Hey OE,
I'm sorry you had that happen to you and it impacted on your health too.
I allowed a tenancy agency intervene and they asked the real estate for a bank account number for me to pay my rent into. The real estate gave a false account number.
I don't know if I told you about the house across the road that came up for rent. I was told by that real estate that there was already a pretty solid application being processed at the time, so not to get my hopes up, and sure enough, they contacted me to say the first applicant had been approved. I was disappointed but understood - and was shocked the next day when they told me the approved applicant removed their application after it was approved and they would be processing mine. A lot of information had to be given to prove that the breaches against me were baseless. The agent pre approved me and was really keen and confident and took the application to the landlord who said "where there is smoke there is fire, she must have done something to create that situation". I was upset and thought "why would I want a bigotted landlord anyway". I cried a lot yesterday over all the frustration, and I also had some white hot rage come up over feeling so powerless and stuck and wrongly fully vilified - so I took a valium and didn't act on my generalised rage. Because I'm desperate I emailed the real estate and said, "I resubmit my application but request a 3 month lease so the landlord can gain confidence with me while reducing his perceived risk". The agent rang me today and I was thinking she was going to say "Look you didn't get approved, get over it and stop bugging us" but she said "The landlord looked over the evidence last night and could see that you have acted impeccably in a difficult situation. He is sorry for his misjudgement yesterday and would like to offer you either a six month or years lease; whatever you prefer". I signed up on a 6mth lease, paid a deposit and issued a notice of intention to leave to my existing real estate. I will make an appointment with the tenancy agency next week because the legal mess with the old real estate still has to be sorted out - but what I have done is contained the length of time I am under duress as they daily taunted me with the basic need for shelter.
I am going to make an appointment with the tenancy agency for Tues/Wed, and go over the application for the court case. They have committed at least 56 violations to the laws that govern real estate agents in our state so far, so its going to bigger than ben hur and it may take a couple of years off court appearances to have my record cleared. Yes, you can imagine what my PTSD thinks of that. This stuff just adds to the body of pain already there. Even though everyone says it is it a obvious case, I have learnt not to trust the process of justice or what I think are outcomes of integrity and clear thought, from carefully examining quality evidence. For that, I think I need to look at the times of my life where things did turn out in the end.. by turning out, I don't necessarily mean "as I wanted"... I'm happy even when someone makes a decision contrary to what I want if I understand the factors, the process the reasoning. Absurd outcomes shatter me and make me feel like I'm free falling.
So Open Eyes, Your prayers, have worked, my dear. Me and my boy are moving forward, and in the most disruptive way to the house we like across the street. We keep our same neighbourhood - and don't need to even hire a truck for the move lol.
It's the same rent, less mowing.... and a remote garage door! woohoo, it took to 40 but I will have my very own remote garage I think it will be good for me to resume the PTSD work in patches, not too much, not too little. It's important work for me and I don't want to stagnate.

Hugs to you my dear friend. You bring love and light to my life and I thank you for that.

(((I hope your relationship with your daughter is taking gentle baby steps forward)))

Much love,

Jade x