Jane - not everything grows in Miami. For example, Neofinetia species grow wonderful foliage here but put out few flowers. But I catch your drift... it's paradise most the time. I've been growing for about 8 years, but not seriously until 3 years ago. Back then I watched my budget and seedlings are cheaper. Now I find myself laying down $100 or more for a single mature plant, that's how advanced this illness, uh, passion has become. :-) I grow bonsai, too. Now that'll teach you patience. Next stop for me is to try my hand at hybridizing. Apparently there's some new technique out there where regular hobbyists can grow seedlings with materials found in your average kitchen and without a hood, etc. Onward! Cheers

I think people are making this way, WAY more complicated than it needs to be. Is the 22-year old on the lease? I assume she is not. If she's not, THEN HAVE THE LOCKS REKEYED and "evict" her, and stop worrying about the legal ramifications. She's 22. She's a heroin addict. She may SAY she knows her rights, but trust me, unless she is a law school graduate with a very well-off sugar daddy/pimp who'a willing to waste money on legal fees, she is going to be in no position to fight your mother-in-law on this. The only real issue at hand is this girl's mother being willing to do the hard thing, draw a line in the sand, and stand her ground on this, with no exceptions and no excuses. I work in the addictions field and hear this story every single day, with families calling and wanting to know how to "help" their adult child who won't move out, steals their money, wrecks their car, keeps getting arrested, and won't stop using dope, even though "he promises us every time he comes home that he's going to get help. What can we do?" The answer is simple-- stop being an enabler. Stop giving them money, and food, and a place to sleep, and keys to the car, and excuses to the cops when they call wanting to know their whereabouts, and bail money. JUST STOP. It's that simple. Unfortunately it's never that easy to put into practice, but THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO DO IT. Your sister-in-law is just using statements about her so-called rights as another way to manipulate your mother-in-law. Please don't feed into it; tell your mother-in-law to have the locks rekeyed and get her out. NOW.

Just a quick note on the post dated checks....I seem to recall something about post dating personal checks being not acceptable. I don't think a bank is required to honor a post dated personal check but it's something I would check with your bank about. I know businesses do it with pay checks and such but when I worked as a teller I seem to recall that it didn't apply to personal accounts. So in that case, you could be sending your rent like a month ahead of time and your landlord could cash them whenever they wanted. If that's true, you would be better off sending a money order which proves the date of purchase and seeing if there is some sort of option at the post office to simply get a receipt that you MAILED the check on a certain day. If there wasn't anything to sign for but you had a way to prove that you mailed it....seems like that would be about the only option at this point if they aren't willing to work out a direct deposit sort of thing.

**Follow up - Okay, it's been one day since I posted. (Practically) and the neighbors started up again with their music. This time, rap, with their bass so high it was shaking my son's bedroom door. So, I opened my door, and knocked to tell them to just please turn it down. Of course, no answer. Called my hubby, he told me to scream out in the hallway to tell them to turn it down or I'd call police and they would make them turn it down. So, I followed his advice. And before I could even shut my door, Mr #4 screamed at me, (with beer in hand) And said he could do whatever the *^ he wants, and if I give him any more problems he will see me in jail and hurt my son. So, I said bring it &!!hole and locked my door. (Hubby, heard the whole thing, over the telephone) So, with that said, I called the police. Of course, as I dialed, I had a panic attack - and fianlly the police showed up. I had them come to my door FIRST (or at least one officer) Because for some reason I just did not feel safe anymore. Told the police what had happened, they actually called me down - So, I made an incident report. I asked for an order of protection or something, they told me no - I guess it's only used for couples, boyfriend girlfriend type things ect. BUT - I made an incident report. Then they asked me about my landlord. I told them about the Landlord, and they said to tell him one more time, and if he doesn't listen to call them back and THEY will talk to him. So, they knocked on their door and of course no answer. So, like usual. The cops left. Twenty minutes later someone pounded on my door. I figured it was Mr #4 so I ignored it. My brother was over, and he took a peek out of my kitchen window (It faces out to the front where their bicycles are 'parked') and seen them scurry off down the street. I figured good. Now I can take me and my son out of here. I got him dressed, and as I eft, the stupid idiots put a note on my door. This is EXACTLY what they put. I have the letter right here. "Well, since you have become a problem, Harrassing me, I am telling "Landlord" & DCFS that you and "Hubby" have other people living with you and also MARIJUANA smoking in the house with a child present and all the traffic coming and going! Drug dealing - and aslo have DCFS give "Hubby" a Drug test screening. Also - it is a FELONY for filing a FALSE POLICE REPORT - I will file ANOTHER complaint with DCFS since you have a case already. =] It's not 10:30PM. I can play music ^$@^$!!!!" I have never touched a drug in my life. Ever. My hubby was a dumb teenager back in the day, but ever since he graduated hiughschool he left it in the past. As for 'traffic' coming and going, sure. I have company. But never really on a regualr basis. SOmetimes a babysitter here, a friend there. My mother-in-law shows up..That's it... As for "Other people living with me" There is none. Just me, hubby a toddler. Sometimes my brother comes to spend the night (He lives in wisconsin, comes down for visits for a week, and leaves). Filing a "False" police report is a felony. But it wasn't false. I just don't understand these people. I took the letter to the police station, and they said it's enough evidence to book him in jail. But, the cop told me (It was the same guy that was over earlier) "Fine. We can put him in jail. But his bond is $100, He'll be there overnight, get out on bond...and slash your tires, or burn the place down or worse..." So, he basically gave me a choice. I didn't know what to do. So I chose not to. I want to move so bad... I guess for the meantime my landlord can eat crap - My life is in danger, as well as my son. I already paid November month's rent, I'm leaving tonight. I'm putting everything in storage, and staying with a friend a few blocks down until I can save up and move out. As for my neighbors, I hope they rot in hell. I live in Kankakee County, Illinois. I live in Bradley.