Ok, so the application process went something like this
Birthdate? 5/19/90
Source of income? “I get $698 a month disability”
How long have you been on disability? “3 yrs”
Oh my goodness, you’re so young to be disabled. What happened?
“I have trouble with math”
Ahh, say what?
“yeah I had trouble with math in school”
Okkkkk
...
Making payments on anything? “Car loan $250 mo”
Have you ever had utilities in your name? “Yes”
Do you have an outstanding account? “What does that mean?”
Do you owe anything on that account? “Yes, but not much..just maybe 500.”
You can’t get utilities turned on anywhere until you pay off that bill.
“Oh that isn’t any problem; the company said they would take out payments directly off my card each month”
All in one payment or in installments?
“What does that mean?”
Will they take the entire amount of 500 out at once or will they take out smaller payments over a period of time?
“Over a few months”
Okkkkkk so,
If you are only making 700 a month, how can you afford to pay 400 in rent, utilities of at least 100 a month, a car payment of 250, 50 a month for back utilities and at least another 100 for gas and electric here? AND still be able to take care of your baby?
“Oh I get food stamps and operation threshold will pay my utilities if I can’t.”
Ahhh, say what?
“Yeah up to three times a year, they will pay my utility bill if I can’t.”
Okkkkk
Let me do the math for you.
400(rent) 250(car payment) 100(utilities) 50(past due utilities)=800 and that is 100 more than what you 'earn' a month. That doesn’t include gas for your car (“my stepmom said she would pay for that”) cable (“my bf is gonna pay for that…but he isn’t living with me” Does he work? “ No.”)
Uh huhhhhhh
What about a phone? “Oh I get free obama phone each month.”
Obama phone??? “Yeah if you are on foodstamps or disability, you get a new phone with 250 free min every month”
~~~by now I am getting mildly upset~~~
What about rent and deposit to move in? “Oh *insert agency* is paying for rent and deposit”
Do you have to pay it back? “No, I’m on disability it’s free”
So basically you don’t have to do anything really to get everything for nothing? She laughed and said, yeah, like she was proud.
The father said, what does it matter to you? It is money in your pocket.
And to that I replied….I think I am in the wrong business.
I see this too often and more frequent in the last couple years. Scares me to see so many young people becoming totally dependent on someone other then themselves.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Vacation?
My goodness..I haven't posted anything here for quite some time. Wish I could say I have been on vacation. Sigh. Trying to think of the last time we had a vacation. I mean an official vacation. The kind we would travel for more than an hour to a destination far enough away that we wouldn't be able to answer any calls. Let someone in an apt that lost their key, or feel I needed to be cleaning something somewhere. Maybe a place that had some sun for more than an hour a day. Lord forbid a place I would have to go to a restaurant and not have to cook the meals myself. Take my camera with and shoot landscape that I haven't seen day after day for a month. Maybe too, find some nurseries that have and unusual sun plaque to add to my garden. Sounds absolutely wonderful.
But, for now, I am not traveling. I am changing locks, cleaning floors, dealing with pests and drug dealing thugs and chasing after rent owed me from LAST month and going to court and..and.
Maybe in the spring.....
But, for now, I am not traveling. I am changing locks, cleaning floors, dealing with pests and drug dealing thugs and chasing after rent owed me from LAST month and going to court and..and.
Maybe in the spring.....
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Claimin it
I had a first today. Well, maybe it is a second. Not very often do I pursue damages in small claims court after a tenant moves out and the rent owed and damages is more than the security deposit. First of all, most of my tenants are on a fixed income, SSI, Disability or has a very low income. "You cant suck blood out of a turnip" is what I was told by other landlords when I first started in this hobby. The cost of filing this type of claim isnt worth it. If I feel someone is of the character that they will someday down the line, get a good paying job or they might be wanting to take out a loan, I will go to court. (note here; defendants never appear to contest) In 20 years I probably have done this less than 10 times. Once a lady called and wanted to pay me back in installments each month because her bank wouldn't let her get a car loan. Of course I said. Never heard from her again. Couple other times I received full payment and usually it amounted to being under $200.
Today I get a call from someone I rented to over 10 yrs ago. Let's call him Gary. Gary got his life back on track and is now trying to get a loan but has to take care of a few debts first.
Would I be willing to take less than he owes? We went back and forth and I agreed to 200 less.
That 700 will come in handy tomorrow when I have to pay for the $800 repairs on my Jeep!!!!
Today I get a call from someone I rented to over 10 yrs ago. Let's call him Gary. Gary got his life back on track and is now trying to get a loan but has to take care of a few debts first.
Would I be willing to take less than he owes? We went back and forth and I agreed to 200 less.
That 700 will come in handy tomorrow when I have to pay for the $800 repairs on my Jeep!!!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Drama house minus one
Pam is gone...she has moved out of the Drama house. The other tenants had a going away dinner/party for her. Little did she know it was more of a celebration than anything.
No more constant phone calls to let me know about how much money her conservator was allowing her that week. The updates of her meth addict son or the mother of his baby's in and out of jail news updates. From now on I will have to go to bed at night wondering how many men hit on her as she sat on the front stoop of the building drinking beer out of a coffee mug.
No longer will she be there to hit on my husband when he stops by the building for any repairs. Who will she call with the little stories of the harrassment she got from the locals about not wearing a bra? I doubt my son will miss her standing on the sidewalk watching him as he mows the large lot.
I am wondering how long before her new landlord will tire of her requests for help in reading her legal papers, filling out an insurance application, or that the temp in her apartment needs to be changed to accommodate her hot flashes.
No, I will not miss her. Hopefully she has me off her friends list and no longer on speed dial.
Only time will tell.
No more constant phone calls to let me know about how much money her conservator was allowing her that week. The updates of her meth addict son or the mother of his baby's in and out of jail news updates. From now on I will have to go to bed at night wondering how many men hit on her as she sat on the front stoop of the building drinking beer out of a coffee mug.
No longer will she be there to hit on my husband when he stops by the building for any repairs. Who will she call with the little stories of the harrassment she got from the locals about not wearing a bra? I doubt my son will miss her standing on the sidewalk watching him as he mows the large lot.
I am wondering how long before her new landlord will tire of her requests for help in reading her legal papers, filling out an insurance application, or that the temp in her apartment needs to be changed to accommodate her hot flashes.
No, I will not miss her. Hopefully she has me off her friends list and no longer on speed dial.
Only time will tell.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Such a whiner
Seems I only talk about the tenants that are 'bad'. Or the situations that are 'bad'. I have 53 tenants and of those, all but 3 or 4 are good tenants. Sure some drive me batty but they pay their rent, keep their apt clean...police dont get called over once a month.
Well, I whine about the 'bad' ones cause I get so upset and so frustrated and so ANGRY that I just have to.
Ok, so I dont rent to professionals or middle class people. And I have accepted the fact that the type that apply for my apartments will be less experienced, know little about responsibility and have their priorities all messed up.
I try to explain to them when they move in about budgeting and planning ahead for bills- Not wait for a certain paycheck and than to spend it all on one bill. That advice usually goes right over their heads.
If they are putting me off all month withot paying, again I try to get through to them. I use the example of them not paying is the same as if they would not get a paycheck week after week. It is very doubtful that they would put up with excuses from their employer.They would not tolerate it.
I havent gotten my 'paycheck' from a new tenant for four weeks now. Yeah I let it go on too long. She has run out of excuses.
She doesnt know that but, I do.
Well, I whine about the 'bad' ones cause I get so upset and so frustrated and so ANGRY that I just have to.
Ok, so I dont rent to professionals or middle class people. And I have accepted the fact that the type that apply for my apartments will be less experienced, know little about responsibility and have their priorities all messed up.
I try to explain to them when they move in about budgeting and planning ahead for bills- Not wait for a certain paycheck and than to spend it all on one bill. That advice usually goes right over their heads.
If they are putting me off all month withot paying, again I try to get through to them. I use the example of them not paying is the same as if they would not get a paycheck week after week. It is very doubtful that they would put up with excuses from their employer.They would not tolerate it.
I havent gotten my 'paycheck' from a new tenant for four weeks now. Yeah I let it go on too long. She has run out of excuses.
She doesnt know that but, I do.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Hmmmph
Showed my 2 bedroom today to a young couple. Clean, tats, some piercings, tri colored hair--he had a mohawk. They walk around, the guy goes "I bet you have a hard time renting this out"
I said,"Why?"
He goes, "Well, look at it"
(grrrrrr)under my breath
She liked it. As they were leaving she said they would give me a call if they couldn't find anything else.
I said,"Dont bother".
"Why?"
"Well, look at you"
I said,"Why?"
He goes, "Well, look at it"
(grrrrrr)under my breath
She liked it. As they were leaving she said they would give me a call if they couldn't find anything else.
I said,"Dont bother".
"Why?"
"Well, look at you"
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Like a rock
Made the rounds last night to different properties and dumpsters in the old truck. Seems anyone and everyone thinks it is ok to dump their junk for free alongside a dumpster. Than the city sends us a citation so now we have to spend time and money to haul it away. Doesn't seem right but we do what we gotta do.
I got to thinking about all the trucks we have had over the years. We don't go for new or fancy or expensive. Practical, affordable is our middle name. And besides, we never had to worry about it getting all scratched up or dented.
The first one we purchased was from a farmer way down in Dysart. He had the Ford parked out in the middle of his dairy pasture with hay piled high for the cows. I think we paid a hundred bucks for it. Big ol stick shift right up out of the floor. In time we could see the road below us around that stick shifter. And oh to find the gears! Around and around one had to work that stick to get it in first second or third. Reverse was pretty easy. My poor father in law had too many bad experiences with this truck. Brakes failing, flat tires etc.
Eventually we sold the thing to the guy who worked the scale at the landfill.
Next one we had was an old brown Ford again. This one was cool. It came with a topper. Cool for the kids because they loved to ride in the back all hidden away. This is the one we used for mowing. Loaded up four mowers in the back and five of us up front. My son would sit on my lap and the girls would squeeze in between me and my husband. Three on the tree. Eventually we took the topper off because it was hard to load it up with 'stuff' from the properties. We sold that one to a junkman that made his way around town. I refused to drive it any more because it was getting so sensitive. I would 'lose' the gear. My husband was the only one confident enough to attempt it.
Next one was a Chevy. And we paid 1500 for it. That's a lot of money! Husband bought it from a co-worker. It is the one we still have today. It is an automatic so the kids could drive it around on their own to mow lawns. When my son got his license and there was no junk car to hand down to him to use, the truck was next on the list. He decided to pimp it up by taking the dash cover off and plans to replace it with a new one. Well, like many of his ideas..this one did not go very far. He never put the cover back on so we drive it around today with all the 'guts' exposed.
Ya have to pump the heck out of the gas before you turn the key. And when you do get it running, you have to really ride that gas pedal. Reve it up so to speak. Have to do that a few times before it will stay running. In the winter it takes that and a prayer or two and some other colorful language to get it started. The gas tank cover hangs open on one hinge, the tail gate needs to be opened with a big ol screwdriver, there is no radio or AC. In all the years we have had this honey, we have had the oil changed twice and had one major tune up done to it. It has hauled furniture when the kids moved in and out and back in and out again. I cant count the number of trips it made to the dump. I have loaded more dirt sand and stone on it for my yard not to mention mowers and lawn equipment. She aint pretty but she has been around a long time.
Maybe our next one will be a shiny one
I got to thinking about all the trucks we have had over the years. We don't go for new or fancy or expensive. Practical, affordable is our middle name. And besides, we never had to worry about it getting all scratched up or dented.
The first one we purchased was from a farmer way down in Dysart. He had the Ford parked out in the middle of his dairy pasture with hay piled high for the cows. I think we paid a hundred bucks for it. Big ol stick shift right up out of the floor. In time we could see the road below us around that stick shifter. And oh to find the gears! Around and around one had to work that stick to get it in first second or third. Reverse was pretty easy. My poor father in law had too many bad experiences with this truck. Brakes failing, flat tires etc.
Eventually we sold the thing to the guy who worked the scale at the landfill.
Next one we had was an old brown Ford again. This one was cool. It came with a topper. Cool for the kids because they loved to ride in the back all hidden away. This is the one we used for mowing. Loaded up four mowers in the back and five of us up front. My son would sit on my lap and the girls would squeeze in between me and my husband. Three on the tree. Eventually we took the topper off because it was hard to load it up with 'stuff' from the properties. We sold that one to a junkman that made his way around town. I refused to drive it any more because it was getting so sensitive. I would 'lose' the gear. My husband was the only one confident enough to attempt it.
Next one was a Chevy. And we paid 1500 for it. That's a lot of money! Husband bought it from a co-worker. It is the one we still have today. It is an automatic so the kids could drive it around on their own to mow lawns. When my son got his license and there was no junk car to hand down to him to use, the truck was next on the list. He decided to pimp it up by taking the dash cover off and plans to replace it with a new one. Well, like many of his ideas..this one did not go very far. He never put the cover back on so we drive it around today with all the 'guts' exposed.
Ya have to pump the heck out of the gas before you turn the key. And when you do get it running, you have to really ride that gas pedal. Reve it up so to speak. Have to do that a few times before it will stay running. In the winter it takes that and a prayer or two and some other colorful language to get it started. The gas tank cover hangs open on one hinge, the tail gate needs to be opened with a big ol screwdriver, there is no radio or AC. In all the years we have had this honey, we have had the oil changed twice and had one major tune up done to it. It has hauled furniture when the kids moved in and out and back in and out again. I cant count the number of trips it made to the dump. I have loaded more dirt sand and stone on it for my yard not to mention mowers and lawn equipment. She aint pretty but she has been around a long time.
Maybe our next one will be a shiny one
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