Finally, the Rant

Yes, I know I didn't get around to my rant post yesterday, but things are busy here. There are the Newbs and they're in early which antagonises my quiet time. Anyway, that wasn't the rant.

The Rant is about the Tennants in the place Bean & I own. Their rent is late ... today it is 21 days late. This situation is so frustrating to me because you try to be the nice person and give people a break, but eventually it is just too much and you have to get firm and fall-back on the lease we thankfully have with them.

So here's the story. We have had these great Tennants in since we bought the place, technically they came with it. They have paid their rent & electricity amounts like clock-work. I guess this was all down to the daughter living there who worked at Discovery. She's now apparently over in the USA with her older sister. So the job of paying the rent falls to her mother (there is also another younger sister living with her). The October rent was paid as usual. The November rent is still outstanding and the situation is getting complicated.

So I phoned the mother on the 1st of November to remind her. Don't worry I'll pay it tomorrow she says - no Internet Banking for her, she's gotta head down to the bank to make a deposit. So fair enough, that's not the easiest thing in the world so I'm fine with it - even tho it'll technically be late according to the Lease (payment is supposed to be on or before the 1st of each month).

I phone her again on the 5th November because it still hasn't arrived in my account. So sorry, she says, she'll definitely pay it tomorrow.

On the 7th, I figure this is enough now, I need a bit of a scare tactic. So I try phoning her, but there is no answer, so I sms her and tell her that I will now be forced to charge her interest on the outstanding amount (The Lease has interest pegged at 2% over prime). Shortly after that I get a call from some guy, from here he shall be ManWithNoEars (because he just doesn't seem to listen to anything I have to say ... he spends lengthy phone calls talking over me and spouting the same story over and over again!). ManWithNoEars is somehow related to these "girls", he sounds too young to be the dad, perhaps he's an older brother or something, I'm not sure. But he is phoning to assure me that he will pay the rent. He goes on about how he was trying to teach "his girls" the lesson of money. Okay, so when is he going to pay, I ask. He needs a week. Don't worry, trust me, I am an insurance broker for Old Mutual, I have to be honest, it is my job. Blah blah blah ... that conversation is now so long ago I barely remember all the nonsense he spluttered on about. But in fairness, I give him the week to pay me. I email him my banking details and everything.

On the 15th I phone him again. After this phone call, I am so frustrated that I'm in tears. He still hasn't paid. Yes, he needs another week he says. I must trust him. But why, I ask. What is different when you say you'll pay me in a week this time? Because it sure wasn't true the last time you said it. The conversation goes round in circles, I'm trying to make him understand (again, like in the first phone call) that this is directly affecting my personal cash flow. Yes, he's sorry, he knows he's guilty but I must trust him because he is a business man. Then I get blamed for making him angry. Hello, how does he think I feel. Not getting my money week after week makes me get angry. I have people I owe money to too (okay, I don't but he doesn't know that and it's a likely situation). Then he tells me he doesn't like being shouted at by a girl. I don't think I've raised my voice to him yet, except in frustration that everytime I try to speak to him he repeats the same story over and over again. He earns R40 000 a month, the youngest daughter is in private school (i didn't even have that!), they need our place to live in, I must trust him, it's just that he now has to pay the rent and the car payment for the daughter overseas. He can't seem to understand how that is not my problem. I tell him that the rent will be 3 weeks late (if he pays on his new promised date). Well he has only been involved in this situation for 2 weeks, it's not his fault. Well, it is not my fault he got involved so late, the rent will still be 3 weeks late. What more do I want, he asks, he's assured me he'll pay the interest. Do I want him to come to my office to sign something ... like that'll help, I have a Lease saying the rent will be paid on the 1st of the month signed already. What difference does he think that's going to make to me?

So yesterday, I made the decision that I wasn't going to be speaking to this completely frustrating man again on Thursday (the promised date of payment). Instead I emailed him and copied the daughter (along with her electronic transfers each month, we used to communicate via email regarding the electricity etc.) and Bean (he's been merely a background player in all this reading the play-by-plays I email him - he doesn't really seem to be too bothered about the situation either and its starting to annoy me). I emailed him and quoted sections out of the Lease telling him that if he didn't pay the November rent by Thursday, I will be forced to find our Tennants in breach of contract and start eviction proceedings. Here's where I start feeling bad. There seems to be no other way that I can deal with this situation. I think I've been understanding enough, where does one draw the line?

Anyway, fingers are crossed it doesn't come to that, but I'm expecting the worst ... anyone know a good lawyer?

In other news, I have hurt my back. I'm not sure exactly how, I think it must've been Monday using the rowing machine and then moving on to our Arms sets. Either way, it kicked in when I left work yesterday and I've been struggling ever since. I did manage to gym with Varen yesterday afternoon, but kept it easy. I struggled to sleep because I can't move to find a comfortable position easily. I'm still sore as I sit here at work. If it doesn't improve I think I'll be staying home tomorrow. Must get hold of Jeanius and see if she has time for a massage!

Otherwise, we headed over to Luca's for their divine salad for dinner last night - see, we are trying :) And then we settled down for a relaxed few episodes of Series.