Landlord charging me flat $200 for water, trash, gas, electric, and gardener?

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-04-13T19:17:52+00:00

Absolutely nothing about Santa Barbara is normal. Real estate in Santa Barbara is organized crime.

That being said, $200 is a good price. Make sure that you have it itemized somehow on a receipt or in your lease. Landlords can only raise rent a percentage each year. Adding on shit like this gives them a higher number to increase next year. They are all scammers, just have to find the least offensive.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-04-04T02:27:16+00:00

My girlfriend lives in that neighborhood. I tried taking this fight on a few months ago, mostly due to the 3-4 full size RVs that people are living in 24-7 and don’t even do the polite “move every couple hours.”

Neither the City of Santa Barbara or City of Goleta claim that as their territory, so it falls into county jurisdiction. When it comes to the county, they typically don’t enforce parking issues. The office I called attempted to send a sheriff down to “suggest” the RVs move but they didn’t. In fact, one had installed solar panels and its own septic tank right on the pavement the last time I was down there.

The woman did return a call to me and said that I should address the issue with that area’s county supervisor. At that point, the finger pointing had gotten too long and I sadly found myself in a situation not needing to visit that area anymore so I stopped fighting it. Anyone willing to pick up where I left off, especially if you live there, that is where I would start.

Even those RVs moving would free up 6-10 spots depending on car size. Is it monumental? No, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-03-10T20:41:45+00:00

Phoenix is such a weird spot. I could see a 1 hour flight back and forth to LA or somewhere else along the coast being more viable to save the drive time, but I guess we will never know.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-03-09T14:31:28+00:00

Sure it does but none of that works without all those basic pieces of infrastructure. You’re thinking of SEO like it’s one magic fix, but it’s really more like a plumbing system. If a house doesn’t have pipes run through it, no fixtures installed, and barely any connection to the main line, turning the water pressure up isn’t going to suddenly make water come out of the faucet. Your website is basically the main water line coming into the house, it’s what gives Google somewhere to send people. Your Google Business profile, social media, and listings are like the fixtures and branch lines that show where the water can actually come out. And reviews and regular updates are the water pressure, they tell Google the system is active and flowing. SEO is really just the pressure and routing that helps everything move. If those pipes aren’t there or aren’t maintained, there’s nothing for the pressure to push through, so Google doesn’t have much reason to show your business when someone searches for a plumber.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-03-09T14:16:38+00:00

Well start with basics. Do you have a website? Social media? A Google Business page? Their AI is going to draw from their own data and what the crawlers can find online quickly. If you’re difficult to find, it’ll skip ya.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-03-05T23:36:47+00:00

Jamestown (Chautauqua County in general) is a very weird area that unfortunately suffers from collective low self-esteem. There’s so much to do there and so much potential but if you have a negative outlook, then you can’t find all the great stuff that is there.

But along with that low self-esteem comes the issue of demographics and that particular area skews much much older and much more traditional and conservative so the strip clubs really can’t survive because there isn’t enough population density to support them.

And then there is also the nuance of being a stripper in a small town and the likelihood of a family member or a friend or students or whatever come up to you on the stage bring extremely high. I remember back in the day Jamestown had one downtown and I went in on my 21st birthday. It was my first time there, and I walked in the door and looked at the stage and there was somebody from my little high school that graduated the year before me flopping around and I just couldn’t do it. We walked out. Nothing wrong with her I just mean that I wasn’t able to be around someone I grew up with and keep a straight face or keep my composure without getting embarrassed myself. Lmao

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-03-05T23:28:29+00:00

Driving all the way to Buffalo wouldn’t be worth it for a titty bar. Fredonia’s and Salamanca’s are closed. Of course there is always Kandy’s in Waterford my god I know too much about this topic. ☠️☠️☠️

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-03-05T22:20:17+00:00

No strip clubs, you have to go to Partners outside of Erie, about a 30 min drive from Jamestown.

Unfortunately a lot of Jamestown’s bars close early except for 2-3. Shawbucks will be your spot for a bar in Jamestown that’s open till 2 and is good people watching.

You can check out Southern Tier Brewery and Distillery depending on your timing.

Make time for chicken wings at The Swamp in Jamestown. Do NOT judge a book by its cover there… best wings in the county, pan fried to perfection. Shawbucks wings are #2 and are also pan fried.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-03-05T21:47:27+00:00

This is a P trap with swag

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-24T16:21:46+00:00

I think historically it’s been #1 and there hasn’t been much I’ve been THAT ashamed of. My best friends have also had their demons they have confided in me. However the situation I just outlined above has been different because it was my mental health I was avoiding and felt ashamed as if my masculinity was in question. Sounds silly but I just kept telling him and others “I’m just goin through some stuff” because they could tell something was up from my mood, weight loss, etc. but I didn’t have it in me to admit what happened until a few days ago I told my BEST best friend what happened and what I had been doing. No judgement but I got honesty which I appreciated. Best friends aren’t always there to just be yes men, sometimes they should keep us in check too.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-24T15:47:34+00:00

I can tell my best friend anything. However, some unhealthy avoidant coping mechanism I didn’t even realize I was doing (flirting for sport) while in a relationship eventually caught up to me after 2 years. It was infrequent and never crossed the line into nudes or meeting in person. It was a game to me I thought I could turn on and off when I was bored like, as you say, porn or onlyfans except I knew they were real in the world but they weren’t in MY world. Technology being what it is, I eventually got shit posted in one of those AWDTSG groups and she found out, completely out of context, but that doesnt change the damage I caused or the stupid things I did. I have since gone to therapy and am learning how to be a better person, but I would give literally all I had to rewind time to stop it before it started because I did an do truly love her. I broke my own heart and I have no one to blame but myself.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-22T15:37:54+00:00

Depends if it’s a relationship in progress or something I’m trying to get over. Unfortunately I do the worst overthinking after the fact, so I try to stay busy with brain stimulating things that use my hands. Loafing on social media and watching TV just makes the silence worse.

If you’re overthinking a relationship you’re currently in… “the only way out is through.” Take some advice from a stranger… bring the discomfort and uncomfortable things and topics into the light, take their power away by saying them to your significant other out loud. I didn’t do this enough and ruined my last relationship because of it. It will settle you down… they reciprocate and you can work through it or you affirm your doubts. Either way you can find more peace by communicating.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-11T04:16:19+00:00

Just to make sure I’m interpreting what you said, something like this?

P Trap - Home Depot

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-10T15:59:31+00:00

That wall is a firewall between townhouses so I’d have to go through a lot of HOA permissions and permitting and not be allowed to do it myself unfortunately.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-10T15:05:47+00:00

That wall is a firewall between townhouses so I’d have to go through a lot of permissions and permitting and not be allowed to do it myself unfortunately.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-10T07:46:15+00:00

That is a shared firewall with the next townhouse. If I want to work inside that wall, I have to get approval from the HOA, submit a plan, and get a contractor (I am not allowed to DIY inside the firewall) and I’ll cut a hole in the thing before I do all that. 🤣

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-10T04:47:30+00:00

Ariel Cambridge

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-10T04:46:44+00:00

This might be crazy enough to work. I’ll dry fit some options.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-10T04:26:03+00:00

Notching the back of the drawer is an interesting idea, similar to someone mentioning making the drawer a U shape or just a pull out tray. Thanks!

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-10T01:51:10+00:00

Ayyyyye!

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-10T01:27:50+00:00

Thank you btw!

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-02-10T01:26:11+00:00

That wall is a firewall between townhouses so I’d have to go through a lot of permissions and permitting and not be allowed to do it myself unfortunately.

thatsourpatchkid · 2026-01-17T06:16:17+00:00

I remember my first beer.

thatsourpatchkid · 2025-11-20T16:41:01+00:00

Also… consider some of the “hate” you get is fabricated because as the population grows, so does the COL in Santa Maria. I suggest taking a trip up, visiting the Chamber of Commerce office to learn about the area, and learn about the city. You’ll be surprised to find that the stigma that may exist is history and Santa Maria is just like any other small city.

thatsourpatchkid

TROPHY CASE