HOW NOT TO SUPPORT OUR MILITARY

Excerpt from this June 13, 2008 article at Tampa Bay Online (Hat-tip to Kender, who emailed me the link):

ST. PETERSBURG - Michael Agosta joined the Army on May 30 and was immediately ordered to ship out for basic training in 19 days.

So he gave his apartment complex copies of his orders and notice that he was terminating his rental agreement.

Only the complex, Camden Lakes at 11150 Fourth St. N., won't let him out of his lease...

Agosta said he even had his Army recruiter, Staff Sgt. Sherwin Richardson, intercede on his behalf, but to no avail.

"They were coming off to me like I was a six-month resident who was just giving them fake orders just to get out of my lease, which was not the case," Agosta said. "I've been there for four years and eight months."

[...]

He acknowledged he gave the complex only 17 days' notice when state law allows military members to break their leases if they provide 30 days' notice and documentation.

He enlisted on a Friday and gave notice to the property manager the following Monday. Now visiting with family in South Florida, he is to report for 19 weeks and three days of basic combat training at Fort Jackson, S.C., on Tuesday.

He was unemployed when he decided to join the Army. He said his father told him he should apply for food stamps. He refused.

"I figured I might as well do something to benefit my country, rather than take from people who need it more than I do," he said.

Agosta said he doesn't know what financial penalties he faces for breaking his lease, which runs to April 20, 2009. He said he was threatened with having the delinquency appear on his credit report, which could affect his security clearance....

Read the entire article.

Back in the Dinosaur Age, when Mr. AOW was called up for reserve duty, he received reimbursement from the landlord for the weeks away from the apartment, which was, of course, not rented out in his absence. Mr. AOW didn't even have to ask for the reimbursement! Instead, the landlord felt duty-bound to support our military.

Times sure have changed.

HERE is the website of the company that owns the apartment complex mentioned in this posting. The phone number is 727-577-7557.