have to say, our binder of evidence is overwhelmingly in our favor even if we got to use it today.  We even have laws to quote, parts of the lease highlighted, transcripts of recorded conversations with the office, and lots of pictures of the whole process.  So, wish us luck--and if you know any lawyers, send them our way!  I SOOOOO wish, after this morning's experience, that we had a calm, cool lawyer friend to guide us through this and to be there at the hearing...even just helping us know what to say!  Paul and I have decided we're going to ask our kids to be 3 different things, for purely selfish reasons: a doctor, a lawyer, and a mechanic!  :)