Another side to the Elm Tree Inn

We lived at the Elm Tree Inn for about 3 years. In the course of that time, we saw people come, and we saw people go. We met some very nice people there, and we also met some people there that we wish we hadn't. The bottom line here is that not all of the people who live at the Elm Tree Inn are bad people or criminals. Some of us simply need a low-cost place to live, in order to save money toward a traditional apartment. If it had not been for the kindness and flexibility in working with us, of the landlords at the Elm Tree Inn, we would not be where we are today. In fact, we currently live in another of their buildings, in a traditional apartment, but I digress. The unfortunate reality is that there are often individuals that go out of their way to take advantage of the kindness that the landlords are willing to provide. There are some people who are actually trying to make a better life for themselves, go to work every day, and try their best to do the right thing. Those are the people, like us, that the landlords of the Elm Tree Inn try to help. Then there are others who simply show up to take advantage of the situation, and milk it for whatever they can get out of it. I have also noted that some of the people who have good things to say about the Elm Tree Inn and its landlords while they are tenants there, then turn around and say quite the opposite if they've been asked to leave the building. Everything's fine with them, as long as they're the one gaining from the situation. But, as soon as they're not on the beneficial end of things, their opinions change with a quickness. Also, another unfortunate reality is that sometimes the criminal element does find its way into the Elm Tree Inn, although the landlords do their due diligence in trying to keep them out, or to remove them, in the event that the criminal activity begins during their stay. The landlords do their best to stay on top of things, and to make sure that all tenants are doing the right thing, paying their bills, working every day, and following the rules of the building. However, I believe it is unrealistic to expect them to treat the tenants as children, and hover over them to insure that they abide by the rules, and the law. In any apartment building, there's always going to be a couple of “bad apples.” The key is to remove those bad apples before they spoil the barrel. We were living at the Elm Tree Inn, and we are good, law-abiding people. Do you have any idea how it made us feel when we'd walk out of the building, and someone would see us and cross the street, or someone would drive by and say, “Hey, that's where all the crazy people live.” Or even, in some cases, when I would apply for a job, and they'd take one look at my address and tell me that the position has been filled. Every single news story of a criminal with any association with the Elm Tree Inn makes the public opinion of that building worse, and it is an opinion that is not deserved. The people who live at the Elm Tree Inn are not criminals, and they are not crazy. They are not all bad people. Lots of good people, including the landlords of the Elm Tree Inn, are having their reputations sullied by the transgressions of a few. I felt that I needed to put in my opinion on this issue, in order to offer a more balanced opinion of the Elm Tree Inn and its landlords, instead of the opinions offered by disgruntled former tenants.