A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Our Business is Property Management Orange County California
I have heard it before
I am always amazed, at the excuses that I
hear when a Tenant is late with the rent. It all goes back to the old cliché, “My
Dog Ate My Homework”. The funny thing is that it is always the same Tenants and
I think they have convinced themselves that their excuses actually help them.
I
hate to burst their bubbles, but I have heard it all before and I don’t believe
any of them. I have one particular Tenant that goes through long dissertations
of why he is late month after month. No matter how many times I tell him that I
am not a life counselor, he continues to want to convince me that I should care
about his problems. Now I don’t want to come across as an unsympathetic person
and if a Tenant calls me in advance to let me know they have a onetime problem,
I will gladly work with them, but I cannot fix all my Tenants issues.
I
have often wondered if the serial excuse makers have convinced themselves that
their stories are true. Many times, these Tenants actually tell me their
stories in person, and instead of listening to their diatribe, I look at their
facial expressions, just to see how far they will take their dramatic role. I
am amazed at how they not only tell their stories with great detail, but their
body language is also well practiced. I wonder if they practice in front of a
mirror before they perform the main act with me there.
I
firmly believe that if these Tenants work as hard on getting the money to pay
the rent, as they do on coming up with excuses on why they can’t pay, they would solve their own problems. It’s kind
of like the guy who hangs out on the street corner to ask for a donation. He
will spend all day begging for pennies, when he could be using that time to
work for dollars. I all comes down to how you want to spend your time.
What
I try and do at the end of every day, is to reflect on what I did with my time
and what I accomplished. If I wasted time and accomplished very little, I have
a sad feeling, but if I used my time wisely and accomplished a great deal, I feel
very good. I understand that not all people worry about how they use their time
and they don’t worry about everyday accomplishments, but I have a hard time
feeling sorry for those people who waist time and them want me to understand
their issues.
I have
stopped trying to convince perpetually late Tenants, how to change the way they
do things. It never works. So I listen to their stories and let them know that
it is their responsibility to meet their obligations and pay their rent on
time. I don’t know, maybe it just makes them feel better to tell me their
stories, or maybe no matter how often I reject their excuses, they will finally
get through to me. Whatever it is, sometimes I enjoy the creativity, but I
never believe any of it, at least not any more.
A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Specializes in Property Management Orange County Ca.