I have posted requests for information for other areas as we were tentitavely planning to move from the state of Kansas. However, hubby feels that right now with the way jobs are (as a result of 9/11 and for other reasons) that he should keep the job he has and we should save what we can for our eventual move.

Now, . . . to my real question!! We are presently living in the Great Bend area. We are in a duplex and are having trouble with the Neighbors from H - - L!!! To make a long story short they have trashed the other side of this building and the yard with bags of trash, junk cars, torn screens and doors (screen door) torn of the building entirely. They are constantly (and I do mean CONSTANTLY) making noise.

This is a small place and they are always having tons of people and kids over (at all hours of the day and night), they now have a puppy who whines and howls, they bang on the walls (YES REALLY BANG ON THEM!!!), they yell and scream, slam doors, toilet lids, etc. Now they are taking in laundry or something and do laundry nearly 24 hours a day (TRULY!!!) and their washer shakes our house and creates a rattle from our washer. They even bounce around on the floor in there and cause our windows to rattle and our closet door to open on its own!!! There is simply no escape from the noise in this place!!

Complaints to the owner, landlord/manager, city and police department have done no good. They simply refuse to do anything about the problems over there. It is making me INSANE!!!!

I cannot sleep and the noise is actually making me ill!! We need to move from here and although I have been looking for other places to rent for months now, I have yet to find anything.

DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A HOUSE FOR RENT THAT WILL ALLOW PETS, IS REASONABLY PRICED, AND IN THE GREAT BEND, KANSAS AREA where we could move ASAP and get away from all this noise??

We have references from previous landlords, we are quiet people, just hubby and myself and our dog (who is nearly 15 years old and VERY well house-trained and quiet). We are more than willing to do minor repairs (or even some major ones if we are able) to move into a property with a landlord who will actually do something when there is a problem and will also be glad to get renters who are reliably on-time/early with the rent each month as well as pretty much self-sufficient. If something breaks lots of times we can fix it ourselves at no cost to the landlord (except maybe for some parts if they are beyond our means).

I AM DESPARATE here!!! I am supposed to be "avoiding stress" for health/medical reasons and believe me . . . that is IMPOSSIBLE here!!!!!

I have tried local rental agencies with no luck. I cannot find anything in the local newspapers either. I am hoping someone on this forum lives in this area or knows of someone who does where we might beable to get away from this situation!!!

Thanks for any help!!!

-- wolfie (wolfiequinn@hotmail.com), December 28, 2001

Answers

Wolfie, I live in southeast Kansas so can only offer a few suggestions. I would put an ad in the paper stating that a quiet clean couple with an older well behaved dog are looking for a quiet neighborhood and you are willing to do small repairs and perhaps painting or wall papering? Then, I would put up little notices in all the public places, laundramats, post office, library, etc. I would talk to the city clerk and tell her/him what you are looking for, your minister, your mailman, the local sales newspaper like the Big Nickel. I would advertise in the towns around Great Bend too. Good luck

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), December 28, 2001.

Too bad you don't want to move to Nebraska. I've got an empty house on my place that sounds just right for two people. And it's so quiet out here it would drive you nuts! Sometimes I wish someone would bang on my wall!

-- bruce (rural@inebraska.com), December 28, 2001.

Our oldest son and his family rented for many years about halfway between Great Bend and Hoisington and lived in Hoisington and drove to Great Bend before that. As suggested above, advertise. Also I could get the name of the people they rented from if you would like. Barb Fischer

-- Barbara Fischer (bfischer42@hotmail.com), December 29, 2001.

Wolfie,

If your willing to drive to work from Emporia, I can help you out. Otherwise, as sugggested, call around. Some real estate places handle rentals (since some agents buy houses). You might call them. Some folks buy an R.V. and move into a trailor court, so that they aren't too close to neighbors, and can move when they darn well please. This might be useful if your wanting to homestead later.

Best of luck.

-- Marty in KS (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), December 29, 2001.

Have tried the Realtor route before . . . . they don't allow pets. Also they expect you to have an unlimited bankroll (or at least the ones around here do) and beable to afford $700 per month plus a first, last AND security of the same amount. Sheesh!!!! I wanta rent someplace not buy the darn thing!!!

Also I have talked to the local realtors and half want information that hubby and I feel is none of their business. I am RENTING from them . . . all they need is name and maybe (MAYBE) the name of hubby's employer (personally just the statement that he IS employed is all I think they should expect) . . . . but they want social security numbers AND I REFUSE TO GIVE THAT TO ANYONE EXCEPT AN EMPLOYER (the bank, etc), and want to run credit checks, etc.

So . . . . I do not deal with ones who require things from us we are unwilling to provide. I am just not having much luck around here. I don't know if they just don't advertise in the local paper or what??

An ad in a newspaper asking for a place here is kinda out of the question for us as well. We do not have a telephone and have a PO box for an address. Someone wanting to rent their place is not going to bother to write to us when there are plenty of people out there who will clamor for the place they offer to rent and call them to do it!!!

We seem to have major problems renting a place when they first hear the word "dog". They close-up on us right after hearing that and no amount of talking will make them listen or change their minds.

This town is FULL of dogs and dog owners and I know that not all of them own their own homes. So . . . . I sure would like to know how they find a place to accept their pets or do they lie and not mention the pet until they are moved in and hope they don't get evicted for it??? We are not like that. We prefer to be honest and up-front about ourselves.

The RV is out . . . no funds to purchase one. . . nothing to tow it with (our car is OUT for towing), and there are no places locally (that I have seen or heard/read about) that will rent you a space to park it.

So . . . . . I still keep looking and looking and looking some more. It is soooooo frustrating!!!!!!!

I mean really . . . I have a DOG, ya know? Not a thousand kids, not a meth lab, not a tendency towards destruction of homes, it's a DOG for goodness sake!!!!

Sometimes I just get so tired of being rudely cut-off in a conversation where I am speaking with someone about renting their house and they cut me off once the nasty word (DOG) is mentioned. That or I have had a few even simply hang up on me without another word!!!!!!!!!!!!

"wolfie"

-- wolfie (wolfiequinn@hotmail.com), December 29, 2001.