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Lamest excuses for late rent
Had dinner one night last week with another guy who has had rentals for about 15 years and naturally the topic turned to deadbeats and why it's not their fault that they don't have the rent. The following is a compilation of some that had happened to us or that we had had first hand knowledge of:
Tenant called to say he's on the way over with the rent, I asked "full amount", he said "full amount. Hour and a half later he shows up (it's about a 10 minute drive) but he's about $300 short. What happened? "I saw a cool stereo system at the store and had to have it". I said hold on while I make a receipt for you. I typed him up a "3 day letter". Adios
Tenant said he was short because "dude, I had to get new tires for my 'TA' (that's a Trans-Am), last time I ever rented to anyone that was too much of car guy. Adios
Tenant says he started a new business, as a sheetrocker. I told him "no, you didn't start a new business, I did since you did it with my money". Also since sheetrocking is 90% labor and I figure you're stealing the raw materials from your boss". Besides, if I want to start a business, I'd start something more profitable. Adios
While I was repainted a place after an eviction the former (I was sleeping there) the former tenant came by and tried to steal a window A/C unit. He tried to tell the cops that he had purchased it and therefor he could take it. As he had been in the house 2 years and the unit was about 10 years old the cops told him if he came back around they would arrest him. Adios .
Called the tenant on the 3rd when the money wasn't there, he said "well I had it on the first, but when you didn't call I spent it". Adios.
Had a Realtor show up with a prospect one time, I thought it might be a bit odd that (1) most houses on the MLS were less money than mine, (2) agent had already printed and made copies of the applicants credit report, (3) tenant was driving his own (kind of a beater) car, while agent was in his (nice) car. Looked over the credit report and one of the things on it was a year old GMAC loan and some other stuff that didn't seem to fit the tenant (he looked like a "payday loan" kind of guy. I asked for his license and he handed it over, GUESS WHAT, not even close to the same name as that on the credit report. Adios
These are just a few that came to mind. What are some of your favorites.
all cash
Originally posted by MikeOH:
When the commode would no longer flush, they cut the sewer line off in the basement and then started using the bathroom again and the sewage formed a giant sewage fountain in the basement.
Thanks Mike. Made my night. That's some funny sh**! Get it? :lol:
This business is not for everyone. I will admit to that. It took a while to gain my hard edge. You can only the learn same lesson, so many times and my former tenants have been my best teachers...Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.
Now, my business has a NO B.S. policy. You don't pay 3 days after the pay or quit letter is served and you are history. Adios!
Thanks for the laugh for today! Last month I heard how the 24 hour convenience store was closed and he couldn't get a money order! And then there's always the one when the bank messed up his checking account.
"I got paid in cash and left my money on the counter at a store, then when I returned it had been stolen."
I didn't believe it until I saw the video from the store surveillance camera - and the tenant got a short-term loan from a friend, so he could pay.
Now there's a tenant I would try to keep!
I got a good one. Unit is vacant. Tenant gives my partner prorated rent for partial month with promise that security to come. References check out, actually someone we know. Tenant moves in, check bounces. My partner says he'll handle it. Tenant says will make good on the bounced check. Sends another check. Bounces. We have two bounced checks. Here's where it gets good. Tenant claims he sent another check, I tell my partner to start eviction, no check. The story is that he sent the check in the mail and that one of the postman stole it. Claims he has a police report and that the FBI is now involved. My partner by's it. I say evict. Another month goes by, still no check, doesn't try to make good on check. We keep asking for a copy of the police report. Nada. Finally, my partner goes to the local police station, no report. Officer says he never heard of the guy after tenant said for us to talk to the officer. We ended up filing criminal charges for fraud for bounced checks and won. We got our money and still had to go through eviction process. -EVICTED
The toughest late rent scenario for me has been a tenant who was a perfect tenant until... one day... he just stopped paying rent. Then all the excuses came flooding in; client hadn't paid him yet, bank screwed up, he mailed the check already, etc. etc. I finally smelled a rat when 6 police officers showed up with guns drawn and kicked in his door. Aparently he had told his brother that he was about to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head. This bought him another week or two of course because what human being is going to ask another human being for rent right after the first human being tried to kill himself? Like you really want THAT on your concience if your demand was the final straw and he pulled the trigger. Well... this emotional stuff is so hard on the manager/owner that you really have to lay down the lawn on Day 1 when they move in... and make them sign a statment understanding that a 3 Day Pay or Quit will *AUTOMATICALLY* be generated (I usually say 'by the computer' lol) if they are 'x' number of days late and if they do not pay or leave by midnight of day 3 the sheriff will be called on day 4. There can be NO EXCEPTIONS. When there are no exceptions people mysteriously 'find' the money because they plan ahead for this emergency scenario in the back of their minds. They will call their mother's brother's uncle's aunt's son in law and get the money if they have to. But only if you are FIRM. It has nothing to do with being a nice person. You can be very tough and still be a decent human being. They will pretend to be hurt but inside they understand very well that THEY are the ones who are making YOUR life difficult, not the other way around. Remember, calculators are only $3 at Staples. They knew how much rent would be before they moved in. Not paying their rent hurts YOU and makes YOUR like suck, not the other way around. They are being jerks to YOU. You are not being the jerk. Of course, you can handle this stuff firmly and professionally while delievering your ultimatumes with sensitivity and care. You don't have to be a jerk when throwing someone out. For example, I let people know hours before that, "At 11 pm tonight I will be posting a 3 Day Pay or Quit notice on your door. I am letting you know so that you can grab it and take it down immediately so that no one else will see it and you won't be embarassed." But... by far... the trickiest problem I've dealt with is a check that was 'lost' in the mail and 'cashed'. I'm dealing with that problem right now and it sucks.
the coolest trick I found was. "I paid,I have my receipt". They have a money order carbon copy, yes they do. Took me awhile to figure out they were buying the money orders and leaving them blank for a name,,,then spending it elsewhere and filling my name on carbon receipt to 'prove' they paid me or it got lost in mail etc.
After I wised to this strategy I sent letters to all informing lost checks in the mail was THEIR problem , not mine. And the money order company had to be contacted and a copy of BOTH sides of the check is proof of payment ONLY,,to show my bank stamp and I had indeed cashed it. Never had a copy submitted as payment proof after that. Funny thing is that whole story evaporated.
Other good story was they paid one of my kids and they must have stole it,,,or my kids cashed their check. I said give me a copy of both sides of check to prove it,,,never arrived.
this is a great thread...and it's 5 years old...i guess tenants dont' change, huh?!!? my favorite story is one where the lady took 3 weeks to come up with the 15 dollar application fee. randomly out of the blue, she called me and just said "it's tiffany, i got the money." i told her the place was rented 2 weeks ago, but thanks for the call. she called me the next day anyways, saying i never showed up, so she got hungry and spent 8 bucks at burger king. she wanted to know if i'd take 7 dollars to run her app?? again, i told her the apartment was already rented out...lol.
I had one once from a woman that was almost a month behind. She promised she would pay in full in a week. Said she had a letter from Ed McMahon saying a check could arrive any day from Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes. She actually showed me the letter she had been carrying around. Didn't have the heart to tell her it was a solicitation! Ended up getting her and the house qualified for Section 8, so no more problems with rent.
Someone said they accidentally put the rent in the Lion's Box instead of the mailbox by mistake. Got the rent 2 weeks later, evicted 2 months later , trashed the place. Lesson learned.
This month one of my tenants told me he couldnt pay his rent because he cut his finger.
Our best one was after 6 months of paying on time the tenants missed the f the monthly payment. My business partner called them and left a message. I followed up the next day making my cell phone indicate private on the caller id. The husband picks up the phone and immediately goes into a long story of how his wife was abducted by aliens and the National Enquirer was on their way over for a paid interview. WTF?? First thing that came to my mind was that my partner was trying to prank me but then I remembered that I had dialed the call. I was speechless. Wish I had recorded the call. After reiterating the story to my partner, my wife, and about 6 friends, we jumped into the car and decided to make a social call to the property. When we arrived at the neighborhood there were police cars everywhere. The husband was hog tied in the back of one of the cruisers flipping out like a bad episode of Cops. Ends out he went off the deep end and his wife left him for the 18 year old paperboy (she was 40ish and had been hit by the ugly truck several times IMHO). Luckily his mother showed up and I told her they had 3 days to get the stuff out of the house or I donate it. She was the co-signer on the lease. Note to self....next time a 40 year old tenant needs their mother to co-sign...run, run fast.
2nd favorite. We did an inspection of another property. A newly rehabbed townhouse we intended to flip but were upside down when the market slid. I warned the tenant that I was overly protective of the house since we used materials intended to flip not to rent. We even had butcher block counters in the kitchen. I warned him : no smoking, no pets, no farting, no nothing. When we toured the house we found head butt holes throughout the house. He went on to explain the damage was not his fault as he has a medical condition that causes a neck spasm and he does not have control of his actions.
Hopefully I will not be adding a third story anytime soon. :roll:
I had a tenant tell me once that they were late with the rent (for January rent) because they had spent their money on Christmas presents last month. I told him a better present to his kids was a roof over their heads. - Evicted!
All these are from the same tenant:
"I mailed it from my office late Friday, I guess mail is not picked up on the weekend at my office".
"It's been mailed, it must have gotten lost in the mail".
"I ran out of checks".
"My Father died and I had to help cover the funeral costs".
Rent has never been more than a few days late and late fees have been paid.
I have a feeling this tenant is about to go South, so a 3 day pay or quit notice is ready and waiting to be sent if rent is late this month.
Tenants will harden you for sure.
Edit to add: Lease states that rent is not considered paid until I have received it, proof of mailing doesn't cut it.
Here are some of my favorites:
1. The house is haunted.
2. I got deported to Mexico (I called the house number)
3. I haven't sold my pot yet.
4. My paycheck bounced.
5. I paid on time last month so I thought you would let me slide a few days this month.
I have also had some legitimate excuses. My highest amount rental mailed me the rent and then went on vacation. My PO box is 1231 and they put down 1232 on the envelope and the Post Office workers couldn't figure out that even though the envelope said MIKE MCKINZIE, there was no way they could figure out the sender meant 1231. Another time, these same tenants went on a long vacation and left some signed checks for the house sitter and so I got a signed check with no dollar amount on it. I was really tempted to add twenty seven cents to it just to throw them off!!