Question regarding my landlord

[quentina]

No, he is not required to allow you to be late, he is doing it out of the goodness of his heart.

I would not do anything to mess up the arrangement you have.

You are quite lucky.....many would have been given the boot!

This is my personal opinion.............I wish you well in your employment search.

 

[drcmk]

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..

Um, Dax, you asked for everyone's opinion. You received a very clear and nearly unanimous response from a lot of people who were trying to be helpful. Now you seem to be angry that you didn't get the response you wanted to hear. I'm not sure why you asked if you didn't really want to know what everyone thought.

Regardless of the reasons that you are in this situation, no one thinks you should risk damaging your relationship with your landlord over $20. I get that $20 is a lot of money to you right now, but having to find a new place to live would cost a lot more.

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

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.

Maybe alot of us just do not understandhow you and your landlord have an understanding about the rent when after your initial post where you say "he will get his rent just maybe not on the first" then later in the thread you say it is due on the 10th.

Is your rent due on the 1st and then if not paid by the 10th it is late? or is it due on the 10th of every month? If it is due on the 10th and you pay it on time then I just do not get why you need an understanding to begin with or why you would give him a check so far in advance and why his wife would deposit it so far in advance.

I do think that $20 is a small amount to quibble over.

Again I hope your situation changes soon and all this becomes nothing you will need to worry about in the future.

 

[horseshowmom]

I agree that most of the posters have been cordial. You said in your first post that the landlord has been working with you - So since I have been unemployed, my landlord is SUPER understanding when it comes to getting his rent check.

I understand the additional stress that the situation caused you (totally understandable that you were upset by it), but based on your situation, I agree with the others that I would not ask the landlord for the $20 (even though he offered to pay it) after he has worked with you and even provided the money for the electric bill giving you time to repay him.

His wife made a mistake. He acknowledged it and tried to rectify it. I just don't think you should push the issue any further (in large part due to his past understanding with you).

 

[SandrA9810]

When 20$ mean food for a week or a tank of gas, it's a big amount of money for some one.

And her agreement with the landlord of post dating a check has only happened a couple of times from other posts. It's not a regular basis, and she hasn't lived there for more than a year, so it's not a reoccuring thing.

Dax: You wanna talk about getting fed to the wolves, I created a topic on the community board about Old Navy over charging 20$ for the video game on Thursday. It was a District Manager's fault, and they corrected the problem with me, and my friend who also purchased the game. Since I created a topic about it, to let other's know if perhaps they got overcharged as well to return to the store for a refund of the price difference. 3 pages of posts and only like 2 people get the point.

 

[bellarella]

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..

From what you have written, it sounds like your rent is due by the 1st, but there is a grace period until the 10th. This means the funds need to clear the bank by the 10th or he is entitled to penalties. Technically anything given to him after the 1st would be still late, even though there aren't penalties attached. Giving him the check by the 10th and then asking him to hold it until you have funds, even if it has only been a couple of times, means that you've paid late and are in the area that he can collect penalties and report the late payment. He has saved you more than the $20 you are asking him for if he has ever held a check past the 10th.

Also, if you are paying back the electric bill over the next two weeks, then he has given you an interest free loan -- your rent would have been due before you will have paid off the electric bill to him. He's getting the net sum of his money back later than had the error not occurred.

If you are saying that he has never waited to cash the rent check past the 10th, then you might be able to ask -- but at the risk that he will get very strict on the terms of your lease.

 

[bumbershoot]

I agree with everyone else that the $20 might be a big deal to you, and trust me I've been there, BUT having a kind and understanding landlord is worth eating ramen for a week or two.

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?

now now...when you're trying to get a job, having internet is VERY important. Not everyone has super-fabulous libraries with 100 computers to use for hours at a time, and not everyone wants to put personal information on a machine that might be chock full of spyware.

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.

Exactly.

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

When everyone who answers has the SAME answer...it's worth listening to. That happens very very rarely; this is only the third time I have seen it in my time here (first time was when I was posting about inappropriate behaviour on the part of my niece-in-law towards my son). It's worth paying attention to.

A kind landlord is worth $20.

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..

Maybe alot of us just do not understandhow you and your landlord have an understanding about the rent when after your initial post where you say "he will get his rent just maybe not on the first" then later in the thread you say it is due on the 10th.

Is your rent due on the 1st and then if not paid by the 10th it is late? or is it due on the 10th of every month? If it is due on the 10th and you pay it on time then I just do not get why you need an understanding to begin with or why you would give him a check so far in advance and why his wife would deposit it so far in advance.

I agree that that is confusing.


Our lease says it is due by the 5th. Which means it needs to be IN her hands ON the 5th, and she could go straight to the bank and cash it. If she chooses to wait a month to cash it, that's her business. But our job is to get it to her on that date. My landlady, when hubby was facing his department closing and it was taking a long time to get a job, lowered our rent by $200, because she knew that we were looking to move to a cheaper place. It took her 24 hours to make that offer after we pre-warned her that we might be leaving...even though we were looking at places that were $400 and even more less per month, losing the money we COULD have saved is WORTH having a kind and sweet landlady, as she is. Good landlords are worth their weight in gold, and when they are kind to us financially, even if their spouse goofs up, it's doesn't behoove us to make waves.

 

[horseshowmom]

When 20$ mean food for a week or a tank of gas, it's a big amount of money for some one.

And her agreement with the landlord of post dating a check has only happened a couple of times from other posts. It's not a regular basis, and she hasn't lived there for more than a year, so it's not a reoccuring thing.

I honeslty don't think that most of the people have suggested that $20 doesn't matter. I've had times in my past when I didn't have $20, and I understand where she's coming from. when our daughter was born, she had a health condition that meant she couldn't be left with anyone who didn't know CPR. I had to quit work which left us having to deal with serious financial choices. Then, within a month, the company my husband worked for unexpectedly closed (too late to go back to my job).

Also, one time many years ago, I was dealing with a great deal of stress and actually made the mistake of adding a large check in my check register (like a deposit) rather than deducting it. Fortunately, my bank worked with me and didn't charge me huge overdraft fees. I was sick over my mistake.

I do understand serious financial situations. However, based on her background with her landlord, I honestly don't think she should pursue it. He's tried to make things right. If his mistake had cost her hundreds of dollars, I might be more likely to see the point, but it was only $20.

If I were him, I might feel like she was being petty (and that might change my future dealings with her). I think posters are just trying to share that that could be the result (not because he's not nice but because he's human).

 

[mnrose]

Let me get this straight. You have an understanding landlord who is allowing you to slow pay, and you want to ding him for an overdraft fee? Uh. No. I totally would not do that. He may not be so understanding with you the next time.

I have tenants. And, while I am understanding about the ocassional late pay, I also have bills to pay. They are due when they are due. Tenants who pay late cause ME problems with balancing my checking account. If I get more than an ocassional late pay, I charge a late fee. If your landlord has not done so, consider yourself very lucky, and eat the overdraft charge.

 

[Soben]

I just skimmed, so if I'm repeating, sorry

You might have better luck asking the bank to eat the $20. They will usually waive one bounced check fee every so often. It's worth a shot.

 

[eliza61]

When 20$ mean food for a week or a tank of gas, it's a big amount of money for some one.

And her agreement with the landlord of post dating a check has only happened a couple of times from other posts. It's not a regular basis, and she hasn't lived there for more than a year, so it's not a reoccuring thing.

Dax: You wanna talk about getting fed to the wolves, I created a topic on the community board about Old Navy over charging 20$ for the video game on Thursday. It was a District Manager's fault, and they corrected the problem with me, and my friend who also purchased the game. Since I created a topic about it, to let other's know if perhaps they got overcharged as well to return to the store for a refund of the price difference. 3 pages of posts and only like 2 people get the point.

We get the point. When you post a question on a public forum, you have to accept the possibility that people are not going to agree with your position. If you want some one to agree 100% with you, don't post on a public forum.

We respectfully ( and every one here has been polite) disagree. Op, said the landlord was doing him/her a favor. All of us here understand the economic realities, that's why we post on the budget board, we also understand the old saying "don't bite the hand that feeds you".

Right now the landlord is helping op out, he or she bears just as much responsibility for not dating the check. The landlord kept the lights on when he/she did not have to.
Chalk up the $20 bucks as a lesson learned.

 

[4Seasons]

We get the point. When you post a question on a public forum, you have to accept the possibility that people are not going to agree with your position. If you want some one to agree 100% with you, don't post on a public forum.

We respectfully ( and every one here has been polite) disagree. Op, said the landlord was doing him/her a favor. All of us here understand the economic realities, that's why we post on the budget board, we also understand the old saying "don't bite the hand that feeds you".

Right now the landlord is helping op out, he or she bears just as much responsibility for not dating the check. The landlord kept the lights on when he/she did not have to.
Chalk up the $20 bucks as a lesson learned.

Well said. I read thru every page and don't think anyone threw OP under the bus. Apparently there were "details" left out of the original post, but bottom line is............life is full of give and take.
We've been landlords (multiple residential rentals) for over 21 years and have seen countless people, personalities and situations come and go. It's been a real-life "education" in a sense of human nature. Your landlord seems to have been very lenient and accommodating, that's a rarity and not something to take lightly. I won't rehash the sentiments of the other posters that have replied, but really it was an unfortunate situation that could have turned out much, much worse than it did. A stricter bank and less understanding landlord could have really cost you FAR more than $20. Be thankful.
We've helped out tenants in the past, with varying outcomes. Sometimes we've been screwed royally, and other times greatly rewarded (not in a monetary sense). Everyone's human, it was a mistake, let it go and be grateful for what you have.

 

[ceecee]

I must agree with the others - I would certainly NOT deduct $20.00 because of what happened.

Remember, the landlord has bills to pay also, but he is still allowing you to pay your rent late.

 

[ZachnElli]

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?

Actually, especially when your unemployed, it is not a luxury, but a necessity! Most jobs are on the internet and you download your resumes to the employers. You can't find a job by circling ads in the paper anymore, most jobs are on Yahoo, Monster, CareerBuilders, etc. Heck, even unemployment is online in my state! Plus, you don't know if someone is using dial up with a free service or sitting at a Starbucks using a wireless network provided by Starbucks or wherever.

BTW, OP'r I too think you should forget the $20. I know it's hard, but you should. No lecture from me though.

 

[kaytieeldr]

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..

Respectfully, and as someone who has survived from unemployment check to unemployment check - it's unreasonable to even consider withholding that last $20 from your rent check.
Your bank reversed, if I understand correctly, $238 in overdraft fees; your landlord, in addition to allowing you to pay your rent late, accepted blame for the situation (which, really, was the fault of his wife [especially if the check wasn't payable to her] and their bank), and loaned you money interest-free to cover your electric bill. Twenty dollars does not equate to "out of hand bank fees".

Again, my rent is NOT LATE...it is due on the 10th of the month..

Again, with respect - is rent due ON the 10th, or on the 1st but BY the 10th? Given that the latter is the more likely situation, it would probably be a good idea in general to forget about the 10th and just operate on the premise that, likely according to your lease, the rent is due ON the 1st.

 

[NYCDiane]

I can't even believe you would even consider taking the $20 out of your next rent check! Most LLs in this position wouldn't even be close to as understanding as this guy has been! On top of you giving your rent late each month, he paid your electric??? Man oh man..... again, I can't even believe you would consider taking the $20 back...

 

[Dax]

Putting this to rest as I read the last of the responses..

I will call the bank about the $20..Issue resolved..yes my landlord has done me a favor, I understand that...I never argued that point. He only paid my electric as he put me in the bind(well his wife did). I have had landlords who were not so easy going..I am also his FIRST EVER tenant..so its all new to him as well..but any way..

For the final clear up...My rent payment is DUE ON the 10th. This was worked out BEFORE we moved in based on how my paychecks came..it was HIS choice, he gave me kike 3 dates to choose from, I chose the 10th. When I lost my job, I called HIM FIRST and told him. He told me nothing would change. I usually make sure he HAS THE CHECK by the 1st, but it is usually post dated for when he CAN deposit it and that date is ALWAYS before the 10th.

Again yes, it was MY FAULT I did not date the check..Honestly he caught me off guard and I hadnt thought it fully through yet..He likes to drop by un-announced, and when he stopped in, I hadnt done my bills yet so I was un-prepared.

So this is my last post on the subject. TY all for your input.

 

[Evi]

Wow did you really just ask what you just asked? I mean ok lets take a big and I mean big step back and look at this from an outside perspective. Your landlord purchased his home and has his own bills to pay the fact that he has cut you some slack was very nice of him. I do understand your dilemma being unemployed and all but your landlord is not in any way responsible for your finances. The fact that he paid for your bill was nice enough he legally does not have to do you any favors and could just give you the boot. He does have his own personal financial obligations. You have to remember his home was an investment for him.

Being sensitive to the fact that your unemployed I have to say you have a really nice landlord and the fact that he cares enough about your well being says a lot about him as a person. Penalizing him because your not able to keep up with your financial obligations says a lot about you as a person.

I know times are tough but when someone does something nice for us its nice for us to reciprocate.

 

[kaytieeldr]

For the final clear up...My rent payment is DUE ON the 10th.

So, about 25% of your rent payments have been late, it appears, based on your claim that you've paid late three times. My calculation is based on one year, of course; it's a little high because you've actually been there more than a year?

I usually make sure he HAS THE CHECK by the 1st, but it is usually post dated for when he CAN deposit it and that date is ALWAYS before the 10th.

Just so you know, I'm relatively certain it's against the law to issue a post-dated check.

 

[Dax]

So, about 25% of your rent payments have been late, it appears, based on your claim that you've paid late three times. My calculation is based on one year, of course; it's a little high because you've actually been there more than a year?

Just so you know, I'm relatively certain it's against the law to issue a post-dated check.

What part of ALL CHECKS were given to him by the 10th is SO hard for people to see...I HAVE NEVER BEEN LATE 1X