One of the properties I bought had tenants in place - in fact they had been there over 6 years and wanted to stay which made buying the place a no brainer. The process was slow and painful because it was a short sale, but finally got to the end and was ready to close....but my mortgage company wouldn't sign off until the pool was blue. Don't ask me, I didn't understand it, either.
Tenants had a long sob story about why the pool was in such bad shape, but it didn't change anything. I had 2 days to turn a swamp blue. I paid for a large amount of serious chemicals to get it in shape - and I told them that after that I didn't care what the pool looked like as long as no one was issuing citations.
She then told me that it had been acid washed 4 times in 5 years and they had been told that there was not enough plaster left to do it again, it would have to be resurfaced. At the time I said, "There is no chance that I am going to have a pool resurfaced that has been so poorly maintained the last few years it needed serious intervention - several times. If it gets to that point, I will just have it filled in" I was dead serious, too
Since then I have given them some gift cards when I had extra, given them some stuff for the kids. Nothing major, but thought it might help.
Well, the tenant just called to say that she has had a rough month (every month is rough for them) and she wants me to buy her pool chemicals so they can swim. I reminded her that I hate pools and she let it get in that shape so, if it is going to keep being a problem, I would just as soon fill it in. Not sure she understood that I would REALLY just as soon fill it in.
The kicker to this story: said tenants are on 100% Section 8 housing meaning they pay $0.00 for living in a 5 bedroom house with a pool. They get a subsidy for utilities, and I have been paying the sewer/trash bill anyway, just because I could & it was easier for me. Living proof that giving people something for nothing instills an assumption that they should expect to be given more. Sigh
Posted by Vox at May 11, 2009 08:08 PM | peeves