It's not like this at all, but apparently this is what some people think I do. Hmmm...
I don’t care what color your skin is, I will respect you as a human being no matter what. But as your Landlord, if we have a lease agreement that says you have to pay your rent on time, then you have to do that no matter what your race, color, sex, religion, familial status or orientation is. So I have to wonder where in the world the reality cameras in my life are when I had to deal with a recent situation. Here it is the 17th day of the month and a tenant (of a different race than myself, not that it matters in life, but for the purpose of this post it does) comes into our office to pay his rent. And it does not end up going well.
Keep in mind, all of our rents are due on the first day of each month. There is a grace period of five days where we don’t charge late fees, but if you do pay on or after the 6th day of the month, you will be charged late fees that accrue daily. Our office policy states that if the rent is not paid then we send out late rent notices on the 6th day of each month, make phone calls on (or around) the 10th day of the month and then post eviction notices around the 14th day of each month. You get the drill.
I had phoned the particular tenant mentioned above on the 10th and told him that he needed to pay rent and he gave me a slew of excuses of why it wasn’t paid. Some of the excuses were laced with profanity, which makes me laugh… but nonetheless… He proceeded to tell me about how I should not be charging him late fees and I should have a little more respect for him.
<me: thinking—-> Say whaaaat?! I should have more respect for you? Pa-shaaaw!
I couldn’t get a word in edge-wise and the delinquent tenant ended up hanging up on me.
A day later, the tenant comes in to the office and he is mad. My business partner, Paul, was the fortunate one to greet him at the front desk when he came in and I stood in the hallway to eavesdrop. ;) The tenant goes off on The Donald about how we are the most unprofessional company he has ever dealt with and how I am disrespectful to all of our tenants and I go off on people and demand that they pay their rent because I am a racist.
<me: thinking—–> What?! He played the racist card?! That has nothing to do with him paying his rent on time!
At this point, the tenant is borderline yelling this at Paul and it’s really getting heated. The tenant throws the rent money on the counter as Paul asks him to leave. But Paul happens to get the last word in as the tenant storms out. Paul’s last words to him were about me:
“She’s not a racist, she yells at everyone!”
Somehow I feel like the joke is on me. *deep sigh* Nonetheless we all laughed and have moved on… just another day in the life of a Property Manager.
