Lazygardens, A local riding stable has a big pile of manure out back free for the taking. It is mixed with bedding straw and shavings. It is not composted, and is rather fresh, but clearly not as fresh as a warm spring rain! When I went by to take a look it smelled rather strongly, so I did not think that it would be reasonable to bin it up and haul it in the car. I have considered renting a trailer from Uhaul. Their smallest one costs about $15 for a day, but that kind of defeats the purpose of getting free manure. Do you think I could safely haul some of that stable gold in my car without regretting it for days or weeks? Or would you think that doing it would have my wife killing me for having horse manure in the car? (She has always been a quiet, peaceful wife, but I am not interested in pushing her to the breaking point with my growing compost wacko condition! :-) )

This makes for interesting reading. It is clear that Lucy thinks that manhattanmatt is a crazed lunatic because what he is saying CAN'T POSSIBLY be true. Only it is true. Lucy, how can you be arguing this without at least taking two minutes to research and try and understand how this antiquated system works? You just think it sounds so crazy that Matt must be lying. Well it's true. Sad but true. My old market had rent control. Even in owner occupied two or three family homes, rent control is in full force, EVEN IF THE APARTMENT IS VACANT!!! Example: You have a rental unit inside your own house that you live in that is vacant and ready for a new tenant. It should be worth $2200/ month, but you can only charge $1100/ month. You're not kicking some poor, hard done by tenant to feed your own evil landlord greed - the place is vacant. You are free to rent it to anyone. Yet the rent is still controlled. WHY?????? I simply don't understand it. It makes absolutely no sense. So while the owner/ landlords expenses and real estate taxes go through the roof (some of these homes are now worth 1 - 2 Million dollars with re-assessed taxes to match), yet the owner cannot charge a market rent for a vacant unit. So Lucy, is it all the owners fault? They should move because they can't afford their taxes and the tenant holds all the cards? You could rent the apartment to someone with a 6 figure income (maybe someone making more than the owner) and yet the apartment will still be rent controlled. The situation in these big buildings is much, much worse. At least the house has some value because an owner can move in, and if it's less than a three family they can kick all tenants out and make it a one family. So out with the middle classes who need the income and in with the rich. Is this a better situation to you lucy? The big buildings have NO VALUE because no-one wants them. Some people take a risk, buy the buildings and then try and buy tenants out. Why should they have to pay a tenant thousands of dollars to move out of a place which is not owned by them? It is supremely unfair. I do actually think that there is a place for rent control. If it were subsidized by the government. The government put these rules in place and it should pay to keep them running. Why on earth should a poor unfortunate owner be bankrupted by something over which they have no control? I am not surprised that Matt got het up - it is very aggravating having truth dismissed by someone who clearly knows nothing at all about the subject.

Maybe I have been extraordinary lucky, but so far the people that have come to my house have been the nicest you would ever meet. I hope my luck continues. I had to deal with the flakes only on the phone. katclaws_mo - I haven't heard of a "Curb Alert". I have seen people list Free Items at such and such address on CL. The problem with that is people taking everything that was outside, like patio table & chairs and plants - anything not nailed down. Afterwards people post asking for those items back. I always wonder if they ever get them back. I wouldn't post my address on CL for everyone to see. I feel uncomfortable enough giving it out to strangers in emails and on the phone. No answered my question, 'Why not donate to a charity free items instead of having people come to your house and take them away?' Clare

Oh I really dislike guns. I made DH store the ammo in a completely different place. He's not allowed to keep an armed gun in our house...he knows that is instant grounds for divorce. Seriously! He's got his hunting rifles, but doesn't hunt anymore. I don't mind target shooting, and want to go skeet shooting, but I don't like hunting. I won't go into my feelings on guns (HOT TOPIC!!) but we did not have guns in our house, except his hunting rifle, until our kids were out of the house. As to the jerk, S...I'm STILL trying to get the sheriffs office to call me back. I'm pretty perturbed, and DH is livid. So tomorrow I'm going to go over the head of the deputy that took the original call. I might even consider contacting our newspaper if I don't get some satisfaction soon. I mean, this jerk is still running around out there!! We don't perceive him as a threat, but I don't trust that he's not got a big mouth. I know he wouldn't risk coming by if we're home...he knows DH would pummel him. My DH is a big guy...S is a pipsqueak. And I'm pretty sure he won't come back around again...he knows DH and his friends are looking for him.