All Forum Posts by: Tracie Van

@Nathan Gesner

Thank you for the great advice!

Just an update. After almost a year I finally got my cluster box approved. 

Writing this from WI.

I have a tenant who told me their DR says they should get a pet. She wants a cat. We've had the WORST luck with cats and damage. Spraying and/or urinating outside the litter box. Two units were so bad that we had no choice but to scrub, treat and put a sealer down over the concrete flooring to get rid of the smell before laying new carpet. Since then, we don't allow cats. 

I know I can't charge an extra rent fee or security deposit but, can I amend the damages section of the lease to include damages caused by pets? Specifically damages to the flooring stating that they would be responsible for the costs of replacing carpet and any treatments necessary to remove odors should the pet urinate/damage the flooring? 

So upset that we have to be forced to allow this. I totally support Service Animals because they are needed and trained but not ESA's because of its rampant abuse. 

 Thank you! I wound up brining a hard copy to her.

I served a tenant a 30 day notice of non-renewal after her lease ended. She asked for an extension of 30 days, this would be 60 days notice. I am actually okay with this, as the rental market is very tough. But of course, I do not want this to extend past 60 days. 

My question is, I served the original notice via certified mail as required. Do I need to send the extension certified mail as well? She would need to sign and return the extension to me.

Update. Finally got to speak with the postmaster today. I am being blamed because I didn't "get it in writing". I asked how am I supposed to know I would need to get it in writing? I Also said had I know that a dishonest employee would mislead me and falsely represent themselves as someone who could approve it then yeah, I would have asked for it in writing. I had zero reason to believe something like this would happen. Its small rural area. 

Postmaster claims his supervisor will call me but wouldn't give me his number. Said that no mail will be delivered to the clusterbox. 

Oh! And he said the carrier is the one who placed the flag and chose the location of the clusterbox. To me, it sounds like the post master has the issue of how to manage his employees. 

I am so upset over all of this. 

 Thank you, I will try this. 
We have contracted rural route carriers here. Not sure if that is making a difference in cost, or, the guy is just lying. 

 It's funny you mention it! My husband went there before noon. Of course, the post master was not available. 

Sorry for the very long post. 
After a few years of trying to even talk with the post master to get a clusterbox approved, I finally did it. At least so I thought.

After a constant run around of no returned or calls or getting through to the post master, a woman answered the phone and I asked to speak with the post master. She said I’m the assistant post master, I can help you. I explained about wanting to put a clusterbox up and why. Elderly residents with walkers having to get their mail from the side of a bust highway. She said no problem, took the address down and said they would go look at the site and see if its possible.

A few days later my resident manager called and said she saw a postal service vehicle on the property and they placed a flag in the ground and left. 
I called the post office back, spoke to the same clerk who usually answers and told him what happened and asked what it meant. Oh, of course post master not available. Anyways, he said that means that is the location the clusterbox would go. I asked, does that mean its approved? He said yes, that would be the reason the put the flag there.

I purchased the clusterbox. We put in the concrete pad. Then waited nearly a month for the clusterbox because they were having trouble getting the material to make them.

It finally arrived 3 weeks ago. We installed it. Called the post office back, again, no post master available OR assistant. I told the clerk we had it installed and we were ready for them to install the locks. he takes down the address again and says it will likely be by the end of the week.

I call the following week. Clerk doesn’t know why its not been installed. Said will call back. Of course no call back.

I keep calling. A woman answers and I ask her if there is something else I need to do to get the locks installed. She is irritated and says she doesn’t know what I’m talking about but will have the post master call me back. Great. Well, to my surprise, he called back immediately. he was beyond rude and condescending and told me he never approves clusterboxes and that there is no assistant post master working there. He spoke to me as if I just made it all up and went out and bought a $1800K cluster box and just threw it up on my property. 
After a long talk and few calls back and forth, he started to piece somethings together. The assistant was a girl who briefly worked there. She has since been promoted to a post master elsewhere. He also eluded to the delivery girl and the assistant being friends and that the carrier gets more money when they have to drive further off the main road, and get out of their vehicle. he made it sound as though the assistant was trying to help her friend out before taking off for her new position. We lett off that he doesn’t have it in his budget to pay the carrier, but he was sending this all to his boss and he would call me back on the 21st.

Of course no call. No one is returning calls at either number I was given.

I am now convinced they are going to try and ignore this and just hope it goes away.

I am livid. Spent close to $2K between the clusterbox, and the concrete pad install and my time.

What would you do?