Monday arrived and my attorney could finally get the court papers printed off the court website. I needed the temporary restraining order (TRO) to serve Tracy. I already knew that I was not going to be able to get the sheriff's department to serve the papers. I would have to wait until Friday for the sheriff to serve the papers. I could not image living with Tracy for four more days knowing that I have the court papers.
My attorney told me she had a process server but that he was going to basically hand her the papers and run. This made me nervous. Tracy was so unstable, what if she refused to answer the door or didn't take the papers?
I decided to call a security company that a friend had told me about. I didn't know what they could do for me but it was worth a shot. I called Steve (ex-FBI agent) and he said he could help out by not just providing surveillance but he could also process serve the papers. He said he would do it but he wanted to do surveillance prior to serving the papers.He wanted a plan. He called my attorney and they set up a plan. It was wonderful to be out of the loop on the planning. To hand something over to someone was so stress free. I had been doing all the planning and stressing and controlling for so long; it was exhausting. Someone wanted to take care of me? Do it.
So my attorney and Steve and they organized the plan. We would wait until Tuesday morning. "Could you wait one more night?" What was one more night!?
The plan was that I would get a text early Tuesday morning from Steve. He would ask if Tracy was there. I already knew Tracy had to be somewhere at 8 am. If Tracy was still at the house at 7:30 am I was supposed to take the dogs for a walk on a ruse that I was going to a clients that morning.
Tuesday morning Tracy got up at 4 am and began her cleaning and talking to herself. Ranting and raving about this or that. I had my go-bag packed. When she took a walk at 5:30 am I ran downstairs and put my computer, bag with money and electronic, phone book, etc in the trunk of my car. I left my go-bag with my clothes because it was in plain view and I didn't want to tip her off. I already had all the sets of car keys, garage door openers, etc in the trunk of the car (not too safe I know) so she could not grab them. The dog sitter had dog food already so we were set there. I had extra leashes in my go bag.
At the appointed time, 7:30 am, I got the dogs ready and grabbed my handbag and went out the door. I saw Steve at the end of the block. I took the dogs a few blocks away where Tracy would not see us and waited in the chilly air. We walked, we sat, we walked, we sat. For two hours. I got a text from Steve. It was done but it didn't go well. Where are you? I met him around the block and he told me the whole story.
He and a colleague arrived. The colleague was taping the whole thing. Steve went to the door and at first she didn't answer. Then she finally did. She refused the papers by saying she was not the owner of the home. He explained the papers were for her. She said she is not taking any papers. They went back and forth. He explained that the papers were a temporary restraining order and it says she has to vacate the premises. Finally she opened the door and he served her but she dropped them on the ground. He went back to the car and she came out and started screaming at him and pounding on the car. She was in the middle of the street yelling and screaming.
He retreated in the car and that is when he texted me. He informed me that it was unsafe to go near the house since she is aggressive and unpredictable and still in the house. We called the police to come escort me into the house to get my go-bag, bird, and car. Unfortunately it was a very busy police day that day and I ended waiting for 3 more hours for the police. It took Steve calling, me calling, my neighbor who came to sit with me, calling. Finally a police officer came to the house.
I gave the police officer the papers and he read them. He then asked me when the restraining order was granted. I told him Friday but there was a problem with the website so we could not print the papers. Then we had to get a process server. He proceeded to tell me that I have been in violation of the TRO by living in the same house since the TRO was granted on Friday. I got all upset. You have got to be kidding me?! What was I supposed to do? Move out and let the cat out of the bag that I have a TRO that I can't serve for four more days? You have got to be kidding me. God knows what she could do to the house left by herself knowing that something is going on.
Then he asked me if she has any weapons, do I know if she is in the house, where would she be in the house, is she violent. After answering that no she has no weapons. I don't know if she is in the house but I am assuming she is. I don't know where she would be in the house. I didn't think she would be violent but she did act aggressively toward the process server. The officer called for back up.
Once back up showed up, we entered the house. They told me they would only clear the rooms I needed to enter. The officers did not go downstairs. I retrospect Tracy was downstairs. When I returned there was a note on the door telling me that I didn't put the alarm back on "when I was in the house with my 2 officer friends". There would be no way she would know that unless she was in the house when I was getting my stuff. I grabbed my go-bag, the bird, and some clothes. Then we went into the garage and I got my car. I had everything, I thought.
The officers asked me where I was going to go and I said I was dropping the dogs at the dog sitters and I was going to a hotel. I was exhausted and hungry. I had not eaten since last night. It was now 2 pm. I had two dogs and bird in a car. I had called the bird boarding earlier in the morning and they told me to bring the bird over whenever I got him out of the house. So I took the bird over. They were so nice.
I called my dad and he booked me a hotel. I texted the dog sitter and she told me she had an emergency and could not take the dogs. Huh? The plan was just shot to hell. My dogs don't have the bortatella shot so I can't take them to a boarding place. What am I going to do? I parked my car and started to cry. Uncontrollable crying. I had a plan. Everyone was on board with the plan. Now the plan went to shit. What am I going to do? I am hungry, exhausted, in a car with two very tired dogs who will need to eat in a few hours and I have no dog food. I have no one and nowhere to go.
more to come...
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