Moving

In an effort to cut costs, I will be moving within the next week.  My roommates and I have found a nice four bedroom apartment for $699 a month.  This is about half of what we were paying at the condo.

We signed the lease today and will start moving stuff over there this weekend.  The big items, like beds, couch, TVs, etc will move on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

I'm going to have to switch back to Time Warner from Directv.  Not that I don't like Directv but the patio is not facing the right direction and if we tried to put a dish there, the signal would be blocked by a hill and another apartment building.  Plus in order to have Directv at the apartment building we'd have to pay an additional $100 security deposit.

I did get the utilities taken care of today.  It was interesting when I called the gas company and found out that I had a bill from when I moved four years ago for $36.14 that got written off as a charge off cause I didn't pay it.  I didn't know about it, how could I pay it?  I had to pay that before i could get the account in my name.  I suppose I could have let one of the others do it but one of the guys may be moving soon to like Georgia, one of the guys hasn't ever had a bill in his name and my one friend can't get gas in her name for some reason.  

Anyway, Time Warner says it will be the 2nd before they can come out.  We're going to call the guy the apartment recommended and see if he can come out sooner.  Otherwise there might be a four or five day lull in my internet access.  Unless I go to Starbucks or Barnes and Noble.

Resolving unauthorized withdrawls

So I got back from the apartments today and there was a message on the machine from this company I owe money to.  Long story.  Anyway, they were basically yelling at me to get in touch with my bank by 8 o'clock.  Of course, what would have been helpful would have been if they had identified the company they were calling from and what the deal was.

Went to check my back statement to see what was going on and found out that they had tried on the 1st to withdraw a payment and when that didn't go through, they tried again on the 6th.  Here's the thing, I never authorized the withdrawal.  The account they hit is my school account.  Basically I try not to touch that account unless it is for books or emergencies.  Their two withdrawls put me in the hole by $54. 

I called the bank.  They said I could open a dispute claim on the charges.  I asked them what I could do to keep these people from trying to take more money out of my account.  They said I could either request a new account number or I could put in a stop payment.  Getting a new account number is free.  The stop payment costs money.  I chose to get a new account number.  Of course I had to pay off the negative first.  Always fun, huh.

I intended to take care of what is owed to the company that I owe money to.  I just can't figure out how they can get away with pulling money out of my account without permission.  They don't have a judgment against me so I know they're not garnishing my wages or my accounts.  I think they took a one time payment I gave them and ran with it.  But I don't know how I can prove that I didn't authorize these last two withdrawls.