I am so mad, and I need to vent Options

[woody]

he is. He is half way done. Remind you that he is two years younger than I.

cradle robber

[Mommy]

cradle robber

He's hot!

[Oasis]

We get a monthly housing allowance of $963 and is supposed to pay rent and utilities.

Is this common practice in the military? I don't like that one bit, at least for families

[Mommy]

Is this common practice in the military? I don't like that one bit, at least for families

If you live off post, you get money for housing. If you live on post, either in family housing or barracks, you don't get the housing allowance. Low ranking enlisted get a certain amount, high ranking enlisted get a little more, and officers get even more than that. Overall, the money is just to pay for housing and any utilities. If you live in a cheap ass place, you might have a bit extra. If you live in an expensive place, you pay out of your base pay. They have to offer the money because there isn't enough on post housing for all the soldiers and their families. Here at Fort Stewart, there is at least a 6 month waiting list.

Military also gets a small food allowance and some tax incentives. Basically, it's just to make sure that the money goes to the right places. It puts military jobs (excluding the Montgomery G.I. bill money) on par as far as pay with civilian jobs. Remember that in the military, your pay is based on rank and time in service, not your MOS. My husband has a specialized MOS. He is a lab technician. As a civilian, he would start out at around 35k/ year. His base pay is something like only $20k/year (estimating). Other soldiers with the same rank and time in service but work as only infantry or truck driver or something make the same amount. Of course, when you include the G.I. Bill (which gives soldiers up to $50k of money for school once they are no longer in the military) then yeah, I guess soldiers come out on top.

I think the G.I. Bill is important though. A lot of soldiers were leaving the military with little to no formal job training except what they learned in the military (in some cases, they knew little more than how to shoot a gun). The G.I. Bill allows them to go back to school for a new career. While in service, though, troops are allowed to spend a certain amount each year on school and the government will pay for it and won't touch your G.I. Bill funds.

My husband is working towards his bachelor's degree right now. Once he gets that, he can put in a packet to for the Green to Gold program which allows him to become an officer. Enlisted soldiers have a more difficult time becoming an officer than direct commissioned officers (those who obtained a degree then joined the Armed Forced). Many times, enlisted soldiers have to either have a lot of awards, a lot of rank, or a Master's Degree to become an officer. It doesn't hurt to try though. Plus, my husband just got promoted 6 months before he was supposed to because of his contributions to his new company. It really says something about his hard work when he gets promoted 3 months after getting here. He really impressed some people.

Just a little Army knowledge for you.

[Oasis]

Is it the same set living allowance (say $900/month) regardless of whether or not a soldier is single?

[Mommy]

Is it the same set living allowance (say $900/month) regardless of whether or not a soldier is single?

Yes. I think so. Remember, it is only to pay rent and utilities. Yeah, your utilities would be a little higher if you had more people living there, but not much. Single enlisted soldiers ranked E5 (sergeant) and higher are required to live off post here. There isn't enough barrack space for them.

[Mommy]

http://www.goarmy.com/benefits/total_compensation.jsp

Here is a chart that kinda shows what I am talking about.

[woody]

Is this common practice in the military? I don't like that one bit, at least for families

yes it is

varies on the Cost of Living in the area. So you'd get more if your in San Diego than El Paso for example.

Some singles rent an apt together & then pocket the extra cash after splitting rent/expenses

[Mommy]

Anybody know how to go about suing these people? I am assuming I need to sue the management company based out of Indianapolis???? I am also assuming I need to contact a lawyer? Do I have to sue using a lawyer? Can't I go to small claims court without a lawyer? Can I even do small claims court? I mean, we aren't suing for much. Just enough to get out of here, like the cost of a U-haul, but the company has probably 100 employees. Are there laws saying I can't use small claims if there is a certain number of employees with the company.

I am going to post some stuff that is JUST HILARIOUS later.

I filed a complaint with the better business bureau today for advertising issues and contractual disputes. Hopefully this helps. They are still advertising the amenities on the site. I have a note from a month ago that says the clubhouse would be opening the 1st of January. Guess what? Still not open!!!!!! NOTHING IS OPEN YET!!!! I would think that this is illegal for them to do... advertise amenities that are not even available. I talked to some guy that moved in a few days ago, and they told him February. All the residents are just furious. I would go around getting people to sign a petition, but I don't know if that is illegal. Plus, the manager lives here somewhere, and I don't know where. PLEASE HELP. I know there is at least one of you that is in law school. Plus, Christine is a know-it-all (you know I love you, Christine). Any information and references you can give me would be UBER appreciated.

[Spectatrix]

Magistrate court (the small claims court in Georgia) is for disputes under 15k. You can file with or without an attorney. I'd recommend seeing if you can get an attorney on a contingency basis, i.e. they only get paid if you win. At the very least, you should consult with one before filing, even if they don't represent you in court. http://www.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2086,5...9334516,00.html

Definitely talk to your fellow residents. Get their contact info and get notarized witness statements from as many of them as possible. If others of them are interested in suing as well, maybe y'all could collectively hire a lawyer, though I don't know if it would be handled as multiple small claims suits or a larger regular case.

[Mommy]

Ok. I think I'm going to start looking for a lawyer today to at least get a free consultation. I want to know if I even have good enough cause to sue. Anybody know of a good site to find a lawyer? I don't have a phone book, and I don't want to get a site with a bunch of popups. I know thereare sites that find a lawyer for you. You just type a statement and where you are, and lawyers find you. Is that a good idea? Or should I just look for them?

[woody]

i think the army will provide legal advice.

they probably won't represent you, but i think they can give advice

check with JAG

This post has been edited by woody: Jan 5 2009, 12:01 PM

[Spectatrix]

Yeah, check with JAG. They might have recommendations for civilian lawyers in the area too.

Alternately, search for lawyers on Savannah Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/savannah-ga or start a talk thread there to ask for recommendations.

This post has been edited by Spectatrix: Jan 5 2009, 12:04 PM

[Mommy]

I already talked to Jag. That's where I got the whole "contractual expectations" bit that even though the amenities aren't included in the lease, I still have grounds to say the lease is being violated by them. I had another appointment to talk to them about taking it to court and how to do that, but the lady I have been dealing with has some Commander thing to do so she had to cancel. She said she was going to research housing court and call me back this week. She is a lawyer, but just said she needed to look into some things.

Should I sue for damages outside of the U-haul it would cost us to move? I mean, we moved here with movers, and it would be nice to have movers again, but I don't expect that. I mean, yeah, money would be nice, but I don't want to use court to get ahead. Just get what I deserve. We deserve to get out of here. Thanks for the link, Christine.

[Spectatrix]

Yeah, I would sue for the cost of movers, plus the amount of your deposit if they aren't gonna return it (likely) and the deposit on your new place.