I was trying to help my brothers, and the manager is really making things hard. How can I get her to back off?

[weiford]

Im the baby in my family, and my oldest brother has been diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder with many, many things along with it. He is *truley* bi-polar. Not just claiming to be because of mood swings like many people I know. Right now, he's in a swing of depression, and is sleeping all the time. My middle brother and myself try very hard to work together to help take care of him ie: making sure he takes the correct meds, and at the correct times. Making sure he has food, his bills are paid, and has company.
Well, yesterday his electricity bill was due. So, my younger brother and I got it together, and while he was at work I was supposed to goto his (my younger brothers) truck and get his part out. This was in our ill brothers apartment complex, Cypress Creek Apartments in Cookeville, TN. Somewhere, we had gotten our wires crossed, and he had placed his truck at his shop, with the money in it.
When I arrived at the complex to look for his truck a similar truck was parked directly infront of the office. At first I thought he had done that to keep the money safe, so I got out of my van and walked within a few feet of the truck. Then I noticed it wasnt his truck and walked back to my van. At no time did I touch the truck, or have any intentions on messing with someone elses property. The manager of the property came out accusing me of stealing, took my license plate number, which I parked so she could, and I began trying to explain what was going on.
This woman basically treated me worse than I had ever been treated in my life. Making me out to be a criminal when I wasn't. I had asked her to please look at the cameras around the complex before she treated me so badly, and that seemed to spark her anger.
Now, this woman has made it to where I can't be back in the complex, or on the property at all. She has gone a told my family, and other residents that I broke into an employees car, and I needed to be jailed. IT ISN'T TRUE! What can I do to get her to back off?? Or apologize??

My mother is trying to explain that what she is doing in slanderous, but I'm simply unsure of the route I should take, and this isn't a situation where I can walk away to be the bigger person.

[matchitisiw]

If you really care as much as you claim. Go to college to be a manager and manage your brother's career. Doy.

Didn't read.

[shipley]

Since she did not call the police, it is a civil matter between her and you. You could get an attorney to write her and demand that she stop slandering you, but that could be expensive.

I think I would start by sending a letter to the owner of the complex, not the manager. Simplify what you said above and ask that the owner speak with the manager. Ask that you be allowed on the property to visit your family, and ask for an apology. Here is a sample of what to say. Put it in your own words.

"On Tuesday, June 20, 2012, I entered the property of Cypress Creek Apartments, 123 Applewood Court, Cookeville TN, to retrieve an item from my brother's truck at his request. Upon pulling into the parking area of the apartments, I stopped behind a truck (a 2008 white Ford F-150) which I believed to be his which was parked near the office. After getting out of my van and approaching the truck, I realized that this was not his vehicle. At no time did I touch the truck or attempt to enter it.

As I returned to my vehicle, the manager of the apartment, Ms. Lola Dogooder, approached me and accused me of stealing. She wrote down my license number, berated me, and treated me like a criminal. She did not call the police. I attempted to explain what I was doing there and asked that she look at the surveillance tapes to confirm my story. Everything I said seemed to make the situation worse.

Now I have been advised that I can no longer enter the property to visit my family. Ms. Dogooder has also been telling residents that I broke into an employee's car and need to be jailed. This is completely untrue.

I ask that you review this situation and act. Ms. Dogooder is slandering me while acting on behalf of the Cypress Creek Apartments. I am asking for an apology, that the complex residents be advised that I did nothing illegal, and that I be allowed to visit the property. If necessary, I will take legal action against the owners and manager of the property to clear my name."