What would you do if you were staying in a hostile environment and had to vacate early with the help of the police?

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
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Hi everyone

I have had the most amazing experiences with Trusted Housesitters up until about a month ago.
I have been a member as a sitter for the last 3+ years. All 5 star review.

I stayed at a house and the owner lied and tricked me with dates. Wrong starting and finishing dates. Returning 6 days early.

She set a schedule to call in a phone chat but called at random times to try and catch me off guard so she could see her house on the inside.

Before she left she had one of her friends fix the front door and yelled at me to lock it from the inside at all times. Like on a sunny day in Santa Cruz by the beach when I was sitting in the living room so I just kept it locked at all times

She had a strange man come over unannounced to see how things were going.i found out they were Men she was dating from an app.

She rented a room to a student that I had to share a bathroom with, like a Jack and Jill bathroom. The girl was Goth or into all black hats and outfit. She would not make eye contact or speak to say hello if she happened to walk by. This tenant was not disclosed in the listing

There was a second tenant living in an attached studio in the back of the house with a back door that lead into the laundry room into the house where I as staying with the creepy tenant.this tenant was not disclosed in the listing,

She had cameras surrounding the exterior of her house and not sure if there were cameras inside.

So I met this lady a couple weeks before the sit as I was living in the area caring for my Mother as her in-home 24/7 caregiver while she was on Hospic. Petsitting in between when family came to visit my mother.

My Mother died a few months and I had planned to travel around petsitting and get on my feet to start my business and have a life as new senior citizen myself. The owner told me her Husband “DIED” two days before my Mother and told me she prayed for someone like me to be there. (Stay tuned)

The homeowner watched me carry my belongings. I have a small fiat and had two carloads of some personal items and some boxes from work. I had business market event that I had leftover stuff and that’s what it was. I invited the owner to the market and told her what I was doing for work & my plans for life.

I gave the owner photo and note updates in text and spoke to her and her daughter on what’s app most every day. As the time was coming closer to the end she told me she was landing back home 6 days earlier than scheduled. She texted me from the airport when she arrived and said she didn’t know where keys were to make sure I could open the door for her when she got back. Another lie.

She came back in a cab and I let her in. She immediately asked for my key cause she said she couldn’t find hers. So now I don’t have a key to get in if I had to leave the house. She was fighting with her daughter and I didn’t know what was going on. But the owner was mad because she watched me bring my things into her backyard on her house camera on her phone. So the daughter got mean and was the rudest person I have ever met.tellimg me I had to get the ___ out of her house. The mom was telling her she had a contract. There was the contract with the with dates that were wrong on TH..she also made a separate hand written contract in a folder with a copy of my license and my brothers phone number.

There were red flags the whole time. She was incredibly short tempered and wired. I just thought she needed a vacation and I was happy I didn’t have to be on that vacation with her. But I just assumed she would relax on vacation and be happy she had the best pet sitter that she didn’t have to pay and return to a home that was a heck of a lot cleaner than when she left….And then I would drive away and say goodbye.

The day they came home i decided I did not want to be there as I was up all night worried where I was going to stay for 6 nights in Santa Cruz before my next petsit. That night I started messaging Trusted Petsittiers. I think I was chatting with a robot for the whole time. I told them the details that night and I told them what was going on and I wanted to leave the next day and could they cancel this trip because I did not want consequences from this lady. The person assured me everything would be fine just let them know in chat and email what was going on

The next morning I woke up early and started packing like wild so I could get out of there fast. So while I was packing the owner tried to pick a fight with me and I told her I was packing to get out there as fast as I could. Her and her daughter were screaming at me because of my stuff that was neatly stacked in the back outside in the patio and my clothes in the bedroom. I was trying to stay calm but I was threatened by them so I started screaming loudly so the neighbors would hear me. The neighbors know her for years and no one likes her cause of her bad crazy stuff that goes on in the house always having the police over. They would give me dirty looks when I would walk the dog cause they probably thought I was her relative so the police came I was trying to call them so I could have an escort and not have anything happe but the daughter beat me to it and called the police. 5 police came over and waited for me to get packed and leave

I had no where to go and asked a friend to sleep in an RV in the area.

A few days later after I left the owner left me a review with 3 stars and said she had to remove me because of my things that she would not recommend me I did not want to leave her a review from the start I do not like to leave bad reviews because I never thought I would have a bad experience in one of the properties especially in Santa Cruz

so I tried to get petsit to go to and the new people saw my review from her and most people declined me without responding and 1 person told me I had a terrible review and would not consider having drama like that in his life I agree. I would be scared to have a three star person that had to be removed from the house in my house? This person did it to cause more problems

TP said they would not do anything about the review and I did not comment on her review and I blocked her on my phone and I am trying to forget about this experience and move on but I am little stranded and actually homeless now and I slept in my Fiat on the street last night

Then I found out that the ladies husband did not die but actually killed himself in the bedroom in the creepy girls bedroom (before she moved in). So there was a suicidein December in the house I was staying! That is like a horror movie!

I had two sits I just finished after this horror and I got two 5 star ratings on top of her bad one I don’t have anything else booked to bury her review deeper into the mix where someone might not read her bad revie?

So now I am trying to find a miracle to get airlifted out of this timeline. I would love to schedule another trip but I don’t believe I should have to try to beg someone to believe me to trust me in their house i have like an inch of dignity left and feel like total garbage

This Petsitting has been so great and healing to be with these beautiful animals. I have made peace with myself and my car and feel no shame to be homeless.

Thanks for reading this. I am considering writing a hallmark mini series about this.

I would love to hear from the masses what you think and I will consider any and constructive advice

Thank you and happy Petsitting

(Post edited by the Forum Team to comply with the Community Rules).

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Here is my constructive advice, and it could be your next THS adventure:

Episode 2: “The Universe Has a Weird Sense of Humor”

Hi everyone,

So …. remember that last line I wrote? About being airlifted out of this timeline?
Well. The universe did send something that looked a lot like a helicopter moment, except it came with fur and four legs.

Two days after I left Santa Cruz, while still sleeping in my little Fiat (that now smells like a mix between lavender wipes and dog biscuits), I got a message from a sitter friend in Oregon. She said, “There’s a lady who broke her leg and needs someone fast. Two dogs, one cat, and a view of the mountains.” I didn’t even check the map, I just typed “YES.”

I drove for nine hours straight, surviving on almonds and black coffee, thinking about how maybe life was just one long audition for resilience. When I arrived, I parked in the driveway, took a deep breath, and rang the bell.

The door opened, and there was this woman in a wheelchair, with bright orange glasses and a smile like she’d already forgiven the whole world. Her dogs came running, one old, one young, like they’d been waiting specifically for me.

She said, “You look tired, honey. Come in. Coffee?”
And just like that, the nightmare of Santa Cruz started melting into the background, like fog lifting off the Pacific.

The funny part? The lady already knew about the bad review. She said she didn’t care. She said, “You can’t live long enough to avoid crazy people. But you can outlive their stories.”

I wanted to cry, but then the old dog started snoring loudly, and it made me laugh instead.

The next morning, as I was feeding the cat, the sun came over the mountains and I thought: this is what I wanted from life. Not perfection, but quiet mornings with animals, coffee, and nobody yelling about locks or cameras or ghosts in bathrooms.

Later, I wrote to Trusted Housesitters again, not to complain, but to thank them for most of the people I’ve met through them. I told them I’d keep sitting, even if I had to do it with a sleeping bag in my Fiat and faith in my GPS.

Because despite everything, the yelling, the cameras, the heartbreak, the haunted house, I realized I’m still here. Still showing up. Still unlocking doors (from the inside and the outside).

And maybe that’s the point of all of it, as sitters and home owners we’re all just temporary caretakers, of homes, of animals, and of each other.

So yes, maybe I will write that Hallmark mini-series. But it’s going to have a twist, because in my version, the heroine doesn’t get rescued by a man. She gets rescued by a 12-year-old Labrador named Charlie who snores like a freight train and believes in second chances.

Thanks for following along and …. stay tuned.

Next stop: Nevada. A cat who hates everyone except me.

Happy petsitting @Bestiepet
:green_heart:

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So so so much of this is totally confusing me.
Why didn’t you leave her a review when you describe it as a hostile environment?
Why didn’t you leave straight away when you realised the house was shared, there’s always couch surfing if you get stuck-stuck money-wise.

Also…
Just because there’s cameras on the exterior doesn’t mean there’s cameras on the inside.
She perhaps had cause for concern (rightly or wrongly) when she sent the man around, but it doesn’t matter where they met, dating app or wherever, people form friendships in all different places.
You say her husband did not die, but he committed suicide… that means he did die, and you are describing his death as a horror movie… in the creepy girls bedroom. I really hope no one else with suicide in their family is reading this.

She gave you 3 stars, be thankful for that.

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I am very confused by this thread. Were the first two posts written by the same person using different names? I feel like I walked into the middle of the movie and it’s dubbed in a language I don’t speak and there are subtitles in another language I don’t read.

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Agreed, they mention receiving a 3* review, but they have no reviews for a sit in Santa Cruz

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To answer the question posed by the thread title, I’d leave.
After trying to read the OP, I’d have left at 5 or 6 points along the journey.

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What a horrible way to be treated, and the HO committed so many violations. If I arrived to find even a single other person in the house that hadn’t been disclosed, I would have walked out. I know you were in a bind as you didn’t have another place to stay, but I bet another sit would have opened up nearby. I hope the company (THS) will prohibit that woman from listing any more sits, as she can’t be trusted. I think the fact that you forged ahead and have gotten two more five-star reviews speaks volumes about your grit and determination. May you have the best sits ever coming up!

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Couldn’t read the entire thing, too much!

Just one question: why did you stay?

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Lots going on in this post. I’m unclear why you stayed if there were other people living in the house. I would have left immediately.

Someone committing suicide is a tragedy, not a horror movie. Many people are unable to get the mental health care they need.

It sounds like she told you at some point that she would be back 6 days early. Was there an agreement that you would stay after she returned or was she expecting you to leave? It’s a little confusing since she asked for your key when she returned and you were concerned about not having a key if you went out and then you decided you would leave the next day.

Leaving a review could have warned other sitters of the T&C violations (third parties). Did you respond to her review? One bad review doesn’t mean you won’t get any sits, especially considering you have other good reviews. But how you respond to whatever she said in her review matters.

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Same. I couldn’t follow this story at all.

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this reads like Reddit ragebait.

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Em. The question has to be asked, did you actually do this sit or was this a fantasy you dreamed up? No one would put up with this and quit on day one.

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@mdarden1x I’m curious, how did you find their profile?

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I agree this was confusing, and if this was all in the past, what are you hoping for, with this post? I also think you should have given notice of cancellation and left immediately when the first major violation of THS terms occurred – additional tenants are a NO.
Is it too late for you to leave a review? You NEED to leave a review, so others may be warned about all the violations. It doesn’t sound like this person should be on THS.
Is it too late to respond to her review of you? If not, you should do so – but much more concisely, just stating the violations of dates and other rules. Not having addressed this will be a disadvantage when future homeowners read your reviews. And they won’t be able to check this person’s reviews because you didn’t leave her one.
If you blocked her, how did you find out about the suicide? I’m a bit confused by it all too.
You said you were declined for further sits but then that you did get 2 with 5-star reviews. I think you just have to keep trying.
Seems to be a lot going on here. I hope things improve for you.

I don’t see the point of the 2nd post here at all, as it does not appear to contain any “constructive advice”. :woman_shrugging:

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The second post was not OP. They were trying to be encouraging by painting a rosy future.

Basically they meant to say just move on, it will work out ok. But they wrote it in a silly way (pretending they were OP in a rosy future) that was super confusing to most reading it and trying to get through the original post, also a bit wandering and confusing.

So two confusing posts in a row and now everyone is bewildered.

I actually can’t figure out what happened but both OP and second poster - I would recommend you both stop, take a breath, and re-read what you intent to post.

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Exactly what I thought when reading this comment.

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What I would do, is never stay in an environment that had even the slightest hint of hostility to begin with. Ever. That’s what I would do. I listen to my gut. Always!

There were red flags and opportunities to completely avoid everything that happened before, during, and after this sit. The first red flag was there before the sit even started. The pet owner had a tenant living IN the home with her. I wouldn’t have applied for (or accepted) that sit.

The second red flag was the other tenant she didn’t tell you about prior, who had access into the house through the laundry room! I would have IMMEDIATELY left that sit. There’s no way I’d do a sit with 2 strangers that I know absolutely nothing about in the home while I’m sitting there. It’s against TH terms to have other people staying in the home with the sitter, anyway.

The third red flag was when she yelled at you about locking the door. I don’t allow anyone to treat me in whatever disrespectful and abusive manner they’re accustomed to treating other people. Hostile people are hostile. It’s who they are. Same goes for aggressive people.

The coincidence that her “husband” happened to die two days before your mom did, and telling you that she “prayed for someone like you…”, on top of the fact that she sent some potential serial killing rando she met on a dating app to her home to check on you, stinks of manipulation, which goes hand in hand with being a liar. She very clearly has absolutely ZERO discretion when it comes to who she invites into her life and to her home. In addition, she put YOU at risk!

These sits are unpaid. I don’t understand why some sitter tolerate ANY amount of BS, like these sits are jobs they depend on to be able to live.

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@Bestiepet, gosh sounds terrible situation.
Great many red flags here, so hopefully lots opportunity for learning for future benefit.
As others mentioned, don’t understand why you stayed.
For any other housesitters that encounter material issues - contact THS Member Services - phone number on app/website or support@trustedhousesitters.com.
Others have provided advice.
Should you feel that the pet parent acted inappropriately, which seems credible given OP, consider raising a Member Dispute. THS has a clear protocol and information requirements under which Pet Parent or Housesitter may initiate a dispute. THS reviews facts from both parties; assesses situation; decides on any appropriate actions, including membership termination. Details per weblink below

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There is just so much off about the original post - so much questionable wording, description, and overall fuzziness. That said, the narrative was inconsistent and very hard to follow.

If, indeed, 3 was the final count, it sounds generous given how you describe the HO’s behaviour. If, indeed, she was that unhappy with you, 3* was a gift.

(and I have no idea how the previous sentence became italicized and how to change it)

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It italicizes whatever you write between asterisks. You clearly had another * after the first “3”, which disappeared when everything in between it and the next one became italicized.