'Guess Who's Moving? You!’
 

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Mom of 2 Given Insensitive Eviction Notice Featuring Smiling Emoji: 'Guess Who's Moving? You!’
Sonja Lee tells PEOPLE she had been struggling to find a job and kept in communication with property managers before receiving the notice

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The 33-year-old tells PEOPLE she lost her job following the pandemic's start and has been applying to jobs using online services. Making matters worse, Lee says she was recently hired for a job that turned out to be a "scam," and was left three months behind rent because of the setback.

"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," says Lee, who lives at The Steeples apartment complex in Houston. "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 was scared," she adds. "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."

Lee says she kept in communication with property managers about her situation, which improved when she was hired for a job set to begin on Aug. 24.

But on Monday afternoon, Lee found the eviction notice on her door.

"Guess who's moving? You!!!" the message began, followed by a large smiling emoji. "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."

The notice, and the insensitivity in how it was delivered, was a punch to the gut during a painful chapter for her family, Lee says.

"I was mad, I ain't going to lie," she recalls of 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," Lee continues. "A lot of people aren't able to get the resources. I was denied unemployment five times."

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.

"Buck stops with me, so yes, I do personally apologize," Agarwal told KTRK. "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." Lee is also not under eviction, she added.

Lee said a regional manager with Karya Property Management — which did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment — reached out to her and apologized for the incident.

Since sharing her story, Lee has started a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for her and her two children, 2-year-old Sean and 12-year-old Patrick, which has raised over $11,500. It has helped to rekindle her spirits, she says.

"Despite what you may go through, the trials and tribulations that might be thrown at you, never give up," Lee explains. "When it feels like you don't have nothing else left in you, that's when blessings will start pouring. So when you feel like there's nothing left, if you have faith, keep your faith, stay strong, and just stay positive because blessings are real and miracles do happen within a blink of an eye."

Stupid move by whoever wrote that thing. Highly insensitive.

She is over $30K on her GoFundMe page now: https://www.gofundme.com/f/praying-f...make-ends-meet

she got hired at a place that she couldn't abuse FMLA and quit and claimed it was a scam

In this time of crisis, this BS is unacceptable. I'll agree that there are some that are taking advantage of the situation, but this woman is trying to do right by everyone. I know of 3 families in the same situation. Not everyone has skills that are in demand and the job market for unskilled labor is pretty slim right now. "Reprimanded"?? I'd have fired the property manager on the spot. They would have been the ones moving.

Link to prove that's the case, please.

I don't need a link. She is single and black. Case closed

I don't know the background on this story, and I agree that it's unacceptable to send insensitive letters like that, but you aren't advocating that property owners should just allow tenants to live rent free if they can't make payments, are you?

A contract is a contract until it's not, I guess.

LMAO What kind of moron thinks that's a good idea?

They didn't even provide a line below for a chance for them to Guess.

That’s complete bullshit. It’s like when you go to the dentist and someone already circled the differences between the pictures in Highlights for Children.

I bring my own Ranger Rick to keep myself busy.

This girl lived close to you?

Rickey Henderson owned rentals. One family couldn’t pay, and the dad asked him, what should I do? “Pray”, Rickey said.

ROFL the smiley face looks so friendly

Guess who's moving... You!

Not any more.

You have to be a prick to squatters. No other way.

I don't know about other cities in Texas, but Austin passed a non-eviction ordinance just to keep things like this from happening. It lasts through September, for now.

https://www.kvue.com/article/money/e...0-7a2525a1927a

She was able to raise $11K+ on GoFundMe because of how a dumb letter was written, even though it doesn’t change the fact she was behind on her rent.

That notice is insensitive and stupid, whoever in the leasing office did that should be fired. But what do people expect landlords to do? Give people free rent for a year? Continue to let people accrue balances that they will never repay?

Didn't your mom pay for your apartment?

-Cooper Barrett

Honestly, this lady should be thanking the idiot that sent that eviction notice. That smiley face is responsible for her getting $100k+. Id send the land lord a thank you note.

Did anyone toss a chip onto the "Hoax" space yet? I'll put a $1 check on that... might pay off.

She lost her job at the beginning of the pandemic. What did she do with 6 months of unemployment that paid her +$600 a week? Or was she working some sort of cash only gig? Only way this makes any sense.

Otherwise she squandered her COVID money instead of paying her bills.

jesus christ some of yall are ****ing ridiculous

Now wait a minute, there is tons of info that is not in this story.
How much is the rent on that place?
How much was she earning prior to the layoff?
How much did she bring home from unemployment?
Did she try to get food stamps or any other government assistance after losing said job?
If she was like a large number of people she was making more on unemployment than she was working. If that is the case she could have been paying her rent.

I'm going to be honest, I side with the landlords most of the time.

Pay your bills. Prioritize your spending. Food and shelter should be her first priority.
In my entire life, I've never missed a payment. Not once.
The one time I didn't drop my rent off on a friday as planned, and hadn't been late a single time in 2 years, my landlord beat on the door with his hand out sunday night a few minutes after we all returned from the weekend. He was an asshole about it, but the rent was due and it was the 3rd.

Lady received stimulus check in addition to any unemployment/assistance, and if they're far enough into the process that they can legally remove her the next day, this isn't her first notice and she's months behind.

I take a contract and 50% of the time it ends earlier than we agreed to. Not performance based but the financials and funding changes. The company or you don’t cause a stink because you need the reference or will do business with them in the future. SOP.

I wonder if she'll use that to pay her back rent and future rent as far out as it will go?

I've read articles that say that we'll have a massive wave of evictions coming at some point as the unemployment ends and eviction moratoriums end. I'm not so sure about that.

I think we'll see an increase, certainly. But most people prioritize housing over everything else when it comes to paying bills. People figure out ways to make it work, because no one wants to pack and move. My bet is that it'll be notably smaller than the dire warnings.

Then it worked out.

Notice says it will be filed Tuesday, not sure about Texas but here in NE once filed, the process usually takes about 6 weeks.

Yep, as usual with this type of story, there's something not being told.

Unless she wrote it herself and now she is $30K ahead minus the rent. :hmmm:

She's got 40k in Go****Me cash now

https://www.gofundme.com/f/praying-f...5fYNkmHQ58edyM

it'll definitely be spent on back rent. and definitely not a new SUV.

But, but, she deserves spinner rims on her brand new Escalade because she got a nasty note! :rolleyes: