A soldier visiting his wife in the town of Central, South Carolina, was told by his wife’s landlord that he couldn’t stay in her apartment because it violates the lease’s limit for how long visitors are allowed to stay, and now the soldier and his wife are bringing the issue to the media.
Sergeant William Bolt is stationed in Missouri, but his wife, Lily, lives in the town of Central, South Carolina, while attending Clemson University, KDVR (Denver) is reporting . He’s on leave for the holidays, and has been staying at his wife’s apartment, spending time with his newborn daughter born while the soldier was on active duty.
However, Lily’s lease at The Groves apartment complex specifies that visitors are not allowed to stay longer than seven days, according to WHNS (Greenville), and Lily’s landlord strictly enforces the policy.
“I’m stationed in Missouri and we haven’t seen each other in six months. What’s the problem with me staying and visiting with my wife?”
The landlord, identified only as Chuck, told WHNS that he enforces the “no guests after seven days” rule equally for all his tenants, soldiers’ wives or otherwise. He has also given Lily a choice: William has to leave, or her rent will be doubled, and she may even press charges.
“He stated to me that he didn’t care about our situation, he didn’t care about me being in the military.”
WHNS took Lily’s lease to an attorney to see if the soldier’s plight is legal. The attorney, who is not identified as of this post, said that the portion of the lease that forbade the soldier from staying in his wife’s apartment past seven days is poorly-written, and likely won’t stand up in court. Further, the provision is likely unenforceable since the soldier is the tenant’s legal spouse, rather than an unrelated “guest.”
From time to time, soldiers will find that the general public isn’t always able, or willing, to make accommodations for them. U.S. Army First Sergeant Albert Marle became the center of some controversy earlier this year when, according to this Inquisitr report, a U.S. Airways flight attendant wouldn’t allow him to hang his jacket, adorned with military medals, in the First Class closet.
For Sergeant Bolt, he and his wife plan to hire a mediator — hopefully someone within Clemson University — help him and his landlord hammer out their differences. The soldier fears that when he goes back to base, his landlord will raise his wife’s rent over the disagreement.
[Image courtesy of: KCPQ ]
