Mr and Mrs Smith-wallas

I last wrote about my angst and alienation (I studied sociology in college) with the socio legal system. This was with specific reference to the housing society which wasn't allowing us to rent out our place.

That's when we decided to unleash our trump card - my in laws. Let me clarify before you get the wrong impression. They are not WMDs or something. Nor do they belong to the underground (don't get fooled by my pa in law's shaven head). But they, especially my mom in law, are every tenacious in getting things done. They don't give up that easily.

Their track record gave me a lot of confidence. The first time I saw my Mom in Law action was with a couple of insurance policies that were misselled to Kainaz and me. This was from one of the financial groups in India in whose hands we have often suffered. Their (the group's) service and efficiency levels are quite abominable. We have lost interest because we had started a fixed deposit with them but the cretin on the desk had not registered it. We lost serious money and (I) lost hair while buying our house as their agent had promised us the loan after seeing the papers, took the fees and then said that they wouldn't give the loans with the papers available.

So my Mom in law took things in her hand when we got third time unlucky with the insurance wing of this group - she sat on their head till they returned Kainaz's money and till they corrected the errors in my policy.

So we turned to my in laws with a lot of hope this time to resolve our society problem.

They made about five trips to the registrar at Bandra from Dadar. Unlike Kainaz and I who were frazzled after a couple of attempts. Again while we would wait tentatively there, they went up the food chain and met the peon, the deputy registrar, his clerk. They argued our case. Got promises of help. Persisted till they got specific commitments from the deputy registrar. Then enlisted the peon's help to track the elusive office clerk and finally did got the clerk to implement the Regirstrar's promise of help.

The end result? Yesterday, my in laws got us a stern letter written by the Deputy Registrar to our society secretary asking him to stop harassing us and to resolve issues within fifteen days and let us rent out our place. The Registrar also told the society folks that he did not want to get any further complaints from us about the society.

How cool is that? Now we can at least go and look for a tenant.

Thanks to all who wrote in with their support. Thanks Anaggh for your tips. Yes, the registrar is fairly effective IF, and its a big if, you are really persistent and have the time to go after them. My in laws are retired and are tenacious.

Talking of retirement, I am really, impressed with my Mom in law's skill in cracking first, one of India's largest and most slothful financial companies, and now, a typical bureaucratic, government office. She has a natural talent as what Kainaz calls a 'fixer'. Perhaps she can take up cases from people like us (working, not too worldly wise) for a fee. And all above board.

I am sure there will be quite a few takers. What say?