I KNEW it was a mistake!

susiestar

Roll With It
I knew that moving into a home owned by friends of husband's was a mistake. When we moved out they were out of town, so they couldn't do an inspection. The real estate agents showing the place were a horror show and a constant problem for us, and while we tried not to complain we did try to let them know. These friends also have the worst kids I know that are "never" a problem or out of control in their parents' eyes.

Got an email that they were hurt and upset because we damaged the house, cracked globes on the lights, pulled a curtain rod out of the wall and left a big hole in the wall and left the kitchen/pantry with a nasty smell and the whole house dirty.

We did NOT. I cleaned myself SICK making that place immaculate before we left. Scrubbed crud off walls that was there when we moved in, scrubbed floors that were dirty when we moved in, cleaned up after the real estate agents smoked in the house (our lease specified no smoking on the property and we don't smoke at all, not even socially and no way could my kids get away with it with-o us smelling it, but after each showing the house smelled like smoke and we found cig budds in the house on the FLOOR/CARPET!).

We are sending them a check and will drop off the keys. We didn't know they were back in town so we didn't leave the keys anywhere because we didn't want them to get stolen and then for us to have to replace the locks/door openers for the garage.

I warned husband before we moved in. I say these are HIS friends because I never liked them a whole lot. Mostly because she has a son who is very small of size and is a big bully and very hyper and she refuses to admit that he is a bully because he is 'too small to bully anyone' but he was a huge thorn and made over 1/2 of the boy scout troop quit halfway through the first year because he was so awful to the other kids. I don't have patience for them and am sad to see that my fears were real.

I am glad we are OUT of there - the property here is professionally managed and we are not subject to surprise inspections or damages inflicted by the owner's kids that WE have to pay for. I am sure their son pulled the curtain rod out of the wall and is blaming us - I have seen him do it at other people's houses at birthday parties. This kid literally climbs the walls and curtains even at 12 yo but it is NEVER his fault!

Rant over, thanks for letting me vent!!
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Suzie, this is why I always took photos of places I rented after cleaning up. My kids did it as well......after seeing husband and I do it they just thought it's what you do when you rent. It has helped them more than once to fight claims of damages that weren't there.

This is also why I avoid doing business of any kind with friends or family. Not all of them burn you by a long shot, but it only takes one. I did rent from my mom for about 8 mos......but never had an issue and she helped cover my fanny for stepdad's sake because she knew he'd accuse me of something and took before and after photos. (and forced him to help us move lol ) His kids had rented her house before me, well I say "rent" but they were in it for free even though they were pulling in 50.00 per hour at the time building a nuclear power plant, and trashed the place because she evicted them (tried to do it nicely) so that I had somewhere to go. Stepdad was ready to murder by the time he was done with repairs from their antics, and yes, he forced them to come and help him repair the damage and cost came out of their pockets.

I would not pay for damages you didn't do, period. If they have a major issue (and they will) they can keep the deposit, that's what it's for. If they weren't smart enough to get a deposit (regardless of reason, even if it was just being nice), then they have no business being landlords because they're idiots.

Hugs
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Ugh... Ugh... Ugh... I'm glad you're out of there.

XH and I took over a lease for some of his friends - since they found us, the rental place ("professionally managed") thought it would be fine. We were there for 2 years 5 months, XH had AF orders to move which was a clause in the agreement for releasing us (common around here and I think it may be law). We moved to OK. About 2 months after we moved they sent us a letter claiming there were paint spatters all over the hardwood floors, the fridge was moldy, and there was dog feces in one of the bedrooms. Well, I cleaned the floors with Murphy's Oil Soap and then went over them with linseed oil, there WASN'T a fridge because it was ours and we sold it to someone before we left... And we never had a dog... But I had taken pictures, so I got copies made and sent them off.

We got our whole desposit back...
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
As a landlord, our family always took pictures during the walk-through with those moving out. They were welcome to do the same. For us, even if everything was in top condition, it provided "before" pictures for the ones moving in. If there was a problem, it was documented by pictures.

As they say... a picture is worth a thousand words...
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Pics would be great, but they were on husband's camera and the idjit DELETED them. This is a small town and these peope have HUGE mouths and husband figures that it is worth tossing some $$ at them to shut them the heck up. Not my decision but I will let him deal with it because they are not my friends.

Y'all have good ideas. They refused the deposit check I wrote, wouldn't take it, and we will only give them 1/2 of that so it isn't like I am out$$. I have pics of this place and of the damages that were here when we moved in, and those are on MY files where I know they will not get deleted because husband isn't allowed to ever TOUCH my stuff (saves our marriage, Know what I mean??)
 
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