So, how great is Kromm anyway?

[Armin]

Well, that sucks. Good luck!

[Refplace]

Dang had hoped the rent situation had worked out already. Best of luck.

[adm]

A hovel is rather important.

[Kromm]

To expand: I was sick with COVID-19 in early November and then had our building's new owner turn up in late November to say, "I now own this building and I want your apartment."

We have laws here that state that if an empty apartment of similar area and floorplan to an occupied apartment is available in a building, and the building's owner wants to move in, they must take the empty unit. In our case, we're talking about two full-story apartments practically stamped out by a cookie-cutter. However, getting the law enforced involves going to court, and the court system here is – as in most places – notoriously conservative and favorable to those with money, such as building owners (as opposed to tenants).

Thus, our lives have involved seeing (and, more painfully, paying for) a lawyer and going to court . . . and now, waiting for a judgment the judge has three months to render. In the meantime, we must look at new places to live in the event that we lose – or win, since that would mean a hostile landlord. Winning would simply mean it would be a year before the matter could go to court again, giving us an extra 12 months to find a place to live and turning a squeeze play into a relaxed search. Apartments require visits, applications, and so forth, and of course our rent is lower than average due to limitations on rent increases for inhabited apartments, so moving also means paying a far higher rent.

I haven't even touched on the complexity of the surrounding circumstances. For instance, if we lose and must leave, it'll be at a time when my life partner's job forbids time off due to a major fundraising campaign . . . so we've had to petition the judge for a deadline extension even if we lose, which is not often granted. If we leave early to avoid complications with my partner's work, we risk compromising our case and losing it, or at least losing the right to demand an extension and an indemnity to help cover our move. Not to mention that the legal fight is in the greater context of a general backlash against excessively high rents and owners evicting tenants, which means there are many fingers on both sides of the scales of justice. All of this has triggered my partner's major anxiety disorder, which is added fun.

In brief: Things are taking a good long time to work out.

Managing that and work while still dealing with the fatigue of "long COVID" has redlined my ability to keep all the balls in the air, so sometimes I have little choice but to set GURPS aside despite the "not getting paid" part making the "paying a lawyer," "paying for a move," and "affording a rent increase" parts more painful.

Sorry about all that! When it rains, it pours.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by adm

A hovel is rather important.

Indeed. As someone who has worked from home full-time since 1995, my apartment is both my residence and my place of work. As someone whose full-time work since 1995 has been at the very modest pay rate of the games industry, home ownership to secure my situation isn't terribly feasible. There's a very real chance that this situation may force me into another line of work if I cannot resolve it adequately.

[Purple Snit]

Ah, the Great Canadian Rent Crisis. As someone up here in the Great White North who recently had to move, and who has a parner on disability, I very much feel your struggle. I wish you the best of luck with everything, and sincere hopes it all works out for the best.

[Prime Evil]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Indeed. As someone who has worked from home full-time since 1995, my apartment is both my residence and my place of work. As someone whose full-time work since 1995 has been at the very modest pay rate of the games industry, home ownership to secure my situation isn't terribly feasible. There's a very real chance that this situation may force me into another line of work if I cannot resolve it adequately.

This is terrible news for those of us who appreciate your editorial work. Let us know if there is any way we can help. Would a GoFundMe page help with the legal and potential relocation expenses? I'm sure many of us would be happy to throw in a few dollars to help out!

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Prime Evil

This is terrible news for those of us who appreciate your editorial work. Let us know if there is any way we can help. Would a GoFundMe page help with the legal and potential relocation expenses? I'm sure many of us would be happy to throw in a few dollars to help out!

Thank you for the kind thoughts! For now, I'd prefer not to stick my hand out. Let's see what the court says.

What I would beg for right now is GURPS fans' indulgence as 2023 continues to be light on new content for a while . . . I'm really tired from my 2022 illness, really distracted by my housing situation, and more than a little "burned out" by life events since 2016 alongside a serious work schedule. I don't expect 99% of GURPS players to care – they don't know me personally, after all! – but if even 1% dial back the "Why?", that'd be 1% less work stress. I'll take it!

[Kesendeja]

I hope things improve for you, and I've always appreciated the work you do. The books will get done when they get done. Take care of yourself first we can wait.

[ravenfish]

Originally Posted by Kromm

What I would beg for right now is GURPS fans' indulgence as 2023 continues to be light on new content for a while . . . I'm really tired from my 2022 illness, really distracted by my housing situation, and more than a little "burned out" by life events since 2016 alongside a serious work schedule. I don't expect 99% of GURPS players to care – they don't know me personally, after all! – but if even 1% dial back the "Why?", that'd be 1% less work stress. I'll take it!

Fine by me- even apart from the obvious factor of empathy for a fellow human in a crazy world, all of us who play GURPS benefit in the long term from you keeping yourself in a good mental state.