Thursday, June 23, 2022
Petty Betty
Tenant: I just got my deposit back and you can't charge us for this. The fire marshal says you are responsible for the smoke detectors and the batteries.
Me: We are responsible for providing them and making sure they work when you move in. You are responsible for them while you live there.
Tenant: Wrong. The city says you have to maintain them.
(I have a little panic as I think maybe the law has changed and I don't know, but I typically keep up with that stuff)
Me: I will gladly look into that but in the past the law was: We are responsible for providing them and making sure they work when you move in. You are responsible for them while you live there.
Tenant: You better look it up
Me: (Looks up law then types what might be my most favorite email I have ever sent) Per Sec.blah blah of the city of blah blah Smoke Alarm Regulations, Responsibilities of Tenant:
"The tenant shall provide and maintain functional batteries for each battery powered smoke alarm and shall not disconnect the electrical source from electrically powered smoke alarms. The tenant shall not remove or relocate any smoke alarm installed by the owner. The tenant shall test and maintain alarms within the dwelling unit or room and notify the owner or agent in writing of any deficiencies."
When we did our walk thru, you all had actually removed the batteries from your smoke detector and left it hanging off the wall. I have reached out to someone in the City of blah blah to make sure there is nothing else we need to be adding to the move out when we find that tenant violation. I will for sure let you know what I find out. Thank you for bringing this violation to my attention.
It might be petty, but damn it enjoyed it
Thursday, April 29, 2021
I AM BACK BITCHES
I always say I should share more on here. I get busy or distracted and I just don't have the time. But each and every day is still a new adventure here. From the late rent payers to the destroyers. The idiots keep me on my toes. We recently purchased about 50 new units in a different type of market. The 55+ market. Let me go ahead and tell you that the senior citizens are no better than the college kids in many aspects. Maybe not as destructive. But just as surly and possibly an even bigger pain in my ass. I have been stock piling stories the last two years and with the addition of these units I am hoping to pick this back up. Even if only 5 people read it, it makes me happy knowing I have shared this nonsense with the world!
And oh the rules with COVID. New post coming later today.......
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
The fire
So we had a small fire this week at one of our units. Nothing major. Just cosmetic damage. Everyone was fine and walked away unharmed. We have been getting people in as quickly as possible to begin repairs, all while dealing with the fire marshal and working on insurance issues. I suggested the tenants get a hold of their insurance agents to get an adjuster there for their renters insurance to make sure they were covered. Should be simple right? Nope. Never is.
First the tenants inform me that they are not filing this with their insurance because the fire wasn't their fault. It was a trash can fire in their loft. Their thought and reasoning is they weren't home when it started, so it isn't their fault. I explain that it doesn't matter if they were home, and it isn't about fault. It is about making sure all of their stuff is covered. One of them at this point tells me that he is pretty sure we have to cover any damage and what not. I try to explain that no, we won't cover their stuff. That is exactly what renters insurance is for.
So of course one of the moms call me. And she is of course an attorney. (too much face palm) She wants to know why we are removing evidence from her sons loft. I explained that the fire marshal had already been there and taken pictures and had told me he wasn't coming back. I explained that we had taken a million pictures and that everything that was removed will be kept at our office in the even that the fire marshal wants it. I also suggest to her that they contact their insurance company so that their adjuster can come and assess any damage. She too tells me they will not be paying for a thing. And she just can't understand why we are trying to pin this on the boys. They weren't even home.
So I explain to this mom and lawyer that I am not trying to pin blame or anything on anyone. I am not removing 'evidence' I am trying to follow a procedure. There has been a fire. We are thankful that everyone is ok and there wasn't much damage. Insurance companies need to be called. And it doesn't matter if they were home. A fire started in their trash can. In their unit. That damaged their things. This is exactly what renters insurance is for. She, like her son, informs that is not what renters insurance is for.
Through all this I have encouraged the two boys not to stress out about this. It is getting repaired, the electrical has been inspected, and the unit is safe to live in while we do repairs. They need to focus on tests and finals. Not this. After all this encouragement I get angry calls from their mom about harassing them, and angry texts from the tenants about bothering them with all this during finals.
I encourage them. I help them. I drove down here the night of the fire to make sure everyone was ok. I encouraged them to have their own insurance adjuster come look so they don't feel like anything that happens going forward isn't correct. I suggest they call the fire department to get a copy of the marshals report. But I am awful. I am harassing. I don't know anything. I truly just can't win with these people.
First the tenants inform me that they are not filing this with their insurance because the fire wasn't their fault. It was a trash can fire in their loft. Their thought and reasoning is they weren't home when it started, so it isn't their fault. I explain that it doesn't matter if they were home, and it isn't about fault. It is about making sure all of their stuff is covered. One of them at this point tells me that he is pretty sure we have to cover any damage and what not. I try to explain that no, we won't cover their stuff. That is exactly what renters insurance is for.
So of course one of the moms call me. And she is of course an attorney. (too much face palm) She wants to know why we are removing evidence from her sons loft. I explained that the fire marshal had already been there and taken pictures and had told me he wasn't coming back. I explained that we had taken a million pictures and that everything that was removed will be kept at our office in the even that the fire marshal wants it. I also suggest to her that they contact their insurance company so that their adjuster can come and assess any damage. She too tells me they will not be paying for a thing. And she just can't understand why we are trying to pin this on the boys. They weren't even home.
So I explain to this mom and lawyer that I am not trying to pin blame or anything on anyone. I am not removing 'evidence' I am trying to follow a procedure. There has been a fire. We are thankful that everyone is ok and there wasn't much damage. Insurance companies need to be called. And it doesn't matter if they were home. A fire started in their trash can. In their unit. That damaged their things. This is exactly what renters insurance is for. She, like her son, informs that is not what renters insurance is for.
Through all this I have encouraged the two boys not to stress out about this. It is getting repaired, the electrical has been inspected, and the unit is safe to live in while we do repairs. They need to focus on tests and finals. Not this. After all this encouragement I get angry calls from their mom about harassing them, and angry texts from the tenants about bothering them with all this during finals.
I encourage them. I help them. I drove down here the night of the fire to make sure everyone was ok. I encouraged them to have their own insurance adjuster come look so they don't feel like anything that happens going forward isn't correct. I suggest they call the fire department to get a copy of the marshals report. But I am awful. I am harassing. I don't know anything. I truly just can't win with these people.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
A little catching up
Never mistake the absence of posts for the absence of idiocy. Sometimes I just don't have time. Sometimes I just can't bring myself to think about the dumb stuff they do. But here are a few gems from the recent weeks:
We fired our head maintenance guy. We hired a new guy. He called in for his first day. Came in late on his second. And needed to leave early on his fifth day. Shockingly, we let him come back for a second week. He threatened to quit no less than 6 different times, because the job was just too stressful. This man was a retired police officer and ex military. I just have no words to explain how confused I was by him not being able to handle the work load and the mean little college kids. We let him go after week two.
In January, one of our maintenance guys called me in a panic to come look at something the tenants were doing. Never a good sign. I rush over to the property he is at to find tenants attempting to clean up after a party from the night before. They live in one of our bigger units in a nearly 100 year old building with the original hard wood floors. The had just dumped bucket after bucket of bleach water onto the floor and were using brooms and mops to push it out the front door. When I say buckets (plural) that is not an exaggeration. It was multiple full mop buckets. I made them stop dumping the water and get it wiped up and pushed out the door very quickly. They just couldn't not understand what I was so upset about. They assured me this is how you clean wood floors. After explaining to them, that no that is not how you clean wood floors and giving them a long list of reasons why, they still didn't understand. We are now on month 3 of monitoring the basement under their unit to make sure there are no issues and I can only imagine the damage that will have to be repaired when they move out. 100 year old hard wood floors. Buckets of hot bleach water. Seriously
All the power went out on the west side of town the other night. Blocks and blocks without power. Someone had hit a pole. It was 9 at night. I got the first call and explained they would have to call the utility company. They were upset that I couldn't just tell them when the power would be back on. I tried to explain that I had no control of the city and the utilities and that it wasn't just their unit or building or even block but nearly the whole west side of town. We are talking multiple square miles of no power. Then the calls just kept coming. I basically spent two hours repeating that I don't actually control the power company. I do, however, love that they think I am that powerful.
We fired our head maintenance guy. We hired a new guy. He called in for his first day. Came in late on his second. And needed to leave early on his fifth day. Shockingly, we let him come back for a second week. He threatened to quit no less than 6 different times, because the job was just too stressful. This man was a retired police officer and ex military. I just have no words to explain how confused I was by him not being able to handle the work load and the mean little college kids. We let him go after week two.
In January, one of our maintenance guys called me in a panic to come look at something the tenants were doing. Never a good sign. I rush over to the property he is at to find tenants attempting to clean up after a party from the night before. They live in one of our bigger units in a nearly 100 year old building with the original hard wood floors. The had just dumped bucket after bucket of bleach water onto the floor and were using brooms and mops to push it out the front door. When I say buckets (plural) that is not an exaggeration. It was multiple full mop buckets. I made them stop dumping the water and get it wiped up and pushed out the door very quickly. They just couldn't not understand what I was so upset about. They assured me this is how you clean wood floors. After explaining to them, that no that is not how you clean wood floors and giving them a long list of reasons why, they still didn't understand. We are now on month 3 of monitoring the basement under their unit to make sure there are no issues and I can only imagine the damage that will have to be repaired when they move out. 100 year old hard wood floors. Buckets of hot bleach water. Seriously
All the power went out on the west side of town the other night. Blocks and blocks without power. Someone had hit a pole. It was 9 at night. I got the first call and explained they would have to call the utility company. They were upset that I couldn't just tell them when the power would be back on. I tried to explain that I had no control of the city and the utilities and that it wasn't just their unit or building or even block but nearly the whole west side of town. We are talking multiple square miles of no power. Then the calls just kept coming. I basically spent two hours repeating that I don't actually control the power company. I do, however, love that they think I am that powerful.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Behold, the future
So we hired a part time maintenance person. They were young. Only 19. And a tenant. We hired him against our better judgment. But he is going to school for HVAC so we thought we would give him a shot. We could use the help and he could use the experience. We start him out with menial jobs, obviously. His duties include sweeping all the lots, changing out burnt out bulbs in the halls, just really boring stuff.
Our regular maintenance man takes him on some of his calls to start showing him the ropes. New kids is getting antsy at just a couple days of work in. But we can't just let him go on his own calls until we have seen him in action and made sure he can handle it. He sort of understands, but he isn't happy. Let alone the fact that we don't want to just give him a set of keys until we are sure he is an ok kid. Contrary to popular belief amongst the tenants, we do try to look out for them.
So after a few weeks, he seems to be doing alright on some of the easier tasks. Unclogging toilets, fixing door knobs, repairing the basic things. He hits his 30 day mark and comes in to talk to the owner about maybe getting a small raise. In all fairness we started him out at minimum wage to see if he was even going to be worth our time. So I can see how he wanted an increase.
He gets in front of the owner and asks for a $6 an hour raise. With a straight face. This kid maybe works 15 hours per week. Maybe. It was so hard to keep from laughing when I heard him say this. thankfully I did. The owner of the properties was able to as well. He tells the kid to give him some time to look at the numbers and see what he can come up with. However, it will not be a $6 an hour raise.
The day after he asks for a raise, I have a weird job I need done. We are updating our website. I have new floorplans made up for our website and we need the room measurements. Most of these we are able to pull from building plans, but I have a few random apartments that we just can't pull the numbers for so I need them measured. There are around 20 units in a few different buildings. I don't want to pull my regular guy off his work order list as this is kind of just busy work. So we put the kid on it. How hard can it be to measure a room? Well.....
He heads out and gets a few done. He then brings them to the office and he truly looks perplexed. Like he is stressed and I can tell.
Kid: We have a small problem. And I have a question about it.
Me: Ok. Shoot.
Kid: Well my tape measure is only 25 feet long and some of our units are bigger than that across the living rooms. Do you want me to just guestimate anything above 25 feet? Or do you have a second tape measure I can borrow.
Me: (I actually had to take about 30 seconds to really process what he was saying. Surely he was just pulling my leg) No. I don't want you to guestimate.
Kid: Well then how do I measure the rest?
Me: I don't know if you are kidding or not. did (other maintenance man) put you up to this?
Kid: I don't know what you mean. I just need to know how you want me to do this.
Me: Seriously. Are you kidding with me?
Kid: No.
Me: (I am dumbfounded at this point) You just measure from where the tape measure stops and then add the two numbers together.
Kid: (blank stare)
Me: (I am honest to God laughing out loud at this point) For the love of God, give me your tape measure. (I proceed to show him how to do this, even offer him a roll of tape incase he needs to mark the spot)
Kid: So you just want me to give you the two numbers?
Me: Oh my God you are so pretty. (said in the most sarcastic, condescending tone I can muster up)
Kid: Thank you. I didn't really like my outfit today so I am glad you said that.
Me: (stops laughing and just stares) No kid, that means you are ditzy. I wasn't complimenting you.
Kid: (blank stare)
Me:
Kid: So do I just give you the two numbers or what?
Me: No. you add them up and give me full length.
Kid: got it.
This kid is going places.
Our regular maintenance man takes him on some of his calls to start showing him the ropes. New kids is getting antsy at just a couple days of work in. But we can't just let him go on his own calls until we have seen him in action and made sure he can handle it. He sort of understands, but he isn't happy. Let alone the fact that we don't want to just give him a set of keys until we are sure he is an ok kid. Contrary to popular belief amongst the tenants, we do try to look out for them.
So after a few weeks, he seems to be doing alright on some of the easier tasks. Unclogging toilets, fixing door knobs, repairing the basic things. He hits his 30 day mark and comes in to talk to the owner about maybe getting a small raise. In all fairness we started him out at minimum wage to see if he was even going to be worth our time. So I can see how he wanted an increase.
He gets in front of the owner and asks for a $6 an hour raise. With a straight face. This kid maybe works 15 hours per week. Maybe. It was so hard to keep from laughing when I heard him say this. thankfully I did. The owner of the properties was able to as well. He tells the kid to give him some time to look at the numbers and see what he can come up with. However, it will not be a $6 an hour raise.
The day after he asks for a raise, I have a weird job I need done. We are updating our website. I have new floorplans made up for our website and we need the room measurements. Most of these we are able to pull from building plans, but I have a few random apartments that we just can't pull the numbers for so I need them measured. There are around 20 units in a few different buildings. I don't want to pull my regular guy off his work order list as this is kind of just busy work. So we put the kid on it. How hard can it be to measure a room? Well.....
He heads out and gets a few done. He then brings them to the office and he truly looks perplexed. Like he is stressed and I can tell.
Kid: We have a small problem. And I have a question about it.
Me: Ok. Shoot.
Kid: Well my tape measure is only 25 feet long and some of our units are bigger than that across the living rooms. Do you want me to just guestimate anything above 25 feet? Or do you have a second tape measure I can borrow.
Me: (I actually had to take about 30 seconds to really process what he was saying. Surely he was just pulling my leg) No. I don't want you to guestimate.
Kid: Well then how do I measure the rest?
Me: I don't know if you are kidding or not. did (other maintenance man) put you up to this?
Kid: I don't know what you mean. I just need to know how you want me to do this.
Me: Seriously. Are you kidding with me?
Kid: No.
Me: (I am dumbfounded at this point) You just measure from where the tape measure stops and then add the two numbers together.
Kid: (blank stare)
Me: (I am honest to God laughing out loud at this point) For the love of God, give me your tape measure. (I proceed to show him how to do this, even offer him a roll of tape incase he needs to mark the spot)
Kid: So you just want me to give you the two numbers?
Me: Oh my God you are so pretty. (said in the most sarcastic, condescending tone I can muster up)
Kid: Thank you. I didn't really like my outfit today so I am glad you said that.
Me: (stops laughing and just stares) No kid, that means you are ditzy. I wasn't complimenting you.
Kid: (blank stare)
Me:
Kid: So do I just give you the two numbers or what?
Me: No. you add them up and give me full length.
Kid: got it.
This kid is going places.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Snapped
Tenants complain all the parking spaces are be used by non residents.
We make lot permit only, just for tenants.
Tenants complain that people are still parking there.
We begin to tow cars that don't have permits.
Tenants complain their guests have no where to park.
*sigh*
We point out the free city parking garage across the street.
Tenants complain their aren't enough spaces in the lot for everyone.
We point out 1) the free city parking garage across the street and 2) the fact that we have a near empty garage under the building with space for lease if they would like a reserved spot.
Tenants complain that we aren't towing enough cars that park their on the weekends.
We increase towing.
Tenants complain because significant others car, with no permit gets towed.
This is literally an episode of Snapped waiting to happen.
We make lot permit only, just for tenants.
Tenants complain that people are still parking there.
We begin to tow cars that don't have permits.
Tenants complain their guests have no where to park.
*sigh*
We point out the free city parking garage across the street.
Tenants complain their aren't enough spaces in the lot for everyone.
We point out 1) the free city parking garage across the street and 2) the fact that we have a near empty garage under the building with space for lease if they would like a reserved spot.
Tenants complain that we aren't towing enough cars that park their on the weekends.
We increase towing.
Tenants complain because significant others car, with no permit gets towed.
This is literally an episode of Snapped waiting to happen.
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Reality Show
One of the idiots of idiotville just suggested I write a blog documenting all the dumb stuff they do. Or like, you know, talk someone into making a reality show out of it. He is so smart. Now I am off to find someone to film my reality show......
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