Help Dharmini's Family Fight Unfair Eviction

Hello Everyone,

My name is Dharmini and I am raising funds for my family in order to prevent our financial ruin and imminent homelessness due to an illegal renting situation. We will be served an eviction notice this Tuesday if we can't pay $1500 in unexplained charges.

My mother, sister, and I are currently living in Des Moines, Iowa, renting from MTH Management, who are based in East Lansing, Michigan.

We have paid rent in full and on time every month for a tiny, one-bedroom apartment that is below safe living standards while MTH ignores most maintenance requests and safety complaints.

About 40% of the tenants in the complex left when they took over due to their practices. We have been unable to do so.

The issues were immediate. When MTH took over from previous management (Artisan) in 2022, they tried to increase the rent mid lease, which is illegal. Additionally, MTH refused to repair ripped out ceiling that exposed rotting wood and pipe in our bathroom, causing us health concerns, over mold which is also illegal. I dealt with allergic reactions during that time which was scary and traumatizing to me. You can see the picture below of the allergic reactions I was suffering. That is not even the worst-both of my legs, up to my waist would sometimes be covered in these welts and I was prescribed an epipen to carry around. We lived with that for an extended period of time until we could move into a more livable apartment -- our current one, in the same wing upstairs.

MTH then increased our rent again, this time by 20%, despite us moving to a smaller, un-upgraded, un-remodeled apartment, contrary to their statements. We had no place to go, so we paid. I recently discovered that we are actually being charged a higher rent than others in that wing. 155 dollars more, per month than for a comparable apartment.

MTH had started billing us un-itemized charges. Despite our repeated attempts to get in contact with onsite management, to address the issues, nothing has been resolved.. We're being harassed into paying what has no explanation or justification, which, to my knowledge, is also illegal. I checked MTH management's rating on the Better Business Bureau. Their rating assignment is F with countless complaints against them for similarly disgusting conduct.

Yesterday (May 4th), I received a Threat of Eviction notice. It stated that due to unfulfilled payment of the unexplained charges and associated late fees, they are giving my family seven days to pay or vacate. The letter is dated April 30th, so without their required do diligence insuring our full seven day notice, we only have three days to come up with money we do not have.

My mother does not even have health insurance and we are living below the poverty line. I don't make enough at my job for large, unplanned expenses like this. My sister is a student and is in no position to help either.

There is absolutely no way we can pay those fees. We would be unable to afford proper food and my medical treatment, and it would destroy us financially in our fragile state.

All my mother has done is fearlessly, and stubbornly try to provide for her kids, often with little or no outside help in recent years. This notice has thrown her into the kind of emotional state no child should have to witness. Both my sister and I are doing everything we can and our mother has already written a letter of dispute, but I have no faith in MTH, so I am seeking outside help.

Please, if you can, help a family of beautiful, talented, giving individuals by helping to raise the above amount of funds.