James and I have been married almost 15 years. We have a husky named bubba and four cats, Sarah, Suz, JJ and LT. We live in Des Moines, IA and have rented our home for almost 13 years.
Thirteen years ago, we rented a home so we could keep his parents safe and hopefully build toward our own American dream. His mother struggled with alcoholism and refused help; she eventually left our home and passed away soon after. It still hurts, but we’ve tried to hold onto the good.
After his parents left, we stayed. We stayed because we loved each other and loved the life we were building.
Then, in 2023, a house fire took nearly everything—our wedding photos, keepsakes, and the things that held our memories. Somehow, we found peace and kept going.
Over the years we’ve survived injustice, discrimination, incarceration, addiction, loss, and heartbreak. But we’ve always made it through because we had each other.
Now we’re facing something we can’t fight alone. Over 13 years we paid our landlord more than $100,000 in rent. After the fire, we rebuilt the home ourselves—using almost all of our renter’s insurance money for materials and two months in a hotel. James worked 50-hour weeks and rebuilt the house nearly by himself. It cost him his job and even led to a minor stroke from the stress.
Two months after we rebuilt, our landlord filed for eviction over non-payment, raised our rent by $195, made us sign a 12-month lease we’d never had before, charged new deposits and pet fees, and never returned our original deposit. When we filed a mechanic’s lien for the labor and materials we paid for, he refused to pay. He has now ended our lease, and we must move by November 30, 2025—with no savings left.
We rarely ask anyone for help. Friends are struggling, and family often can but won’t. I’ve been packing our home while James tries to gather whatever he can, but we’re facing nearly $3,000 in moving, deposit, and transfer costs. We also need $2,000 for a lawyer to pursue the mechanic’s lien and hold this landlord accountable.
If anyone can help—with a donation or by connecting us with a local real estate attorney—we would be deeply grateful. We can’t keep letting landlords like this hurt others. We have to fight back.
There is a small light at the end of this tunnel. We can see it. Please help us reach it. Anything you can do truly means the world to us.