Question regarding my landlord

[Belle5]

I don't think anyone should make you feel bad about asking. Sometimes when you are in a financial crunch you just can't think very clearly. Having said that, I totally agree that you should eat the $20 yourself. Your landlord is amazing. I also agree that you should thank him for all he does.

 

[SandrA9810]

Well it is a little strange that the check would get cashed before the first of the month, since it seems the check was for December's rent.

1, I would not deduct 20$... 2, try using money orders from now on. It's the way we ALWAYS pay our rent, we don't even have a checkbook anymore. I know one of the biggest problems with using money order's, is most places require you to have cash to get one, and banks will charge like 5$ for each one. But we go to Publix, and pay 89 cents for each one (the max is 500 per check, so it takes two). I can use my debit card to pay for the transaction and I don't have to worry about reaching my 400$ ATM withdrawl limits either. And the money orders are bought when the money is in the bank, so I don't have to worry about making sure the money is in the bank for whenever they decide to process the check through.

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

I'm absolutely stunned that you even need to ask this . Especially since...

1) he lets you pay your rent late
2) he covered your electric bill when you were in a lurch

I'm sure it was an inconvenience for you, but it is an inconvenience for him every month that you don't pay on time - his mortgage payment is due on time whether he has your money or not. I am really sorry for your situation, but I think you need to count your blessings that you have an understanding Landlord and chalk the $20 up to a mistake that occured when he was bending over backwards to help you.

and he is even doing repairs on the property that he/she is paying rent late on.

another vote for no and I think I would offer to do something to help him out.

With time on your hands there may be something you can do for him to help out.

 

[Dax]

and he is even doing repairs on the property that he/she is paying rent late on.

another vote for no and I think I would offer to do something to help him out.

With time on your hands there may be something you can do for him to help out.

OK, let me clear THAT statement real quick...I had asked him 3mo ago about pest issues..ants mostly, big nasty wood eating ones, who were running RAMPANT in the house. He said HE was in charge of pest control, hence why I asked. Now mind you I asked 3mo ago about the ants, and he showed up this pas Saturday, with bug spray. I had already done that, 2mo prior, as the ants were EVERYWHERE, and that cleared the issue. He still has yet to fix the roof issue that causes my porch to leak that he has know about since i moved in over 1 year ago. Not trying to say anything negative, but I dont want ppl to think he is at my house all the time fixing things, as he never is. We make all our own repairs when we can, out of pocket unless major.

Now as for our arrangement, yes his wife was the one who cashed it. It was for Dec rent. She was not aware of the hold on the check, landlord even said it was HIS fault, so no arguement there. As for me paying late...My actual agreement with the landlord is payments are late after the 10th of the month, unless he knows ahead of time. This was set up when I moved in over a year ago. The only reason this month was different, was because my unemployment had rolled over, and I wasnt sure how much my payments were gonna be, so I wasnt sure if I needed another week to pay..He has been on umemployment before, so he knows how it works. So technically I have NEVER been late on my rent as so many are pointing out, as the 10th s my actual DUE date, and he always has it on or before the 10th. He will sometimes hold it for another week, that is not something I ask from him, he does it himself.

I dont want ppl to think I am ungrateful for what he is doing..because I am..He has been a huge help. But look at it from my point of view for just 1 min..You live check to check, week to week, all money is set to go somewhere before it even hits the accounts. Imagine that you know a certain amount to be in the account, you double check before paying a MAJOR bill like power, and finding all your money gone, and knowing that even with the little still about to come in, you wont hav enough now to cover your expenses..I was in a panic..I am still trying to recover honestly. HE OFFERED to pay the electric, I AM PAYING HIM BACK in 2 weeks, on my NEXT unemployent check..He just kept me from losing my power when I had company, and he said it was his fault it happened. He even offered to drop cash off to me on Thanksgiving Day..

All I asked for was opinions...Everyone has one..So I was just hitting up the opinions..He did offer to cover my bank fees if they got to out of hand, luckily, my credit union is decent and I didnt get to out of hand..

So I hope that clears it up some more..

 

[happygirl]

OK, let me clear THAT statement real quick...I had asked him 3mo ago about pest issues..ants mostly, big nasty wood eating ones, who were running RAMPANT in the house. He said HE was in charge of pest control, hence why I asked. Now mind you I asked 3mo ago about the ants, and he showed up this pas Saturday, with bug spray. I had already done that, 2mo prior, as the ants were EVERYWHERE, and that cleared the issue. He still has yet to fix the roof issue that causes my porch to leak that he has know about since i moved in over 1 year ago. Not trying to say anything negative, but I dont want ppl to think he is at my house all the time fixing things, as he never is. We make all our own repairs when we can, out of pocket unless major.

Now as for our arrangement, yes his wife was the one who cashed it. It was for Dec rent. She was not aware of the hold on the check, landlord even said it was HIS fault, so no arguement there. As for me paying late...My actual agreement with the landlord is payments are late after the 10th of the month, unless he knows ahead of time. This was set up when I moved in over a year ago. The only reason this month was different, was because my unemployment had rolled over, and I wasnt sure how much my payments were gonna be, so I wasnt sure if I needed another week to pay..He has been on umemployment before, so he knows how it works. So technically I have NEVER been late on my rent as so many are pointing out, as the 10th s my actual DUE date, and he always has it on or before the 10th. He will sometimes hold it for another week, that is not something I ask from him, he does it himself.

I dont want ppl to think I am ungrateful for what he is doing..because I am..He has been a huge help. But look at it from my point of view for just 1 min..You live check to check, week to week, all money is set to go somewhere before it even hits the accounts. Imagine that you know a certain amount to be in the account, you double check before paying a MAJOR bill like power, and finding all your money gone, and knowing that even with the little still about to come in, you wont hav enough now to cover your expenses..I was in a panic..I am still trying to recover honestly. HE OFFERED to pay the electric, I AM PAYING HIM BACK in 2 weeks, on my NEXT unemployent check..He just kept me from losing my power when I had company, and he said it was his fault it happened. He even offered to drop cash off to me on Thanksgiving Day..

All I asked for was opinions...Everyone has one..So I was just hitting up the opinions..He did offer to cover my bank fees if they got to out of hand, luckily, my credit union is decent and I didnt get to out of hand..

So I hope that clears it up some more..

Sorry I still don't think you should charge him, I would never give someone a check that I knew I didn't have money in the bank to cover. that is only asking for problems.

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

Even so, I still think I would forget the $20. If you want to keep things accommodating if not deduct it and get ready to look for somewhere else to live that is if you could even get a place with being unemployed.

Not sure I understand why he took 3 months to address the ants being that it is his property they were eating. But hey some people are just slow to get moving I guess.

 

[eliza61]

So since I have been unemployed, my landlord is SUPER understanding when it comes to getting his rent check. We have an understanding that he will get his money, just not always on the 1st of the month. Since I have been out of work and on unemployment, I have never had a check bounce, so the deal is working.

He came to my house last Saturday to do some minor work, and he also picked up the check, which he has done prior. Because I wasnt sure of the EXACT date of when the check could be cashed, I left the date blank..I have done this before and he just fills it in when he cashes it. I told him I would let him know AS SOON as he could use the check, and all was fine. We have done this in the past with zero issue..

Well I am sure many can see where this is going...My landlord's wife cashed the check on Tuesday. When it cleared the bank on Wed, I did not have the funds, because 1) Unemployment comes on Thurs, Friday if holiday and 2)The last rent check was cashed on 11/13 so it was only like 2 weeks since last check.

My account was $-258.00 on Thanksgiving day, and my electric was due, or a shutoff was gonna occur. The bank DID pay the check(credit union) and I only got charged a $20 fee for the cover. I called my landlord in a panic, and he actually paid my electric, as it was his mistake and he felt horrible.

My question is this...When January comes around, should I deduct the $20 fee from the rent? Everyone I have talked to says I should..he really left me in a major money lurch this week, as what little saving I had is gone now, and all my hubbies check, and MOST of my unemployment all went to the overdraft, leaving me with very little this week for anything. Thank goodness I had family in town..

So what you think I should do?

You're not going to like my answer.

I think you should reallly thank your lucky stars that you have such an understanding landlord and just chalk up the 20 bucks.

I think it would be totally ungracious to quibble about 20 bucks since he paid your utility. As far as money lurch, you're landlord did not do that to you. It is not his responsibility to make sure you have an emergency fund nor watch the date of the calendar for you.

Don't play tit for tat when you don't have a leg to stand on. Suppose he decides to start billing you for late payments (which he has ever legal right to do)?

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Don't deduct the $20. He has been really flexible so far & doing something like that could really change his feelings. Many landlords charge fees if you're late on your rent, so just remind yourself how lucky you are to have an understanding landlord & let the $20 slide. I've been in your shoes, so I understand the importance of every penny, but you don't want to seem petty.

 

[eliza61]

Now as for our arrangement, yes his wife was the one who cashed it. It was for Dec rent. She was not aware of the hold on the check, landlord even said it was HIS fault, so no arguement there. As for me paying late...My actual agreement with the landlord is payments are late after the 10th of the month, unless he knows ahead of time. This was set up when I moved in over a year ago. The only reason this month was different, was because my unemployment had rolled over, and I wasnt sure how much my payments were gonna be, so I wasnt sure if I needed another week to pay..He has been on umemployment before, so he knows how it works. So technically I have NEVER been late on my rent as so many are pointing out, as the 10th s my actual DUE date, and he always has it on or before the 10th. He will sometimes hold it for another week, that is not something I ask from him, he does it himself.

I dont want ppl to think I am ungrateful for what he is doing..because I am..He has been a huge help. But look at it from my point of view for just 1 min..You live check to check, week to week, all money is set to go somewhere before it even hits the accounts. Imagine that you know a certain amount to be in the account, you double check before paying a MAJOR bill like power, and finding all your money gone, and knowing that even with the little still about to come in, you wont hav enough now to cover your expenses..I was in a panic..I am still trying to recover honestly. HE OFFERED to pay the electric, I AM PAYING HIM BACK in 2 weeks, on my NEXT unemployent check..He just kept me from losing my power when I had company, and he said it was his fault it happened. He even offered to drop cash off to me on Thanksgiving Day..



So I hope that clears it up some more..

Listen Dax,
Regardless as to when you're paying him back or who does what around where. This man is doing you a huge favor by being sensitive to your situation.
Once again, it's not his fault that you are living check to check (and yes I know the feeling). It's not the banks fault or the unemployment office. It's totally on you.
Is it worth 20 bucks to get this guy p.o'ed or his wife? My advice pay him his full rent, thank him graciously each time you see him and start filling in the date line on all checks.
When you get back on your feet, start saving up for that 6 month emergency cash account.

 

[Dax]

Don't play tit for tat when you don't have a leg to stand on. Suppose he decides to start billing you for late payments (which he has ever legal right to do)?

Again, my rent is NOT LATE...it is due on the 10th of the month..when he came to address the bug issue, he asked for it early...using our normal agreement...I dont think I will be doing THAT again..I will send it as I usually do..The check getting early is something he asked, and he said he would deposit it when I SAID it was OK..and was something that had only been done maybe 3x..without issue..

I will let the issue drop..I feel bad for asking, I feel like I am getting thrown to the wolves...People seem to think I am somehow screwing my landlord and he is the saint...anyways..I will do the right thing I am sure.

 

[DVM]

if you need to 'reclaim' $20, why don't you cancel your internet service?

unlike power/water/rent, internet is still a luxury item, right?

 

[SandrA9810]

I understand your pain when it comes to crappy landlords. We know all too well... if it needs to be fixed, do it yourself because they won't do it. maybe you could address the situation the next time you see him to pay the electric back. but don'y just take it from the rent or else things could get worse...

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

Again, my rent is NOT LATE...it is due on the 10th of the month..when he came to address the bug issue, he asked for it early...using our normal agreement...I dont think I will be doing THAT again..I will send it as I usually do..The check getting early is something he asked, and he said he would deposit it when I SAID it was OK..and was something that had only been done maybe 3x..without issue..

I will let the issue drop..I feel bad for asking, I feel like I am getting thrown to the wolves...People seem to think I am somehow screwing my landlord and he is the saint...anyways..I will do the right thing I am sure.

Not throwing you to the wolves nor do I think your landlord is a saint, afterall I do not know the man.


I do feel that $20 is not worth the bad feelings that it will cause if you deduct it.

I am sure you will do the right thing in your book just not sure that it would be the same in my book.

I hope your situation turns around soon and money becomes less of an issue.

Good luck.

 

[eliza61]

Again, my rent is NOT LATE...it is due on the 10th of the month..when he came to address the bug issue, he asked for it early...using our normal agreement...I dont think I will be doing THAT again..I will send it as I usually do..The check getting early is something he asked, and he said he would deposit it when I SAID it was OK..and was something that had only been done maybe 3x..without issue..

I will let the issue drop..I feel bad for asking, I feel like I am getting thrown to the wolves...People seem to think I am somehow screwing my landlord and he is the saint...anyways..I will do the right thing I am sure.

Not at all We just don't think 20 bucks is worth upsetting the man. Don't feel bad. We know you are trying to make the best of a bad situation.

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

if you need to 'reclaim' $20, why don't you cancel your internet service?

unlike power/water/rent, internet is still a luxury item, right?

ok that is unfair and uncalled for you have no idea where the op is posting from they could be at mcdonalds for all you know.

 

[Dax]

if you need to 'reclaim' $20, why don't you cancel your internet service?

unlike power/water/rent, internet is still a luxury item, right?

I cant "cancel" as is so easy for you to assume..I have been living with this for almost a year, and my cuts are all done on a day to day basis...I am under a contract that will cost me more $$$ than is worth...

I will talk to the landlord and let him decide...problem solved..I know better than to come to The Dis for questions anymore...

 

[happygirl]

I cant "cancel" as is so easy for you to assume..I have been living with this for almost a year, and my cuts are all done on a day to day basis...I am under a contract that will cost me more $$$ than is worth...

I will talk to the landlord and let him decide...problem solved..I know better than to come to The Dis for questions anymore...

I don't think anyone was cruel or mean to you. In fact I thought everyone was very civil. I'm going to guess your landlord will pay the bank charges, He sounds like a very nice landlord

 

[lovemygoofy]

Again, my rent is NOT LATE...it is due on the 10th of the month..when he came to address the bug issue, he asked for it early...using our normal agreement...I dont think I will be doing THAT again..I will send it as I usually do..The check getting early is something he asked, and he said he would deposit it when I SAID it was OK..and was something that had only been done maybe 3x..without issue..

I will let the issue drop..I feel bad for asking, I feel like I am getting thrown to the wolves...People seem to think I am somehow screwing my landlord and he is the saint...anyways..I will do the right thing I am sure.

I'm sorry you feel you are being attacked. I can see a couple of the comments were out of line.

However just saying that your landlord will wait until you have the cash in your account before he cashes the check is my point of having an outstanding landlord. He doesn't have to do that by any means. He is being generous in his waiting for you to be able to cover your bills.

Your landlord feeling bad for the overdraft and paying your electric bill when again he didn't have to is another show if his kindness.

Telling him to cough up $20 because you think this is his fault is just not something to do to someone that is trying to help you during your difficult times. You don't know what other hardships may come in the future while trying to find employment and you may need his kindness even more then.

 

[ilovebassets]

I cant "cancel" as is so easy for you to assume..I have been living with this for almost a year, and my cuts are all done on a day to day basis...I am under a contract that will cost me more $$$ than is worth...

I will talk to the landlord and let him decide...problem solved..I know better than to come to The Dis for questions anymore...

I think the overwhelming majority of answers have been more than polite. I have been a long term renter for over 10 years now and can't even imagine being lucky enough to have the kind of deal you have. Most places I've been charge a half months rent for being late, and none would accept an undated check on a regular basis that can only be cashed when the tenant says so.

Quite frankly, I think you should count your blessings and move on. I'm sure your landlord could milk you for hundreds if not thousands of dollars in late fees and late rent based on your lease, or even have you evicted. I understand that you want people to see things from your perspective, but how about trying to see things from his perspective? He has allowed himself to be taken advantage of by his tenant for a long period of time, and now when one thing doesn't go your way, you want to eat into his what's rightfully his?

I know the economy is tough for you right now, but I think he has been more than sympathetic. The economy is tough for everyone right now. That doesn't absolve one of responsibilities.

 

[Dax]

Quite frankly, I think you should count your blessings and move on. I'm sure your landlord could milk you for hundreds if not thousands of dollars in late fees and late rent based on your lease, or even have you evicted. I understand that you want people to see things from your perspective, but how about trying to see things from his perspective? He has allowed himself to be taken advantage of by his tenant for a long period of time, and now when one thing doesn't go your way, you want to eat into his what's rightfully his?

I know the economy is tough for you right now, but I think he has been more than sympathetic. The economy is tough for everyone right now. That doesn't absolve one of responsibilities.

Again...MY LEASE SAYS PAYMENTS DUE BY THE 10th of the month...and he has them on or BEFORE...I have NEVER missed a payment...I am not trying to get out of my responsibilities..