With the growing conflict with Branch, and the impossibility that he would consider that he was capable of wrongdoing, I began to make other plans.

I reached out to Jonah, the owner of the junk yard (what is called a farm on his websites) and began a long and tedious discourse, exchanging dozens of emails a day. After explaining my side of the situation, I was invited to a room in one of his houses (the Dorcester Grove), to be a member of what he called the “core group,” pending a meeting with the rest of the group.

There were some red flags popping up: the strange “rental agreement” which included hygiene requirements and rules about attending meetings and further idiocies requiring conflict resolution – the bait for Jonah’s emotional fetish.

The house itself was in a great location but very run down. As a descendent of the Scorcese family, Jonah never had a job or earned anything but he managed to solicit investments from people and then he would grill them emotionally until they were willing to abandon everything to get away from him.

Still, in spite of this his millions are squandered while he the roof leak and mold grow so that only desperate people are willing to house with him.

We had agreed that I would supplement my rent with work-trade (free labor in exchange for housing) but he did the same thing Branch did: always asking for my help with tasks that didn’t contribute to my rental balance.

One day Jonah started talking to me and never stopped. Even when i asked him nicely to stop and then insisted he stop he kept going. I am accustomed to peace and his intent to disrupt it were not something I could live with.

I saw him exhibit this behavior with a prior house mate, literally badgering him into leaving.

I knew it wouldn’t be long until I would leave this place and began preparing for my departure.

You can learn more about Jonah and wasted wealth by visiting his cultist sites at fortunity.org, fortunebuilding.org, sarahquest.com estellepascoe.com, goldwags.com, ashevillehealingarts.com, artsofliving.com

He also runs ads in Asheville’s craigslist, seeking new people to bleed for wealth and his odd emotional fetish for getting under people’s skin and forcing them to apologize for his wrongdoings to avoid homelessness

Here is a transcript of the usual ad:

We’re a small community with rooms available for those seeking a clean comfortable alternative shared housing environment… on the west side of town. Two rooms are available now, and another may be in mid Aug or Sep. Each is simply furnished, a short walk to Haywood Rd, and shares a kitchen / bathroom with 1-2 others. In general, rent prices vary between $750-1000/mo, with all utilities included. Ultimately, we’re seeking great matches who can grow into longer term residents but shorter term will be considered as appropriate.

Adjoining houses form a unique cluster with a shared backyard. We are a diverse group of M/F 30’s – 70’s who are working, volunteering and/or engaging relatively active lifestyles, while also committed to working on personal healing / internal growth — both separately and together. We reflect a variety of beliefs, lifestyle practices, diets, backgrounds, … value open / honest communication, respectful relationships, and responsible living, … and aspire to maintain the willingness to learn from each other along the way. Cooking, gardening/yard work, DIY projects, weekly house meetings and dinners, creative pursuits (music, art, etc), and hikes are some of the ways we share common ground as co-housemates, with varying degrees of participation.

Smoking, drinking, partying and drug / addictive lifestyles are not welcomed here…. and sorry, but pets are a rare exception to the norm (allergies, etc). We are eco-conscious, striving to maintain fragrance/chemical-free environs — ie, no bleach, perfumes/colognes, conventional cleaning products or air fresheners, etc.

Though privacy is sacred, we’re optimally hoping to find folks interested in more than just a room, who have strong communication ability and/or interest in improving it, and seek to work together cooperatively solving problems along the way. Think ‘intentional community’ — where an open-minded attitude, solid work ethic, and conflict resolution skills are all desirable and valued qualities. That being said, we are also flawed humans 😉 willing to look at our own shadows, and hope you are too. Life has some drama – and we believe dealing with it effectively is the key that opens the door to a more productive shared living experience.

Please be aware: an application/interview process, references, and a deposit will be requested before moving in. We are looking for a mutually harmonious fit, so sometimes start with weekly trial runs, to ensure healthier outcomes… but typically rent month-to-month. Many have stayed for years.

If you’ve read this far and think you’d like to consider living here… please email back with a similarly detailed description of your story / current housing situation. Helpful things to include: what kind of living space you are ideally seeking, any budget or special lifestyle needs (ie, veggie/vegan? introvert/extrovert? early bird/night owl? vehicle/spaceship? etc.), shared housing experiences you’ve had (‘good or bad’), and how you think your lifestyle choices would affect other housemates — for better and/or worse. If you send a sincere reply with more than a line or two, we’ll progress to the next step if/as appropriate. Feel free to include a phone number, but we usually follow a 3 step process: email exchange, then phone, then 3D tour / group interview.

Thank you for your interest, and may your search for home soon be fulfilled!

. I have no qualms with homelessness as a long distance backpacker with years spent in the wilderness. He received no apology from me.

In return I was evicted with 7 days notice for failing to comply with the conflict resolution clause in the “co-housing agreement,” which is definitely illegal but I didn’t fight it because the living situation was made intentionally intolerable.