All Forum Posts by: David Thornton

Currently my techs get a work order and then do all of there own scheduling, this works most of the time.  Sometime I feel like they are not being that efficient.  May switch to office manger setting 2 hour blocks of time for each repair.  Please let me know what works for you?

Originally posted by @Bjorn Ahlblad:

@David Thornton if you were on city water and sewer you would be paying around 25k+ per year sewer and water. Get a contractor's bid on total person capacity for the well and septic system. Either monthly pump out or  leeching field. Potentially you would be saving money providing those services and city water may not be an option anyway.

Very true.  That is a positive part of having your own well and septic you don't have to pay the city....or at least the cost to operate the well and septic may be less than municipal.  Thanks for the input

Originally posted by @Mike McCarthy:

@David Thornton definitely talk to someone who knows the city/town rules about both wells and septic. Just because they allowed one or both 30 years ago, codes have changed and you may not be able to install the same type of system there today.

You will probably need a perc test for the septic, and the well needs to have certain distance requirements from other septic fields, streams, house, etc.

it might be an easy installation, or the price could increase significantly. Make sure you know what you’re getting into!

 Thank you for the advice.  I have had local well and septic companies look at the property.  They both work closely with this municipality and are confident it won't be an issue.  It is on almost 6 acres of land.  But if I move forward and accept it as is I will be very careful.  

Originally posted by @Jon Thompson:

Is this a conventional sale using financing? In NY where I live the county requires well and septic to pass inspection when the property changes hands, unless it's like a foreclosure or similar where buyer assumes responsibility. Septic tank (s) should be pretty huge for that many units. 3 bedroom house here requires 1,500 gallon tank. 

 Yes regular commercial financing.  I'll have to look into it a little more and see if there is a similar requirement in this area.   Or I may have to try and get the seller to install before closing.  I appreciate the suggestion

Originally posted by @Matthew Paul:

There is more to the septic than it sounds . A septic tank holds a set amount of liquid and solids , say 1500 gallons . 10 gallons of waste enters and settles , and it displaces the same amount which go into the drain fields . So if you have a 33 unit bldg , and you have 2 people average in each unit . A person with showers , toilets , cooking etc uses 50 gallons a day . So 100 gallons per day per unit , thats 3300 gallons a day , in a month that would be about 100,000 gallons a month . Your tank isnt that big . The fields must be working to some degree . 

Good point.   I'm just going by what the seller told me.  They said they pump it a few times a year.  Currently only 12 tenants on property.  It is a very old system, but it may still be somewhat working.  Might need to pay to get it inspected.  Thanks for the input

I'm looking at a 33 unit that needs well and septic, current septic is not working correctly and they pump it monthly, current well is shared and upon sale we need to drill our own well. Any advice with this situation would be appreciated.

Thanks for the replies.  We already have extensive screening in place for all other areas.  The question is very specific to the student debt portion.  If a applicant meets all requirements in all other areas but has $50,000 in unpaid student loan debt they are delinquent on would you deny them?

Curious what kind of screening people are doing in regards to unpaid student debt.?  Has anyone put a cap on the amount of debt you will allow an applicant to have.  If over a certain amount then automatic denial?

Thanks for all the replies.  Lot's of great feedback.  I totally agree with and practice many of the strategies in the replies when it is necessary.   

I think I may have given the wrong impression of the question I am asking.

 I'm going to try and make the situation a bit more clear.

This is not an eviction.

These are month to month tenants.

I have chosen not to renew their lease for a number of reasons.  

They have been served 28 day non renewal notices.

They understand that they have to leave at the end of the term.

They want to know why? 

I am looking for good answers to that question that will not make the remaining resident look like the bad guy, and also answers that not upset resident that we are kicking out so we can avoid them doing any damage to the property.  No matter what I always try and make a good situation out of a bad one.

@Kevin E. had some good ones in his response above.  I'm looking for more of that stuff.

Tom, Personally witnessing these problems would be great.  Normally they are happening in the middle of the night which makes it a little difficult.

Cash for keys is a great strategy we have used it a few times to make a win win out of a bad situation.

Thanks for the response.