HI all...maybe you can give me some advice on this one cuz I'm really baffled. I've been renting this apartment for just over 2 yrs (it was 2 yrs August 1st) and since last October, we've agreed that I would pay 1/2 of my rent every other week cuz it was just easier that way for me and the landlady said it was acceptable. Then recently, they started calling me everytime something happened around the building, whether I had anything to do with it or not. My electric got shut off for a couple of weeks cuz I didn't have money to pay the bill, and I was having my mom and sister keep my 3 kids cuz someone said that CPS could be called. Then one of our neighbors (the building bully) called and complained about our candles (which were never left unsupervised and never left by anything that could catch on fire) and then threatened to call the health inspector. So we scrambled and did payday advances and asked family to come up with the money to get the lights turned back on. So I thought things were OK. Nope. Then the landlord's husband comes over and catches me while I'm outside and starts screaming at me, threatening me and saying the "F" word every other word, accusing me of single-handedly filling the dumpster with my stuff and accusing my mother of calling the health inspector about it, telling me he's sick of my sh** and that's it, I'm out, I better find a place to go. Yes, the dumpster was full, but that was cuz it hadn't been emptied in like 3 weeks, and then I found out it was because the check they had sent in for payment had bounced. Well, my mom had written a set of post-dated checks a couple of weeks before this, and all of a sudden, her checks are getting cashed EARLY and while the bank covered it, she got nailed with about $175 in fees, and suddenly the dumpster was emptied. The first time they cashed a check early, they were very apologetic about it and said it wouldn't happen again, but they weren't going to pay back any fees incurred, nor would they deduct it from what I owed (somewhere they decided I was $200 behind). Then they cashed the next one early (when the dumpster was suddenly emptied) and when my mom called them, they tried to lie about it, and then when they found they couldn't lie about it, they were suddenly super-busy and had to go. A couple of days later, I get sent via regular mail and via certified mail, a 5-Day notice to pay or quit, stating that I owe them $855. I tried to contact the landlady several times, but no one would talk to me. Her husband is having medical problems and he's super unstable (the guy who screamed at me outside), so I don't want to deal with him. Well, Sept. 8th was my last day on the 5-day notice, and on the 9th, I got served a summons for court. I go on the 16th. The court papers ask for $650 (not $855) and eviction, stating that I didn't pay for August or September. They say I was to pay by the 1st and I broke my rental agreement by not doing so and that a $50 late fee is assessed as of the 2nd. So if what they said was true, for Aug. and Sept., I'd owe a total of $1120. But subtract 2 vouchers for $100 each, and 4 checks - $60, $255, $255, and $255 - that leaves a balance of $95 for September and then I'm paid in full till Oct. 1st. Also, they told me that as of Oct. 1st, rent would be due in full from everyone on the 1st, period. No more every other week, and she said that a notice would be given to all tenants 30 days prior - no notice was given. The only notice we DID get was that they were going to change the locks on the basement doors, so now I have to find a way to get into the basement to get my belongings out.
Given all of this information, is there anyone who can advise me on what to do on Friday to buy myself a little more time???

Thanks,
Melissa + 3 kids