Lessons Learned

We have a girl living here who didn't pay her rent for the longest time. Let's call her "Abby".  We sent her notice, after notice (that she ignored) until we finally had to send her a 3-day-pay-or-vacate notice. Which, subsequently - she ignored.  Now, landlord-tenant law is an interesting thing.  I have ALL the rights in the world (if I don't discriminate, of course) until they become tenants.  If I don't get a "good" feeling about someone, I don't have to rent to them.  Unfortunately, I have NO clue when they apply whether they're going to pay their rent on time, if they're going to smoke pot, or if they're going to cause me all kinds of headaches with their absurd requests. Once they are living on my property it takes a court order to get them leave, unless they do it willingly.  This is all beside the point.  On with my story . . . So, after the girl didn't leave I sent her another request.  (This whole process took about six weeks).  She finally paid her semester's rent in March - during mid-terms.

About this time I started sending notices, newsletters and emails letting my tenants know that if they didn't turn in a move-out notice 30 days in advance, they wouldn't get a deposit back when they left.  I also gave tenants staying through the summer until April 30th to renew their lease.

Today (May 6) is the DAY BEFORE spring move-outs begin.  This weekend I have approx. 200 residents moving out.  Those who are staying are sometimes shuffled to different apartments to consolidate.  Needless to say, it's crazy time!

So this girl (Abby) called me today asking me how much it was going to cost to stay through the summer.  THEN, after I told her she asked if she could "defer" her rent for awhile until she got her financial aid.  I told her we needed a $200 payment and she could pay the rest when her money came.  She then proceeded to tell me that she only had enough money to pay her rent OR her car payment and she was going to pay her car payment.  (Serious?  You're telling your LANDLORD this???)

It gets better.  I've already filled her room with other tenants (paying ones) for the summer.  When I told her that if she renewed her lease she would have to move apartments, she went ballistic.  She started swearing and telling me that if she was going to pack up her belonging, she was going to just move home to LaVerkin.

After listening to her vent, I told her that I would wait to hear from her and she hung up frustrated.  As I hung up the phone, I couldn't help smiling.  In my job I am often the person that teaches these kids life lessons such as

• Late fees are real.  So are deadlines.  If you can't follow directions, you're not going to get ANYWHERE in life.
• Your landlord doesn't HAVE to renew your lease.  Especially if you don't pay your rent and you swear at her on the phone.  
• Living with 5 other people is sometimes difficult and your mom is not here to help you get along with them.  Figure out how to communicate.
• Don't take your roommates car in the middle of the night - she will call the cops and you will go to jail.
• Drinking alcohol when you're not 21 is ILLEGAL!
• Once you are 18, you are held accountable for your actions.
• Don't smoke pot.  Your landlord will catch you, and she will call the cops.
• If you park illegally *especially in the Manager's Parking* you risk getting towed. And that pretty much sucks.

So, now you've lived a day in my life.  There's never a dull moment around here. Sometimes I feel like I have 300 kids and it's exhausting. Maybe I will start blogging about crazy/interesting/outrageous things that happen around here.  I could be blogging everyday.  I am learning a lot about myself and my capabilities.  I am doing things and experiencing things that I never could have imagined.