What did we do wrong?
Chuck and Lilly from High Lonesome were our tenants from 2020 to 2024. In July 2024, they abruptly left without giving us a reason. While we understand the desire to move on and try something new, the manner in which they left was deeply troubling.
After four years, we believed we had developed a strong relationship with them and thought we knew them well. However, without any warning, they began packing their cars and moved out as quickly as possible, avoiding any interaction with us. It felt as though we had done something terrible to them, something unspeakable. We were deeply hurt by their actions, which left us questioning our ability to trust others in the future.
They left the apartment in a filthy condition, without cleaning up anything. Additionally, they abandoned a truckload of junk and trash on the property, which we had to clean up ourselves.
To this day, we have no idea what prompted them to treat us this way. Unfortunately, we have come to the conclusion that they are dishonest people who would take advantage of good-hearted individuals given the opportunity.
Over the past 10 years, we have interacted with dozens of tenants during our time in Boulder and Longmont. Never in all our years as landlords have we been treated so poorly, except for one other instance when we had to evict a tenant.
This situation hits us personally because we brought Chuck and Lilly into our lives and thought we knew them well—perhaps better than anyone else here in Colorado. We were apparently wrong. This is why I am motivated to create this website.
Here are some photos showing the state in which they left the apartment, forcing a pregnant woman to get down on her hands and knees to clean. We understand and accept normal wear and tear, and we do not hold them responsible for that. However, this goes beyond normal use—it’s sheer filth and squalor.
Complete and utter filth! Can you imagine living like this? How can anyone be this disgusting? How could you leave such a mess for someone else to clean up? Chuck and Lilly, both in their mid-40s, are this sloppy. Consider this a warning to future landlords!
I’ve been working tirelessly for the past week, cleaning and repairing the downstairs area after years of neglect and disrespect. Yes, this mess accumulated over four years! They lived in squalor for that long, leaving us to deal with the aftermath. This experience has completely changed how we’ll approach future tenants. We’ve always been kind and generous, but we let them get away with far too much.
We found mouse droppings everywhere, even in the area where they slept. Just imagine the level of filth! And they were worried about lung cancer from a perfectly functioning radon system? Unbelievable. It’s beyond comprehension how gross they left the place for me to clean up alone, especially with my wife in the final weeks of her pregnancy. Such blatant disrespect!
Is this how you’d leave an apartment for a pregnant woman to clean?
In addition to the filth, the entire apartment requires new paint due to the overwhelming stench of cigarette smoke, or possibly marijuana. The smell is so bad that a fresh coat of paint is necessary before anyone would consider renting it. This is a major expense for us.
They refuse to respond to any communication we send them. There are still financial obligations to settle, as the costs for cleaning and repairs continue to accumulate.
With all that being said, I must acknowledge that they paid their rent on time every month and were never late. We also gave them a killer deal that was well below market rates, provided a storage shed at no additional cost, and offered many other perks.
Here are photos of what the apartment looked like in 2020 before the Siteros moved in.
Here is High Lonesome & Company damaging our fence, breaking several sections, and harming many of the 4×4 concreted posts. We caught them on camera and waited weeks for them to confess, but they never did. We are very reasonable people and would not have been upset if they had been honest about it. Instead, they chose to hide it and be dishonest.
Days later, Lilly went to check on the damage to ensure any evidence was concealed. This suspicious behavior prompted me to review the camera footage, as I found it odd that she walked up and inspected the fence in that manner. She must have thought I wasn’t home, watching her from my front window!
In conclusion, they truly did us a disservice. We can no longer be the trusting people we once were—they deceived us. And they will deceive you too if given the chance. They are not to be trusted!