Snow news is good news?

The winter storm that hit today only meant that we spent the day shoving sidewalks and driveways.  Actually we had asked one of the tenants in each building to shovel - and bought them a shovel.  We told each that we would pay them $10 per hour to shovel the walks. 

When we got to the 8 plex it was evident that Shane had, indeed, shoveled once already.  It was still snowing, so we shoveled again.  What a great surprise!  Maybe they'll use the money to go toward their rent.  Really, I'm sure they will! 

The other person that we asked to shovel was the one who was the Midnight Moveout yesterday, so we shoveled over there.

But, alas, it's been snowing all day and promises to snow all night so tomorrow will probably be a repeat performance. 

Midnight Moveout

That's what our property manager calls it.  Someone who moves out with no notice and doesn't tell anyone they're moving.  It happened to us again today.  Actually we kind of expected it since I'd talked with her last week, but really - not a word?  Don't return the keys?  Leave the lights on?  I dropped by the apartment today to touch base with one of the other tenants and discovered the moveout. 
And the key that I have to that apartment doesn't work, so now we either break into the apartment or have a $51 locksmith bill.  I have no idea what we'll find when we finally get in. The saddest part is that she was my favorite tenant and we tried really hard to take care of her!  Darn it.

Last time this happened we didn't realize that we needed to call the gas company and make sure the account was changed back to our name.  That was June.  When we had the furnaces checked for the winter season, we found the meter had been booted for lack of payment by the Midnight Moveout Tenant.  That meant we had to pay a turn-on charge to have the gas guy come out.  This time I'll call both gas and electric tomorrow just to ensure it gets changed. 

Then, tonight found that one of our new tenants have two 40 pound black dogs.  We've only recently relented and allowed small dogs.  But our concession was for one dog per apartment and no larger than 10 pounds.  It just doesn't seem to matter what you allow, people always want more.

Tenant drama equals vacancy

I've said it before, but our tenants live on the raw edge.  Sunday afternoon I stopped by the apartments to give the tenants a Christmas card and wish them a merry Christmas.  The first tenant I talked to said her husband was working in Texas and fell of a roof.  His harness wasn't tied well and he broke his leg and severly injured his shoulder and probably something else because he's still in the hospital in Texas.  So, now she's driving back and forth to Texas and decided to she needs to be there. 

She's talking about moving in mid-January.  I'm not sure how it's all going to play out, but darn.  Another vacancy means we have another apartment to clean and repair before we can rent it.  I'm not sure I have the energy for it, but then I suppose I'm just borrowing worry. 

Meanwhile, we framed the wall for a new closet in the master bedroom of Mom's house.  All went well.  Wiring is next.  The four feet that we took out of the living room will never be missed since it was pretty useless space.  Dad used to refer to it as the world's largest hallway. 

Rental Income - a misnomer

After Dad died we discussed what to do with the apartments.  Of course there was the option of selling them but how long would that take in this market and what kind of price would we get in this economy?    Another option was to keep them as the primary soure of income for mom.  We calculated that even at half occupancy there would still be sufficient income for mom and still meet the expenses.

Now that we've been at this for a while we realize that isn't necessarily true. We've been hanging in at about 66-75% occupancy.  Occupancy means nothing, however, if the tenants can't pay their rent.  So many are living on the ragged edge that an illness, car trouble, or even Christmas throws their financial world into chaos and they can't pay all of their rent. 

In the last several months our gross income should have been over $4,000 / month but collected rents were about $2,500.  What do you do?  If we evict them we are left with vacancies and all the same expenses.  Is half rent better than no rent?  Arrrrgggghhhh.

Eviction - finally!

After 4+ months of promises, promises but no money, our property manager and I finally decided to file eviction notices on a tenant.  To her credit, she was a really good talker but never never followed through on anything she said she would do or did what we told her needed to be done. 

The property manager posted her three day notice - which, of course, she ignored.  Next step was to file a court date.  On Tuesday, November 9 our property manager and the attorney went to court.  In an unusual move, the tenant actually showed up.  She had the nerve to tell the judge that our accounting was wrong and that she had paid rent but it wasn't credited.  The judge asked if she had documentation.  "No."  He rescheduled and moved the party to Friday, Nov 12.  This time the tenant was a no-show and we won the judgment. 

Fortunately she's gone.  Whew.  I am so relieved.  After months of promises of every shape and size, I'm glad to have a vacant apartment bringing in zero dollars than an occupied apartment bringing in zero dollars. 

Furnace checks

We hired McCreery to check the boiler in the 8 plex and the forced air gas furnaces in the 4 plex.  They send a technican and a trainee.  It took them 7.5 hours to do it all.  That was on a Friday.  The next week the nights got cold and the tenants turned on their furnaces.  Two of the four wouldn't work.  WHAT THE HECK?  We hired them so that wouldn't happen. 

Two days later we got the call - no hot water at the 8 plex.  We called a different plumbing/heating guy who came out.  He looked at the boiler and asked "so what did McCreery do?"  Good question.  We know they didn't do  and we know we won't be hiring them again anytime soon! 

It gives me gas

When we were doing the fall maintenance on the furnaces on the 4 plex, we discovered that the gas meter on the vacant unit had been "booted."  Apparently we aren't the only ones that the former tenant ran out on.  We have a default account set up with the gas company so when a tenant moves, the company automatically transfers it back to us.  We found out that doesn't happen when the tenant runs out - and the gas was turned off for non-payment and it didn't even cross my mind to check. 

Anyway, I met the gas guy there yesterday to have the gas turned back on yesterday so the apartment won't freeze up! 

Meanwhile, Dwight got the new door put up for the tenants next door and the furnace fixed at Mom's house.  Whew! 

Windows, water, and whine

Saturday, Oct 30 - we dropped by the 8 plex to put a new chain on the toilet flapper in #1,  put a lockbox on #6 so Kevin can replace the broken kitchen window, and check the boiler and hot water heater for #7 & #8.  In checking the water heater I discovered the bathtub faucet wouldn't turn off - Yikes!  So, just turn the water off to the tub! Yea, right.  There isn't a shut-off for the tub.  Diego to the rescue.  He finally go the water turned off.  We'll handle that later.

The tenant in #2 feels unsafe and wants deadbolts because they lost their keys, had the locks rekeyed, left the door unlocked and thinks someone went into their apartment.  Is that our problem?  We decided it wasn't.  They can call the property manager and pay for deadbolts if they want them.   

Off to the 4 plex to deliver a snow shovel to the tenant in #103 who volunteered to do snow duty this winter.  Someone wanted in and punched holes in the hollow-core front door.  Good grief.  So, we were off to Home Depot to buy a new steel front door.

The current plan is for Diego to take off work early Tuesday to install the door in #103.