Hiding - not answering door

Posted by Barb @amberpep, Mar 14, 2022

Hi everyone. I don't know how much I've told you about this, but I live in a government subsidized apartment for seniors. Since I don't get alimony - married 45 years and raised 3 kids - stupid me didn't ask for any because at the time I had a substantial inheritance from my Dad and half of when my now X-husband and I sold our paid for house. Well, I bought my own condo, and of course had to buy furniture for it, and pay my lawyer - a woman who in town was considered a "pit bull" in fighting for womens' rights. Well, stupid me, thinking I'd be fine didn't ask for alimony ... obviously she disagreed. Well, on the advice of a "friend" I placed my money with an Investment Manager and thought all was well .... he turned out to be a crook (think Bernie Madolf). When I saw my resources going down quite quickly, I called him and he totally blew his stack. Needless to say, I took all of what was left out and placed it with an Investment Counselor who was highly recommended by a friend of my son. Both are lawyers. I am pleased with the new IC. The SEC caught up with the original Money Manager, he was fined $2 million dollars, lost his house, his wife, and his kids went off the rails. Now the SEC can go in anytime, day or night, unannounced and go through his files. Now I am living on my S.S. (which, after being home with 3 kids for years) - worked for a church for several years, for a Psychologist for 6, and a dentist for 4, once my kids were either in college or in high school. Back then the pay wasen't great, so my own S.S. is meager. If it weren't for my son sending me money each month, I wouldn't make it.
Long story, I know ..... I got divorced - my X is a Narcissist, lives in a big house he built, and is just full of himself as N's usually are. Me? I live in an apartment, subsidized by the government. When the local mental hospital gets "full" they send them here! Most of these people are benign - I don't even know who most of them are - there are 5. But, one man is outright dangerous, and quite obviously does not belong here, and does not take whatever medications he is on. He prowls around outside at night trying to peek in first floor windows, creeps up on people (me one evening when I was taking my dog out) and just stares at you, he beat up a woman in one of the rooms and broke her nose and cheekbones (he then went back to the mental hospital for a period of time). He's back again doing the same creepy things he did before, and .... he is threatening to kill people .... several of the elderly ladies (who are really afraid of him) and a man. When anyone says anything to the Manager here, she says, she knows and "be patient, we're taking care of it." We have been hearing that for at least 2 months and so far ..... nothing! She said that when the government tells you that you have to take someone, you have no choice, but "we're to be patient, they're working on it." I was furious and talked to both my girls who have their MSW's, and my son, who is a lawyer, about this. They all said to contact Adult Protective Services. So I did and within 2 days a woman showed up at my door. She came in and we discussed this situation in depth. She did give me names of 2 other places to contact for a different living facility, and asked me who he had threatened. I told him the names of 2 of the women and one man. Both of the women were very eager to speak to her. Well, when she went to speak with the man, I have no idea what he said to her, but ..... within 3 days I was sitting in the laundry room waiting for my laundry to dry and in he walks. He railed me up and down, threatened that he would be evicted and so would I, and the other 2 women, and I had no right to contact the APS. He shook his finger at me like I was a child and I just let him rant before I said anything ..... then I stood up and let him have it. I told him exactly why I called them and I would do it again if I had to. He was furious with me. I called my son, and there's no way none of us can be evicted .... someone had to do something because the Management was not doing anything. Were we waiting for someone else to be beaten up or killed? I am so done with this place .... the cockroaches, the dirt all over the halls, people dying monthly (many should be in a nursing home) .... the ambulance is here almost every night taking someone to the hospital, and we've got hoarders who draw still more bugs and mice. I've told my girls about this and they just say, "Oh Mom, you're fine." I absolutely refuse to live like this until I am frail and feeble, so I'm contacting the other 2 places the Social Worker gave me, and staying in my apartment, not answering the door or phone, unless I know it's one of my kids. One of my big problems when I went into therapy was "trust" issues, especially of men. This has really stirred things up, and (excuse me to all you guys out there) but I could kick everyone of them "there" until they couldn't walk. I should have stayed in MD where I'd lived for 30 years instead of moving to this place in VA, near my daughters. I'd love to move to Charlottesville, but there's no way I can afford it. I know this is long and I'm sorry .... I'm just scared and depressed, and just about in hiding.
Barb

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

You may be eligible to get Social Security based on your ex-husband's earnings. The most you can collect in divorced-spouse benefits is 50 percent of your former mate's primary insurance amount, but that may be more than you're getting on your past earnings.—https://www.aarp.org/retirement/social-security/questions-answers/ex-spouse-social-security.html

I'd also file a complaint/report with Adult Protective Services letting them know 1) that the case worker may have revealed your identity to the very person you're afraid of and 2) that he confronted you.

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you are filled with so much stress from different parts of your life. please calm down and take it slow. i feel for you very much. you have a lot on your mind. you are taking the right actions. but perhaps you should seek out counseling to help you sort out all the problems you have had and free your mind from the past.

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Hi Barb! I remember your situation well. What a shame that you can’t feel safe where you live.
I remember that your daughters wanted you to move closer to them- how far away are they? And your son?

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