True Tenant Tales, Volume One
Working with tenants can be an amazing experience. (Owners and contractors are equally astounding, but those are subjects for another day.) It seems I get my most memorable anecdotes over the phone. Here are a few of the ones I've culled from my blog and experience and put together for your reading amazement. First was a late-night phone call I took: *beeeep*
*beeeep*
*beeeep* "Hello?" *beeeep*
*beeeep*
*beeeep* "Hi, my smoke alarm keeps going off." *beeeep*
*beeeep*
*beeeep* "Is there a fire?" *beeeep*
*beeeep*
*beeeep* "No. It does this every time I open the oven." *beeeep*
*beeeep*
*beeeep* "Well have you cleaned the oven?" *beeeep*
*beeeep*
*beeeep* "I've opened the windows and door but it won't stop." *beeeep*
*beeeep*
*beeeep* "Why don't you wave the smoke away with a magazine?" *beeeep*
*beeeep*
*beeeep* "Okay, I've got the fan in the kitchen now. What did you say about the oven?" *beeeep*
*beeeep*
*beeeep* "Have you cleaned it? There's a product you can buy called EZ-Off. It's, well, pretty easy to use." *beeeep*
*beeeep*
*beeeep* "Really? Okay, I guess I'll try that." *beeeep*
*beeeep*
*beeeep* "I think it may help." "Thanks. Have a good night." "Good night." You'll notice I didn't suggest disconnecting the battery. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next was a call in the late morning. "Landlord for Hire." "Terence, I have a really bad problem." "What's wrong?" "There's a bee between the door and the storm door, and I can't get out." "Well, I wouldn't swat it. It's probably as scared as you are." "Okay. Can you come over and open the door for me?" "Well, I'm a half-hour drive from there. Is there someone closer you could call?" "Not really." "How about this: open the inside door and the storm door very quickly, and then close the inside door. You'll bring the bee out with you and it will fly away. You'll be doing it a favor." "What if it gets inside?" "Be quick and it won't ? I have faith in you. Call me if you're still stuck after you try it." I didn't get a call back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Springtime brought this little gem: "Terence, it's really hot in here? Why is the heat still on?" "Have you turned it from "Heat" to "Cold?" "Um, no . . . " ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The last I have right now was a simple voice mail, of chilling consequences: "Mr. Terence, I wanted to call to let you know there's a problem with the drain in the basement. Thank you." "A problem" was three feet of water and human waste in the basement. The tenant was late on her rent and, according to the plumber, must have endured the stench for a week or more before she screwed up the courage to call me. That was a rental I owned myself, and that tenant taught me a lot of the lessons I use to guide my property management philosophy, including not selecting tenants out of fear, not accepting excuses for late rent, and always assuming that your tenants are better at understatement than you are! © 2005 Terence P Ward, all rights reserved.
Terence P Ward is the President of Landlord for Hirehttp://www.landlordforhire.com, a residential property management service of Green and Clean Corporationhttp://www.Green-n-Clean.biz, based in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York State. You may find contact information for him on either of his company's web pages.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Venture Leasing: Startup Financing On the Rise
According to Pricewaterhouse Coopers, investment by institutional venture capitalists in startups grew from less than $3.0 billion at the beginning of the 1990's to over $106 billion in 2000. Although venture capital volume has retreated significantly since the economic "bubble" years of the late 1990's, the present volume of around $ 19 billion per year still represents a substantial rate of growth. Venture capitalists will fund more than 2,500 high growth startups in the U.S. this year.
The Leverage of the Lease
In today's rapidly changing business environment it makes sense to consider all the options before paying for your business equipment ? whether it's a photocopier, computer system, computer hardware or software, telephone system, security equipment, office furniture or anything else. Many business people will give great consideration to the actual purchase, getting quotes from different suppliers and considering different choices. When it comes to paying, however, they simply pay cash or use bank finance without fully exploring the available options.
How To Choose An Equipment Leasing Company
Leasing has become a preferred form of equipment financing, accounting for more than 30% of business equipment acquisitions. Each year, thousands of U.S. companies face the challenge of finding attractive financing to acquire business equipment. Many of these companies approach the lease sourcing process seeking the lowest lease rate. While securing a low rate is a worthwhile goal in choosing a leasing arrangement, it alone is usually not a reliable standard for obtaining the best lease transaction or leasing experience.
Basic Things You Should Know About A Lease Purchase Contract
What exactly is a contract?
Equipment Leasing Blunders That Can Cost Your Firm a Mint
Rod McHenry, the financial vice president of a document imaging company, thought he had great cause for celebrating. He had signed an unbelievable $370,000 lease proposal covering computer servers, workstations, software and other networking equipment. McHenry believed he had snared an incredible lease rate, capping off weeks of negotiating an acceptable equipment price with the equipment vendor. The proposal guaranteed a lease closing and offered a return of the 2% 'commitment fee' paid by McHenry's company if the leasing company failed to give credit approval within two weeks. Little did McHenry know that signing this proposal would lead his company into the 'Twilight Zone' of equipment leasing. Ultimately, his firm would fork out more than $15,000 in legal fees seeking lessor performance, only to learn that the lessor was already insolvent and mired in several similar lawsuits.
Warning - This Lease Might Explode Any Minute
Mike Caringi, owner of a small New Jersey business that sells pumps, found himself facing a gut-wrenching dilemma last summer. Should he continue paying $ 1,500 each month for essential telecommunications services he no longer receives and for leased equipment he claims was never installed? Or, should he stop making payments and face a potential lawsuit from the firm that financed the equipment under a 'hell or high water' lease? Mr. Caringi's company is one of several thousand small companies around the country reeling from the bankruptcy of Norvergence, a reseller of telecommunications and Internet services. At the core of the quagmire facing Mr. Caringi and others is that Norvergence succeeded in getting customers to sign separate lease and service contracts that provided its services.
Interim Rent: Equipment Leasing?s Trap Door
Many lessees enter into lease transactions that they believe are competitive based on faulty rate assumptions. Most lease rate calculations don't take interim rent into consideration. Interim rent is the trap door that allows lessors to receive increases in lease pricing. It is unpredictable and the amount can be arbitrary. By understanding how interim can impact your lease, you can close this trap door and enjoy the lease pricing you thought you negotiated.
Dodging Leasings Grim Reaper: Navigating a Payment Default
In her third Harry Potter novel, ?The Prisoner of Azkaban?, J.K. Rowling introduces a silent mysterious clan of spiny, cloaked creatures capable of siphoning off happiness and all good thoughts from anyone in their presence. Extended exposure to these scabby grim reapers, called Dementors, resulted in madness or death for even the most joyful individuals. In the world of equipment leasing, the closest things to Dementors are lessors who lose confidence in defaulting lessees. If your firm faces imminent payment default, there are several actions you can take to improve your chances of navigating this unfortunate situation.
Ten Equipment Leasing Tips - Save a Bundle on Your Next Lease
According to the Equipment Leasing Association ("ELA"), U.S. businesses lease every thing from laptop computers to commercial airplanes, racking up more than $ 200 billion in equipment leased each year. Although four out of five U.S. companies use leasing to acquire equipment, many don't know the ins and outs of leasing well enough to negotiate a good deal. By focusing on a few key aspects of the lease transaction, you can save a bundle on your next lease and eliminate potential aggravation.
What Happens When the Anchor Tenant Moves and You Are On a Ten-year Lease?
Recently there was an article in the Houston Business Journal of the anchor store in many shopping centers through out Houston pulling out. Kmart, took out some stores, so did three other big box stores and a few consumer electronics places and larger furniture stores, now Albertson's has left. Who gets hurt? The franchise stores who pay a high price and lease to be in those centers along side a big anchor tenant. Think about it, Albertson's with their large super stores with Banks in side, Starbucks coffee, bakery, mini eating area, film developing and pharmacy. Soon in Western States where property and land permit, on site carwashes too and also some already have fuel for your car, when you are a club card member. What if you had an MBE, Quiznos, Subway, Dry Cleaning, Travel Agency (as if things are not bad enough already), GNC, Hobby Town, Cost Cutters, etc.
Ten Ways to Save a Bundle on Your Next Lease
According to the Equipment Leasing Association ("ELA"), U.S. businesses lease every thing from laptop computers to commercial airplanes, racking up more than $ 200 billion in equipment leased each year. Although four out of five U.S. companies use leasing to acquire equipment, many don't know the ins and outs of leasing well enough to negotiate a good deal. By focusing on a few key aspects of the lease transaction, you can save a bundle on your next lease and eliminate potential aggravation.
Smart Car Leasing for Beginners
Car leasing is extremely popular because it provides an attractive method of driving an automobile that you might not otherwise afford. It allows you to make lower monthly payments than with traditional car purchase loans. About one out of every four vehicles driven by automotive consumers in the United States are leased.
Increase Your Business Growth and Cash Flow Through Equipment Leasing
"If it can be manufactured, it can be leased." For the past decade or so, this statement has become more and more true to fact. From computer software to commercial aircraft, equipment leases are utilized day in and day out in a constantly changing and highly aggressive business environment worldwide. To gain or to keep the edge over their competitors, companies of every type and size are constantly looking for creative ways to conserve working capital while expanding operations. Many have turned to leasing their equipment to help in the effort. For this reason, the leasing industry is being defined as a major player in equipment financing today.
Landlord Tips And Tricks
Every real estate investor dealing in rental homes has done his own clean-up and fix-up, at least in the early years. Landlords also become very skilled at managing tenants after being burned a few times.
Ten Ways Start-ups Use Venture Leases And Loans To Generate Millions
The rise of venture leasing and lending has created an opportunity for sophisticated entrepreneurs to gain a competitive advantage. Savvy entrepreneurs are using venture leases and loans to generate millions of dollars for shareholders by leveraging existing venture capital. They have discovered ways to use this flexible financing as a tool to build enterprise value between equity rounds and to leapfrog less sophisticated competitors.
What to Consider Before Leasing a Car
Some people choose to lease a car rather than buying one outright. Here are some useful tips on what to consider before leasing a car:
Insiders Guide to Snaring the Best Lease Deal
Every year, thousands of business owners and financial managers are faced with the task of obtaining attractive financing for equipment their firms want to acquire. Snaring the best leasing arrangement requires only a bit of planning and a smidgeon of finesse. You can save time, land a better lease deal and make the leasing experience less of a conundrum by considering several important factors.
Venture Leasing - A Smarter Way To Build Enterprise Value
In 2003, venture capitalists and investors dispensed over $18 billion to promising young U.S. companies, according to VentureOne and Ernst & Young Quarterly Venture Capital Report. Less documented and reported is venture leasing's activity and volume. This form of equipment financing contributes greatly to the growth of U.S. start-ups. Yearly, specialty leasing companies pour hundreds of millions of dollars into start-ups, permitting savvy entrepreneurs to achieve the biggest 'bang for their buck' in financing growth. What is venture leasing and how do sophisticated entrepreneurs maximize enterprise value with this type of financing? Why is venture leasing a cheaper and smarter way to finance needed equipment when compared to venture capital? For answers, one must look closely at this relatively new and expanding form of equipment financing specifically designed for rapidly growing venture capital-backed start-ups.
Lease or Buy? That is Always the Question with Car Financing
Leasing is a perfectly viable and legitimate way to finance a new car. Although leasing offers attractive benefits, it is somewhat more complex than buying with a loan. This means there can be pitfalls if a decision to lease is made for the wrong reasons.
Using Equipment Leasing as a Competitive Weapon
Most great generals know how to design winning battle plans. They also know how to use their resources to gain advantages over the enemy. For these military leaders, getting enough tanks, aircraft, ships and armaments into the hands of the right personnel can spell military victory or defeat.
|