Absolutely Gutted...

[Mark Pajak]

I have been told by my new landlord that they won't allow any pets in the flat whatso ever.....

I have accepted a job at exeter as Assistant Curator of Natural History in the Museum and have to move from Bristol in the next three weeks, having declared on the application for that we have a fish and a gecko we were told that we would have to get rid of them!

The thing is we have no time left to find a place to live in Exeter so the flat is a priority.....

I will be putting an ad up on the BTS classifieds with my T's on so there may be some bargains up there soon.

This is terrible.....terrible.

[Colin D Wilson]

Mark, can you not find temperary accommodation for them for the interim and find another more suitable flat/appartment when you're in situ then move them back in?

[Mark Pajak]

This could be possible for some of my spiders, but I don't know anyone who looks after spiders near me, and I would not unload any of the more exotic ones to someone who did not know how to look after them, fotr both the spiders' and their safety.

The fact is I am not in a position to argue with the estate agent/landlord, and movng is such a hassle in the first place......

......I am NOT giving up spiders though.. as soon as I have got a decent place I wouldnt think twice about getting them all back.

[matthew spooner]

sorry to hear of your dilemma mark. depending how sneaky a person you are, you may want to try what i am currently doing. i also am in th eposition where i am not allowed pets, my sollution was to get a big wardrobe and put shelves up in it, i have heated the wardrobe and all my T's are in there. before a landlord can visit the property, he has to give you notice, before he comes simply shut the wardrobe doors and hey presto! no pets, well as far as the landlord is aware anyway.

[Mark Pajak]

That would seem to be the better option, and this is the first time I have come clean and declared that I have "pets", although I would consider some of my Ts more akin to pot plants.

The reason I told them was really due to wanting everything to be legitimate due to moving to a totally new city etc. but I has not paid off, and for the last 8 years I have never mentioned the Ts and so never had any trouble.

Its such a shame that peoples' misunderstanding of a hobby should lead to this and we are forced to be secretive in this way.

I think I'll set up a planted vivarium for a while (minus T) and see what happens, like a placebo, they can't stop me from doing that!

.....then possibly stick something in there that would hide all the time anyway.

Still.... gutted gutted gutted gutted!!!!!!!!!!!

[Andrew Ferguson]

Mark, that is bad news. Not so long ago we were all praising someone for being totally honest when he had the chance to get some highly sought after tarantula's for next to nothing. But he explained to the zoo what they were and how much they were worth. We all chipped in with posts like "honesty is always the best policy". I would imagine you would be thinking along different lines now. But fair play for being honest though. Had the landlord found out, maybe the tarantula's wouldn't have been the only ones without a roof over there head.

And Matthew I read your post and all I could think of was some sort of cheapo 80's sitcom. I can even hear the canned laughter as I type!

[James Box]

well i'd still say honesty is the best policy...this is rather irritating though.
i think Colin was saying there are a large community of us animal lovers, near and far, and some people would be willing to look after pets for a few months til you find something better.

did they spring this on you rather suddenly after you'd already agreed or what?

technically speaking, i'm probably not allowed pets where i live...but i always assumed it to mean cats and dogs lol... not sure if the landlord has a clue, but he must've spotted the tanks!

[Mark Pajak]

This is just one step in a chain of harrasment and beaurocracy on behalf of the estate agent actually.

They almost wouldn't let us move in because my fiance is a final year student and as such won't have a job, also because she has no credit cards she has no credit rating which they virtually accused her of. They wouldn't accept that I could afford to live there on my own (it is a one bedroom flat after all) and would have to if they wouldnt let her because of her neutral credit rating.

So after all of that I felt that we felt we should mention the animals to cover ourselves (we only mentioned one gecko and a fish) at which point the landlord kicked off.

If we had said nothing then it would have been fine, no one would be upset and I would get to keep my spiders.

hmmm.... I am not sure what the symtoms are of craving theraphosids but I dont think its gonna be pretty....!

perhaps I'll end up buying the top half of my Marshall stack to let a bit of steam off, and learning all the 80s Scorpions ballards I can get my clawing fingers on...

[Colin D Wilson]

perhaps I'll end up buying the top half of my Marshall stack to let a bit of steam off, and learning all the 80s Scorpions ballards I can get my clawing fingers on...

And then after that you could learn some proper music mate

Seriously, everything will end up ok, little trials like this keep us on our toes, you have something to work on following our conversation earlier

Good luck Mark

Colin

[scott wilson]

rehoming???

hi mark....sorry to hear your crap situation,cant you through this fine forum ask local or even not so local people to home your Ts temporarily until such a time you can look after them yourself??? im sure there plenty of experienced keepers who would help you,im not sure how many Ts you have or species but im sure we will help if we can.....worth an ask aint it??? id quite happily look after someones spider/s if needed to and return them knowing ive helped,i know how attached we get to them,.....oh and thank you lee at the spider shop my thai black and pokie slings arrived today and have settled in nicely,peace to all

[James Box]

that's a really pathetic way to rent a room out. i recommend getting the hell out of their as soon as you can in any case, and tell them exactly why they are bad. in fact, let everyone else know as well.
a neutral credit rating being a deterrent for someone sharing a one bedroom flat, not even being necessary to pay the rent...that is so ridiculous! as if not having cards is a crime now! makes me want to tear mine up.
the pet thing...well that's just stupid too, and to be honest, they should've had that up front in the agreement, not something you hear about towards the end! that is intensely dodgy.
they have you by the *******s and the spring that little tidbit of info on you, great.

[mary walters]

Mark, I have 2 spiders and a scorpion here for 3 years while Stewart McGregor is at uni, I am sure I can find room for half a dozen or so for you. Bear in mind that we are moving house and they will go with us as Stews have. If there are half a dozen that you really want to keep let me know. Can't say fairer than that mate.

[Mark Pajak]

Thanks for the support, I really appreciate it. Mary I'll pm you when I get my thinking hat on and work it all out!

Colin - whats wrong with The Scorpions? Wind of Change? ...I mean come on

[matthew spooner]

Colin - whats wrong with The Scorpions? Wind of Change? ...I mean come on

that, along with the reason by hoobastank is my fav song

[mary walters]

Thanks for the support, I really appreciate it. Mary I'll pm you when I get my thinking hat on and work it all out!

Colin - whats wrong with The Scorpions? Wind of Change? ...I mean come on

Ok Mark, just let me know love, if I can help I will.