Business Games

The fun never stops with catching unscrupulous business practices and then calling the owner/perpetrator on it. 

My daughter is in a housing transition.  She vacated her apartment along with her two roommates (which was a horror story all in itself as my daughter and I were the only ones there to do the deep cleaning and heavy lifting of their sofa and other stuff they left behind -- the other two roommates said they had to "work" and just dropped off their keys and walked with insincere apologies) leaving us to deal with the property manager who must be Satan incarnated. 

As you can tell, Quiet Rage is already in a bad mood.  One positive trait I do have is that I will not mess with you and make your life miserable unless you deserve it.  If you to try to pull one over on me,  I go for the jugular and will have you choking on your own words in an instant in a pool of blood.  I will own you.  Guaranteed.

Anyway, knowing that my daughter was going to vacate I gave written notice 2 months prior that the lease was not going to be renewed.  I know slum lords will try to work any angle they can to try to screw you out of your security deposit.  Phone calls mean nothing.  Everything has to be in writing.  I know this game. 

The lease ended mid month.  Again, knowing how unscrupulous slum lords operate, I asked in writing what the prorated rent was for the partial month.  I wanted them to set the amount - in writing.  Ok... so I get the prorated amount.  I then put in writing how the last rent check was going to arrive via my online bill pay service to their address in Novato.  I've paid the rent the EXACT same way each and every month of the lease.  It's nothing new.  I issued the check earlier than usual because I suspected they would try to play games. 

Sure enough, they did.  The check was returned to me after two weeks, unprocessed, stating that they could not accept it because it was issued by me and not my daughter.  They now said they needed a cashiers check as the rent was late and we were going to be charged a late fee.

I went nuts.

I immediately went to my bank and they had my back.  I obtained all of the transaction records that the rent had been paid via the same means each and every month of the lease and now suddenly they have a problem with the last one?  Hmmmmmmm  I'm not a moron.

I drove down to Novato to see the property manager in person and hand delivered the bank records.  Of course, she wasn't available.   I did not get any response.  So, I kept faxing, emailing, etc., asking why they would not accept my last rent payment.  The excuses were so lame and pathetic and I called them on all of it.  I had them caught in their own web of lies and they finally ended up admitting they made a mistake.  I ended up submitting an invoice to THEM for my wasted time and effort.  I charged the same hourly rate and mileage that they would have charged to clean the apartment had it been left trashed (which it was not). 

Now... I have to wait 21 days for the security deposit.  Tick tock.  I'm certain they will not pay my invoice for my wasted time and trouble.  I can't wait to take them to small claims court and see Satan try to argue in front of a judge as to why they dicked me around.  The money is irrelevant.  I just want to see Satan squirm.