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| Excuse of the Day |
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Don't you just love some of the excuses tenants have for not paying rent?As upsetting as it can be, sometimes we have to stand back and get a perspective. Some of our experiences are even funny afterward.
The LPA selects the most original excuses made by tenants to their landlords. If you have an interesting or funny story about your tenant's excuse for not paying rent, we'd love to hear it! Excuse of the Day for 2/7/10:"I do not have the all the rent for you my dear boy, but can I interest you in a genuine Rolex watch?" No I didn't take the Rolex. It's probably not even real. I am sending a late fee notice and will start to evict next week if the rent is not paid. - Frankie M, CAExcuse of the Day for 2/4/10:"I haven't paid my rent because i want to buy the building." After evicting them for non-payment of rent, they wanted to know "When do i get my security deposit back?" - Patrick, Omaha, NEExcuse of the Day for 2/2/10:"I can't pay the rent. My husband got caught stealing from work and lost his job." I asked if they will have the rent anytime soon, and the answer was, "Not likely." Geez! These people have to go! - Laura V., ILExcuse of the Day for 1/30/10:"I don't have the rent. I'm sorry. You can go ahead and evict me. I'll be checking into the hospital's mental ward." - John, NYExcuse of the Day for 1/28/10:"My husband said you already were paid the rent when we gave you the security deposit." No. Security is not pre-paid rent. I gave them a notice to pay rent or quit along with The LPA Urgent late notice. I got the late fees and the rent a few days later. - Carl W., Anchorage, AlaskaExcuse of the Day for 1/25/10:"I forgot." - the only problem is the tenants forget every single month and I have to call them to "remind" them. This has been going on for years. Molly, NebraskaExcuse of the Day for 1/24/10:"We're getting a divorce." OK, but that does not excuse you from paying rent. You are still occupying my rental house. - Samantha, PAExcuse of the Day for 1/17/10:"I've been out of town. I wasn't even there for half the month." Sorry, but you're old enough to know you still owe the rent. - Ralph, Tustin, CAExcuse of the Day for 1/16/10:"It is cold as a witch's #!#. Replace the furnace." The furnace is fine. The tenant is responsible to maintain a heating service contract on the unit for the last for years (WHICH HE HAS NOT!). The filter clogged up from lack of maintenance and now he refuses to pay rent. Is there a form I can use for failure to get the required service contract? (I use the LPA Lease) - Sherry C., OHExcuse of the Day for 1/14/10:"The refrigerator light is off again. Some days it is on. I know it is because that bxxxxx Roger next door is stealing my electric." The old woman is paranoid and is convinced her neighbor s engaged in elaborate schemes to steal her electricity. - Marie, Hicksville, NYExcuse of the Day for 1/09/10:"The neighbors are complaining about my boat. I don't want to live where the neighbors are going to complain about my boat." You do not have permission to keep a 30foot boat on a 60X100 SFH property. Pay the RENT & get the boat out of there. - Bob S., New JerseyExcuse of the Day for 1/7/10:"I'm not paying till that tree in the back gets removed. I think it might come down on the house." When asked further about the tree, the tenant said the tree is starting to lean and he doesn't feel safe. The tree is healthy and strong, has just been trimmed and the tenant was evicted for non-payment. - Manuel C., New YorkExcuse of the Day for 1/5/10:"When I take a bath, after a while the water starts seeping out the drain. You have to replace the tub drain. I don't like taking baths and having he water drain away!" - Samuel, FLExcuse of the Day for 1/4/10:"For the last few months, I've been sharing the home with Alice. She is responsible for the other half of the rent." Who is Alice? Sorry, your lease is only for you. There is a clause in it about unauthorized occupants. You are in violation and also owe me another $500. for each unauthorized occupant. (Happy New Year / Thank you, LPA!) - Rick, Naples, FLExcuse of the Day for 1/3/10:"The kitchen cabinet door is broken. Whenever I go in the kitchen, the cabinet door opens and hits me in the head." - So duck when you go in the kitchen.... or adjust the hinge on the cabinet. Very minor. Not a reason to withhold rent. - Steve, NYExcuse of the Day for 12/30/09:"We had no heat for 5 hours last week." - So you didn't pay your oil bill either? And your rent was due 3 weeks ago.- Raymond M., CTExcuse of the Day for 12/28/09:"I didn't pay all my rent this month because I just bought a new car." - I asked the tenant if her car is big enough to live in? - Richard, CPM Realty, Omaha, NebraskaExcuse of the Day for 12/22/09:"We had a special Christmas photo made of our beautiful family. See? We sent you a copy along with a special present for you. You are the greatest landlord and nicest person anybody could wish for. We love you. God bless you. Walk with God! Merry Christmas!" Myrtle, New YorkExcuse of the Day for 12/16/09:"You can't seriously expect us to be able to purchase Christmas gifts for the whole family and be on time with the rent this month!"Sorry, the lease you agreed to expects you to pay on time every month and a late charge when you don't. My bank expects me to pay the mortgage on time and a late charge when I don't. They don't give a flying #@$& if I'm late cause I bought presents for my family. - Maryann in NY Excuse of the Day for 12/13/09:Boyfriend:"She stuck your rent check in the outside pocket of her purse and now it's gone. She doesn't want to pay for a stop fee - what do you think?"My response was that the rent was still due by the 1st and that I couldn't really tell her what she should do about the fee. Next - a phone call to her on the 2nd to see why we didn't have the rent - her response was "Well I called!" Yea - your boyfriend called -no one EVER said rent wasn't due! -she responded angry FINE I'll bring it over and paid. - Carol, Akron, Ohio Excuse of the Day for 12/08/09:"I don’t have my rent because my buddy borrowed money from me to pay his rent – otherwise he was getting kicked out"… ok so now you can go and live with him at his place – because you’re getting kicked out. - DJW, Ontario, Canada. Excuse of the Day for 12/06/09:"I was on my way to get a money order and my car broke down and my tire went flat. I had your money but I had to spend it to get my car fixed."It has not rained in two weeks. - Christianne F., Placida, FL Excuse of the Day for 11/29/09:"I put the check in the mail box but the mail box must leak and the mail man will not pick up wet mail. I have replaced the envelope several times. Do you want me to try again or do you want to come get the check."It has not rained in two weeks. - Bob Shumway Rockford,Il Excuse of the Day for 11/23/09:"There are rust stains developing on the toilets and they won't come out. My plumber says you need to replace these two toilets, so I will hold back the rent for the two new toilets."Uh, sorry. Not gonna happen. I issued an LPA Urgent Late Notice Eviction Status Warning| The rent was paid the next day. Haven't heard another word about the toilets. - Steven, Naples, FL Excuse of the Day for 11/19/09:"My niece had open heart surgery, therefore I can't pay my rent." - A.A, Rio Rancho, NMExcuse of the Day for 11/18/09:"You waited too long to cash my check, so I spent the money with my debit card! It's your own fault."I deposited this tenant's rent along with my other rents on the 4th of the month. Doesn't she keep track of the checks she writes before spending what's in her account? How can this be my fault? I have to charge a bounced check fee. Thank you LPA lease. - Gabriella in IL Excuse of the Day for 11/13/09:In front of the judge:"I don’t pay my rent on time because of their outrageous late fees." Here is a thought, if you paid your rent on time you wouldn’t have to worry about late fees. Needless to say he was evicted. - Tricia, Las Vegas, NV Excuse of the Day for 11/8/09:"I'm taking $100.00 off rent because I fell on your sidewalk and scraped my knee." when this tenant was asked to move out (not this instance, months later for non-payment), he shut off water to toilet tank,took a big bowel movement and placed it in the tank, with a 2 sided razor blade holding up the flapper so i would slice open my hand when i went to get it out. - garfield, new jersey Excuse of the Day for 11/6/09:"We don't have the rent because my husband was laid off. You know how the economy is."Yeah. Except, your husband worked with my husband. The business is thriving, your husband was fired for excessive absenteeism. I knew this was coming when my husband came home and told me about it. - K. in Ohio Excuse of the Day for 11/4/09:"My husband HAD to miss work because he got the swine flu from the guy upstairs. If you're evicting someone, evict him."Lady, I don't care if the guy upstairs has the plague. He's never been late on his rent, and that's what counts with me. - K. in Ohio Excuse of the Day for 11/2/09:"First I'd like you to correct an unmistakable odor coming from the garage. It smells like oil or something."Since the heating system is in the basement and is GAS, it isn't that. Could you be smelling that big black puddle of oil leaking from your car that is staining my garage floor???? - Kevin J., NY Excuse of the Day for 10/30/09:"This month I replaced your stove handle, your storm door, your bathroom mirror and I fixed the holes in the sheetrock."None of these damages existed when he moved in. When I asked WHAT holes in the sheetrock? He said his wife did it. I already give this jerk's file to my lawyer for eviction. -Harlan in IL Excuse of the Day for 10/26/09:"And now YOU want the rent? Do you know what we're paying in oil?" Theresa L., Wantagh, NYExcuse of the Day for 10/23/09:"I ran out of your pre-printed envelopes, so I didn't have your address." This from the woman who is constantly sending me crap from her daughter raising money for girl scouts. - Logan, D., NYExcuse of the Day for 10/21/09:"I'm not going to apologize. We are going through tough economic times. It isn't just us. You'll just have to suck it up and deal." I said, Sorry. I'm not sucking anything. If you don't pay, you have to leave. - Walter H, COExcuse of the Day for 10/18/09:"I got mad and spent it. I was just gonna move out but not gone to do u like dat. fri I get paid and two weeks after dat i'll give you another." Text message from a tenant who got mad at me because I told him he needed a pet deposit, insurance and to register his $250 pit bull he bought with the rent money (he left the receipt behind) with the township. Not including the lease calls for no pets! Friday he never paid and another text (too vulgar and racial to print) came with the "N" word pointed at me. He moved out 3 blocks away with his mommy that Sunday leaving me dog Crap and urine all over the kitchen floor and plenty of other clean up....Our civil suit court date is pending at the moment... - Mike from Pennsauken, NJExcuse of the Day for 10/17/09:"We'll be giving our notice to move next month, so we decided to not pay the rent this month and next month so we can be reimbursed for all the improvements we have made on your property. As you know we have bee mowing the lawn and we painted last year among many other things." The paint job is horrible and the lease says they are responsible for the grounds. I have to give a notice to evict. Valerie, NCExcuse of the Day for 10/13/09:"Ummm, Helllo. Sorry to bother you, but my rent is going to be late. Yeah, I had bought a money order for my rent and my phone bill. I had 'company' on Friday night. When I woke up Saturday morning, my money orders and my 'company' were gone! Can you work something out with me?" - Stephanie AustinExcuse of the Day for 10/12/09:"I don't have rent because the police took it during the drug raid." - John, Raleigh, NCExcuse of the Day for 10/10/09:"Willy Nelson was in town for a concert and I used my rent money to buy tickets." This was an excuse from one of my father's tenants a few years back. - Barry B.Excuse of the Day for 10/05/09:"I’m in a bit of a jam…my nephews stayed with me for a few weeks and ran my cable bill up ordering movies..needless to say the bill is $378 and it has partially suspended my internet. That’s how I attend school. I planned to pay full rent today but now I have to reduce it by $400 and pay it in two weeks…what are your thoughts?" Are you seriously asking for my thoughts, "PAY YOUR RENT ON TIME!" What happened to priorities, like the roof over your head? (September Rent) - Carla W, MDExcuse of the Day for 10/04/09:"I had to pay my (grocery) suppliers in cash because they won't take my personal checks anymore... just like you only cash or money orders, so can you come back next Saturday?" (They gave me two ISF checks). One 3-day notice to quit later, the rent was paid. - E. Ramirez, Rancho Cucamonga, CAExcuse of the Day for 10/01/09:"Applied for a payday loan this past Friday, the loan won’t be in my account until Wednesday or Thursday of this week, I know this doesn’t help with your deadline…sorry." This excuse was given after already extending an extension on the remaining $400 owed. (September Rent) - Carla W, MDExcuse of the Day for 9/27/09:"I have other bills to pay like my phone bill." This is from a tenant who had only to pay $128 a month as ss covered the rest. Like I don't have a phone bill to pay!! - kevin, medford, nyExcuse of the Day for 9/26/09: "The bank screwed up and froze my account. But I can't have the rent in cash tomorrow as I am on a cruise in Bermuda and calling from the ship!!" - Dorothy, Patchogue, NY
Excuse of the Day for 9/23/09:"I’m in Italy BURYING MY FATHER! How dare you leave me messages saying you want your money!" - We sent a written reply in response to the very angry 10 minute voice mail with our condolences for her loss but reiterated the fact that rent is still due on the first. Her boyfriend wrote back stating he had no idea what loss we were referring to or what message they had supposedly left… Tenants, if you’re going to tell lies - make sure ALL signers are in on it!!! – Amanda, CAExcuse of the Day for 9/22/09:"All of my money is in a trust fund, and the attorney that sends me my check every month went away on vacation....and he will not be back for 2 weeks. So I can't pay you the rent" - Tim Walls, VAExcuse of the Day for 9/19/09:"I don't have the rent because I had to bail my boy out of jail and it cost $200 and if I didn't bail him out, they were gonna throw ME in jail, so I don't have it." - Lori W., Bristol, VAExcuse of the Day for 9/13/09:"I don't have the rent because my baby-daddy and I had to go to arbitration for support, and he didn't reimburse me for his half that I paid." What makes you think that if you have to FORCE this guy to pay child support, that he is going to keep his word and pay you back?????? - Susan S., New YorkExcuse of the Day for 9/06/09:"I'll catch you after Labor Day. We have a lot goin on this weekend. Stop by for a burger if you're in the area." I am in the area and I want my rent which is already late- not a burger. - Danny L., NYExcuse of the Day for 8/28/09:"Baby made a miraculous recovery from SWINE FLU and LIVER FAILURE and made it to the wedding! We will get caught up by the end of the month." The irony: I am a Critical Care Nurse - did she really think I would buy that?! I guess so, afterall, I rented my house to them! - Mary G., KansasExcuse of the Day for 8/24/09:"My 3 month old grandson has less than 10% chance of living. I have to leave for my son's wedding tonight."(Yes, in the same message.) - Mary G., KansasExcuse of the Day for 8/22/09:Month 6: "I have to fly down to Texas to see my daughter have her baby. They are doing an emergency C-section" And for the grand finale biggest whopper yet, see my next post about the baby having SWINE FLU & LIVER FAILURE! - Mary G., KansasExcuse of the Day for 8/20/09:Month 5: ON TIME! (Way more shocking than their excuses!) - Mary G., KansasExcuse of the Day for 8/19/09:Month 4: "I had the cash in my car, but my car was broken into and the money got stolen." - Mary G., KansasExcuse of the Day for 8/18/09:Month 3: "My daughter rear-ended an off-duty police officer while drunk-driving last night. I had to use the money to bail her out of jail." - Mary G., KansasExcuse of the Day for 8/17/09:"I thought that the last month of the rent for the year lease was covered by the 'last month' payment that I made when I moved in. I didn't know I had to actually give you notice and move out for 'last month' to apply. You didn't tell me that!" Unbelievable. - Jeff Armstrong, Orem, UT.Excuse of the Day for 8/15/09:Month 2: "I was out of town with the cash. Thank God I had it because my car broke down and I luckily had that money with me to fix it." - Mary G., KansasExcuse of the Day for 8/14/09:Month 1: "We are late because we had to pay the movers to move in." - Mary G., KansasExcuse of the Day for 8/9/09:"Sorry I have not got the money from dad." Well I can help you, an eviction notice from me will make it easier for you to get money from a charity. This really makes it easier to give eviction notices. - John BruggemanExcuse of the Day for 8/6/09:"We tried to drop it off yesterday but we couldn’t find your house and we lost your phone number." Our number is on the lease and we had just called them five days prior. They have been in my house now 6 months and have been late or requested partial payment 5 out of those months. I’m glad I used the LPA lease! - Mark, NCExcuse of the Day for 7/31/09:"My accountant said I can't afford to pay my rent." I don't think he meant for you to STOP paying so you'd be evicted which is what will happen if you don't pay your rent!!! - Ann, NYExcuse of the Day for 7/28/09:"We had a new gazebo installed which makes your property much more valuable." No permission for adding a structure to the yard and NO rent! I am sending an eviction notice. - Kevin D., NJExcuse of the Day for 7/24/09:"I packed my checkbook in one of the moving boxes and the movers took it already." Believe this was a ploy to try to get us to take it out of the security deposit. Just sent second notice of accruing $10/day late fees. Soon she will owe more in late fees than the week of rent she owes. - Brian, Savannah, GAExcuse of the Day for 7/16/09:"I meant to pay you, but things got crazy. It's the thought that counts, right?" Sorry, it's not the thought that counts. It's the money that counts and now you have a late fee to add to your rent. - Monty J., Newark, NJExcuse of the Day for 7/15/09:"I got paid but someone stole only the $600 I owe you in rent." - Chris Lathbury, South CarolinaExcuse of the Day for 7/11/09:"I couldn't pay the rent, I had something in my eye and couldn't come to your office." When asked if she was unable to mail a check, she had no response. She actually used this excuse 4 times over the course of a year and was evicted. - Leanne, Rollinsford, NHExcuse of the Day for 7/7/09:"I'm sorry, I spent this month's rent on a much needed cruise vacation. Don't worry- there's a casino and I'll win back the rent PLUS the late fee!" - Sorry, but you'll have to win back the attorney fee too, cause the eviction ain't waiting for you to get back.- - Sylvia Adams, Montgomery, ALExcuse of the Day for 7/5/09: "I MAILED IT AT THE POST OFFICE LAST NIGHT BUT SOMEONE LIT THAT MAILBOX ON FIRE THIS MORNING." - BOBBI-WATERBURY CT
Excuse of the Day for 7/5/09:"I can't believe it's late already! It was just the 4th of July... like a couple of days ago.... something like that." Rent is due on the first, moron. How can I have rented to anybody this dumb? - Rocco J., NYExcuse of the Day for 7/1/09:"We'd like a new screen door." What does that have to do with the rent? Besides, what happened to the new screen door I gave you when you moved in 2 years ago? These people never cease to amaze me. - Steve S., Uniondale, NYExcuse of the Day for 6/27/09:"I had the rent yesterday when I called you to come pick it up. You didn't show so I spent it." - Diana , San AntonioExcuse of the Day for 6/24/09:"With my daughter's graduation, our new boat and our trip to Europe this year, we're a little strapped." - Frank M., NYExcuse of the Day for 6/20/09:"I had to make my car payment and utility payments. The rent will just have to wait" - Ed Cumming, GeorgiaExcuse of the Day for 6/17/09:"I couldn't pay the rent because I had to pay for the California Lottery Machine in my business because it costs $10,000 to renew. I'll have the rent in three weeks." They were already two weeks late. I served the three-day notice and they used the lottery monies to pay the rent. Better luck next time. - E. Ramirez, Rancho Cucamonga, CAExcuse of the Day for 6/12/09:"My boss's mother was in the hospital and I had to go to the hospital to visit her." followed by "My son had the flu and I've had the flu for a week so I couldn't work." followed by "We've both lost our jobs" followed by "We'll come pay you the $2,000 we owe you tonight" followed by "I couldn't get to the bank before it closed" followed by "I couldn't leave work to come pay you" followed by "My boss couldn't give me my pay this week" followed by eviction warrant and eviction by Marshalls. - W. Collier, Roswell, GAExcuse of the Day for 6/11/09:"I know the rent is late again, I figured it was okay if we got it to you late. If we knew you needed it on the 1st we would of got it to you, but we thought it was okay to mail it on the 5th (It's always been due on the 1st for the past four years!) . We've been going through some hard times and I’m sure you probably are too." Yes, I am going through some tough times because of you! These same tenants bought fire pit and stuck it in the yard without permission and just got a new vehicle. These people also cost me $40,000 in new windows, doors and siding and interior work due to a state required lead paint abatement after the husband took a part-time job scraping lead paint off of an old building and came home with lead dust on his clothing and lead poisoned his own kid!!! These people are the worst tenants *ever.* - Chris, New HampshireMore Tenant Excuses.... |
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