Posted by Redline on November 10, 1998 at 19:12:10:
Bud: Sorry but I agree with hk above.
This tenant is the problem and nobody is going to change that but the tenant. An ex-landlord (or anybody else for that matter) is not responsible for this person or their actions. And yes, this person DOES have to live somewhere. We who know better just have to make sure it’s not in OUR house.
RL
Good News for my Mom… - Posted by chris
Posted by chris on November 10, 1998 at 24:04:59:
Regarding my post about the tenant from H***
last week i was concerned about covering all the bases in case various scenarios may take place. well, thankfully, nothing proposterous nor outrageous took place. the tenant moved out peacefully and my mother decided not to give her a letter of rec, but rather to hold the tenant to her promise to move at the date specified in the terms of the lease. guess it could have gone either way, but mom didn’t want to burden anyone else with this monster and just couldn’t justify giving her a letter of recommendation. apparently, the tenant was able to get into her new place without the letter…i feel a little sorry for the new landlord as he didn’t do his homework. but at least that was HIS mistake. my mom can sleep at night knowing that she didn’t try to decieve anyone and practiced her business in an ethical manner. can you all say that? 
thanks for all the responses. i sent my mom to this board and i hope she will continue to browse through the wealth of knowledge and information provided by this site.
regards
chris
Re: Good News for my Mom… - Posted by Darren (MA)
Posted by Darren (MA) on November 10, 1998 at 07:54:28:
Chris,
I read your post the other day and the follow-up this morning. I’m really pleased to hear that things worked out for your mom and I really respect the ethical manner in which she handled it. Some people probably would have advised her to just write the letter, and yes, she could have and her problem would have been solved. But I think she showed much more character by refusing and handling it the way she did. She did the right thing. Congratulations. Problem solved.
Darren
Re: Good News for my Mom… - Posted by Bud Branstetter
Posted by Bud Branstetter on November 10, 1998 at 08:28:56:
I don’t mean to sound vindictive but I would consider sending those emails to her new landlord. Even though a landlord that doesn’t check with previous landlords is not managing his property well, doesn’t he deserve the information. The problem was not solved just transferred to someone else.
Don’t have to agree with this either - Posted by Bud Branstetter
Posted by Bud Branstetter on November 11, 1998 at 12:45:27:
Opinions are like noses, everyone has one. Everyone does not have to do what others might do. I also feel that it is a landlord’s responsibility to join a national association so that you can update the tenants file with their history. If a landlord does not check on the tenant you have at least filled that portion of your responsibility by updating the file.
Re: Good News for my Mom… - Posted by hk CA
Posted by hk CA on November 10, 1998 at 13:08:25:
Bud,
Although I usually respect your advice and comments, I gotta take issue with you on this one. Landlords that care about their property and the residents that live there take the time and go to the expense of thoroughly checking out a tenant. They know it pays to do so. Those that will grab the first tenant with enough cash for the first month’s rent and don’t bother to look further, deserve exactly what they get. In this case the tenant’s credit was questionable and there was no favorable referal from the present landlord. Yet she apparently got the apartment.
The problem tenant is going to find a place to live somewhere. So the problem will NEVER be solved, just transferred to someone else. That’s just the way it is.
It’s been my experience that the landlord that doesn’t thoroughly check references, usually runs a pretty shoddy property due to the class of tenants he gets. The problem lies not with the tenant herself or the previous landlord, but with the new landlord. And that we have no control over.
As I implied in my original post to Darren (MA), I don’t advocate lying about the tenant to the new landlord; only advising that they would best look more closely at the tenant’s background. That in itself should be a tip off to anyone truly concerned about the quality of the tenant.
Just my observation.
Excuuuuuuuuse me - Posted by hk CA
Posted by hk CA on November 11, 1998 at 13:22:36:
Gosh, Bud. Don’t take it so personally. I was just expessing MY opinion.