All Forum Posts by: Chris John

@Adrienne G. I was wondering something like that as well.  When I was managing our rentals we always had so many people apply that I would just tell people we chose someone else.  If they pressed and wanted specifics, I would just say something like "we had 4 qualified applicants and had to choose one, unfortunately we didn't choose you".  I never received any push back, but I was wondering:

1.  What would have happened if I'd told these people the truth (I think you'll destroy the place, you're rude and the neighbors will hate me, I don't like the way you parent your children, etc.)

2.  Did I expose myself to problems by answering the way I did?  Honestly, I guess I didn't focus enough on laws, etc. so I don't even know the "right" way to turn people down.  I'd just say as little as possible...

@Allan Smith  That's pretty funny.  Gross, but funny.  One of our rental nightmare stories (there's a LOT to this story I'm leaving out) involves at least one of those on the family room floor.  :(  

@Percy Matsunaga and @John W.  You guys are brave.  If I'm never going to see someone again, there kids can do most anything without me saying a word.  Although, John W., you make a good point about property destruction (at least my property destruction...).  I didn't see my sprinkler head coming...  haha.

@Brian Garlington

Was your comment about not providing food and water directed at Gi'angelo Bautista?  If so, I think he was saying his tenants had a house in Modesto without electric and water.

I'm confused because I have houses in Modesto and water, electricity, etc. is on the tenant for SFR out here. Would I be forced to have those turned on in SF for nonpaying tenants if they let theirs lapse or something?

I'm hoping you're talking about someone else's multi-unit that I missed in the conversation and the electric and water is included.  If not, it'd be another reason to be leery of doing business in California these days.

Thanks and sorry if I'm adding to the confusion.

@Jonathan R McLaughlin

Oh, it was the parents for sure, but you still made me feel guilty!  haha.

Honestly, thinking back on it as it's been a few years, one thing that stands out now that didn't stand out as much then was the guy trying to bribe me with 6 months cash in advance.  Just the way he went about it rubbed me so wrong.  It felt like in his head he was buying me or something.  He wasn't like "hey, I can even pay you 6 months in advance if you're worried about anything and think that can help."  It was much more dismissive than that.

Plus, we've never had too much trouble getting paid our rent (it happens, but it's not something I lay awake worrying about - at least pre-corona) so he was essentially trying to bribe me with buttons and a ball of yarn for all I was concerned.  I mean, if you want to bribe me, do it with extra money, not money I'm gonna get in the next few months anyway.

In the end though, I do feel a little bad now that you point out the kid thing, but not enough to stop me from plugging that old phone back in and looking for that old text string. 

Haha.  This reminds me of a showing that went so poorly that I named the guy "no" and his wife "no 2" in my phone just so I wouldn't accidentally answer if they called again (after stupidly answering and responding to several texts and calls up to finally having that moment of clarity). 

Kid ran around an empty house I was showing and was being completely unruly.  I've never seen anyone count to "5" instead of "3" before, but these people did.  Even stopped at "4 and a half".  It took all I had to not make an audible gasp at that point. 

They eventually told him that they weren't taking him for pizza (or whatever) on the way home, but he lost it so completely at that point that they immediately backed down and said that he'd have to start acting better, but it would be ok and they would go.  Unreal.

He ended up breaking a sprinkler head in front of all of us.  The truly insane part is that they truly thought I was going to rent to them.  They were trying to bribe me by paying 6 months in advance with cash, etc.  They kept calling and texting me and asking why I wouldn't rent to them.  Ultimately, the wife insisted that I confirm that I didn't choose them because they didn't have perfect credit.  I didn't have the heart to tell her that I never even bothered to check their credit.

They were out-of-towners and I remember thinking that I couldn't punish my nice, little town by bringing these people into it.  I don't think I'd be able to buy groceries or show my face in town if I'd chosen them...  Good times!

Am I the only one thinking (please understand that I'm not advocating or suggesting this) that in the olden days some "dudes" would have shown up, had a "conversation", and the place would be cleared shortly thereafter?

I can't imagine trying to explain to my grandpa that he couldn't remove a squatter from his own property because of their "rights".  It would most likely be a long, hilarious conversation.

@Gi'angelo Bautista  That's rough.  I'm sorry to hear that.  We had an eviction in Ceres a few years ago where they turned it into the city dump on their way out.  Neighbors were telling us that people were coming from all over the neighborhood to dump their mattresses, refuse, etc.  The pest control guy said it was literally the worst house he'd ever dealt with.

We'd complained to the city for months about the deplorable living conditions, lack of safety, it being a drug house, etc. (of course they did nothing).  When we finally got them evicted, we immediately received all sorts of threats that the city was going to rip out the sewer lines, fine us because they put a generator on the electrical box, etc.  I was like, "where were you for the several months we said this was happening? Nowhere to be seen.  I literally gave you countless opportunities to catch them in the act, but now you can't even wait 2 days for us to begin getting this fixed?"

It was crazy...  Long story, longer.  Good luck!  I hope it ends well for you.

@Steven Jackson  I'm not sure if the expression comes from baseball where the pitcher gets stuck between throwing a pitch and throwing to a base and essentially doesn't commit to either which causes a physical "bobble" which is considered trying to trick the base runner and so the base runner is awarded an extra base.  Anyway, we've always used "balk" in non baseball settings as a way of saying you're not committing to something or passing.

"You want this pizza that's been sitting on my counter for a couple of days?"

"Eh.  I'll balk."  haha

@Steven Jackson  It sounds like you're going to "balk", but please revisit this post with what you ultimately decide to do.  I'm about 30 minutes outside of Stockton, so I'm super curious on this one.  I'd probably just keep looking for the next deal as California is looking pretty landlord unfriendly at the moment.  It's CRAZY to me that squatters are assumed to have so many rights, but they probably do...  Crazy!

I think @jose r. bucio is giving you killer advice.  I did a lot of the work myself originally.  I'm still useless, but it gave me a much better understanding of what the work my fix it guys were doing, how much I thought it was worth, when they were trying to take advantage of me, etc.  You may already be handy and know that stuff, but I didn't for sure.  I did get pretty comfortable just walking a property and having an idea of what they were going to charge me to get it rent ready though.