Collecting rent
Three people currently owe me money: the neighbors, my renters, and Crazy Sheila.
The neighbors owe me money from the emergency room visit I made after their dog bit me in the calf when it was running wild in the neighborhood.
The renters owe me money, for, well, rent.
And Crazy Sheila owes me money when I was a renter 20 years ago.
If Crazy Sheila is precedence, I may not get my money from the renters or the neighbors.
I met Crazy Sheila when I was looking to move out of the then edgy Sherman Hill District. It was just beginning its Phoenix-like revival into the trendy artist's neighborhood it is now. When I lived there its crime-riddled reputation was such that my mother had her best friend call me at work to talk me out of moving into the apartment I had leased. Of course, I moved right in.
But after about six months, I was looking to improve my surroundings as I had found people who would give me some furniture which would be an improvement over sleeping on the 1950s bed-frameless mattress my landlord had furnished my apartment with. I was introduced to Sheila, who, too, was looking for a roommate and a better neighborhood.
For the moment when we met she was sober. When we moved in together, all of her money then went to pay for booze. When it came time to pay the second month's rent, Crazy Sheila had nothing to add to the communal rent envelope. When I presented this thought to my landlord, he reminded me of the lease we had signed, which said we agreed to the $550 monthly rental fee.
So, how do I get out of this predicament, I asked him?
You have to go through the eviction process to legally break the lease and to get away from Crazy Sheila, he informed me.
This involved meeting my landlord at the courthouse. We settled out of court and I agreed to pay both my portion and Crazy Sheila's because she wasn't able to make it to court that day. This bought me a good reference for future rental properties. My landlord suggested I file in small claims court against Crazy Sheila and I did.
What I learned was that at least 20 other people had filed claims against Sheila and it was my responsibility to collect. The 20 people ahead of me had first dibs on any repayments of Crazy Sheila debt. Crazy Sheila has more experience avoiding payment than I do in collecting it, so 20 years later she still owes me $740.
As a young, naive renter, I didn't know to check someone's background. But as a burned roommate and maybe burned landlord I do now. The following are some hints for those who are rooming with someone or renting to someone.
1. Ask to see a potential renter's current police and credit report.
2. Keep a copy of the lease with all current employment and previous rental history of your roommates/tenants.
3. Call all of the people listed on the application to make sure they are telling the truth.
4. Have enough money saved to be one rent payment ahead.
5. Don't wait for the landlord to come to you if you are going to fall behind in paying rent. Landlords are much more amenable if you go to them with your tail between your legs rather than if they have to hunt you down.
6. If you have found yourself living with someone you might choke, confess this to your landlord. S/He wants a friendly arrangement for you as much as you do. You'll have to go through a legal process, but it's better for you to be proactive then to wait for your landlord to initiate it.
7. Best of all, find a good neighborhood with efficiency apartments you can afford.
The neighbors owe me money from the emergency room visit I made after their dog bit me in the calf when it was running wild in the neighborhood.
The renters owe me money, for, well, rent.
And Crazy Sheila owes me money when I was a renter 20 years ago.
If Crazy Sheila is precedence, I may not get my money from the renters or the neighbors.
 |
| The Sherman Hill District where I once lived. |
But after about six months, I was looking to improve my surroundings as I had found people who would give me some furniture which would be an improvement over sleeping on the 1950s bed-frameless mattress my landlord had furnished my apartment with. I was introduced to Sheila, who, too, was looking for a roommate and a better neighborhood.
For the moment when we met she was sober. When we moved in together, all of her money then went to pay for booze. When it came time to pay the second month's rent, Crazy Sheila had nothing to add to the communal rent envelope. When I presented this thought to my landlord, he reminded me of the lease we had signed, which said we agreed to the $550 monthly rental fee.
So, how do I get out of this predicament, I asked him?
You have to go through the eviction process to legally break the lease and to get away from Crazy Sheila, he informed me.
This involved meeting my landlord at the courthouse. We settled out of court and I agreed to pay both my portion and Crazy Sheila's because she wasn't able to make it to court that day. This bought me a good reference for future rental properties. My landlord suggested I file in small claims court against Crazy Sheila and I did.
What I learned was that at least 20 other people had filed claims against Sheila and it was my responsibility to collect. The 20 people ahead of me had first dibs on any repayments of Crazy Sheila debt. Crazy Sheila has more experience avoiding payment than I do in collecting it, so 20 years later she still owes me $740.
Lessons Learned
As a young, naive renter, I didn't know to check someone's background. But as a burned roommate and maybe burned landlord I do now. The following are some hints for those who are rooming with someone or renting to someone.
1. Ask to see a potential renter's current police and credit report.
2. Keep a copy of the lease with all current employment and previous rental history of your roommates/tenants.
3. Call all of the people listed on the application to make sure they are telling the truth.
4. Have enough money saved to be one rent payment ahead.
5. Don't wait for the landlord to come to you if you are going to fall behind in paying rent. Landlords are much more amenable if you go to them with your tail between your legs rather than if they have to hunt you down.
6. If you have found yourself living with someone you might choke, confess this to your landlord. S/He wants a friendly arrangement for you as much as you do. You'll have to go through a legal process, but it's better for you to be proactive then to wait for your landlord to initiate it.
7. Best of all, find a good neighborhood with efficiency apartments you can afford.
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