Posted by Vin L on April 09, 2009 at 08:49:31:
Good one!
Mold or sabotage - Posted by Celeste-fl
Posted by Celeste-fl on February 20, 2009 at 15:58:57:
I rented a M.H. on land in great condition to a older guy from the other side of the state two months ago. He told me a few weeks ago that he is never there and wished he had not rented it. He called me today and said he had chest pains and headaches from mold in the bedrooms. What mold I said and went right over there. I never saw anything like it before, heavy black mold in two bedrooms covering all of two and three walls in both rooms. I see no water stains on the ceiling and there is no water pipes behind the walls.
I was in shock.He said he wanted his last and sec back. I gave it to him and he is moving out sat. I had him sign some papers saying he will be out on sat.
Can mold grow that fast? Where else may it be coming from? Is it possible that he grew mold to get out of the lease?
Re:Thanks guys - Posted by Celeste-fl
Posted by Celeste-fl on February 21, 2009 at 09:20:12:
Without this community, I don,t think I would still be here in the game. It is great to talk to like minded people and vent. Tony, you hit the nail on the head when you said at times it feels like being manic depressive in this business. I think he made the mold to get out of the lease. I will know more in a few days ,but the more I read about how easy it is to make mold the more I think he did it.
Thanks guys for your help. It does make me feel better.
Re: Mold or sabotage - Posted by James-Ct
Posted by James-Ct on February 21, 2009 at 07:30:20:
If this guy was like that tenant in ‘Pacific Heights’ he could have just kept the doors to the bedrooms closed and a humidifier on with the heat turned up.
Chlorine Dioxide gas is effective for treating mold and many other things. They put a tent over the place and pump in the gas for 24 hours or so. They used this for anthrax after 9/11 and after Hurricane Katrina.
There are probably cheaper ways you can do it yourself. Try googleing it.
Good luck
Re: Mold or sabotage - Posted by Celeste-fl
Posted by Celeste-fl on February 21, 2009 at 04:35:17:
I know giving the money back was a stupid thing. I panicked. I have had the mobile for two years and never had a problem from past tenants. I bought it from a older women who did have a roof put on a few years before I got it. I have the paperwork from the company.
When he called,I was working on a rehab and had a few friends and family members stop by that day and tell me I was basically still a loser for doing this stuff especially in this economy and that I should get a job. I was also having one of those days with two move outs in middle of the night. Tenants calling for repairs and some late pays. I was feeling a bit low when I went there and caved.
Re: Mold or sabotage - Posted by Gary
Posted by Gary on February 20, 2009 at 21:47:59:
Since your tenant says he was never there how does he have health issues? I would guess he has had stuff packed up against the walls(like cardboard boxes) allowing no ventilation. If you’ve had some damp weather there in Fl. this stuff will grow pretty quick.
Re: Mold or sabotage - Posted by PAE
Posted by PAE on February 20, 2009 at 20:53:36:
Call me cynical, but I don’t buy it. He calls you a few weeks ago saying he is never there and wished he had not rented it and next thing you know theres black mold on the walls. Something doesn’t smell right to me. If he is never at the home, how can he be experiencing chest pains and headaches from exposure to mold??
How long have you had the home? Sounds like bolcrap to me. He got you scared legally and you caved in and gave him his money back.
We’ve all learned this the hard way (I know I have) – 1 crucial lesson you’ll learn eventually is NEVER EVER return money until they’ve handed you the keys to a clean place and you’ve looked everything over with a fine tooth comb. You don’t want to overlook any damages.
By giving this guy his money you have lost all control of the situation. Even if the black mold IS legit- you don’t have possession of the unit back. What if he drags his feet and doesn’t get his stuff out? Your stuck having to evict and go to court.
Re: Mold or sabotage - Posted by Tony Colella
Posted by Tony Colella on February 20, 2009 at 17:12:42:
I cannot say for certain about the mold although it does sound very suspicious. I am wondering if you wrote you gave him 2 months rent back and he is staying until Saturday.
I hope I missed read it. I would never encourage anyone to give out any money until they have the keys in hand and the people have moved out.
Because this guy sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen, you might want to talk to some of the legal folks and see when it might be best to contact your insurance since he is claiming illness because of this.
I am not up to date on this legal issue by any means. Just something you may want to look into right away.
Sorry it happened.
Tony
ps. It sounds like he may have soaked the walls down with a hose (if there are no leaks and no other water source) and let it mold since he admitted he is not there very much and wanted out.
Re: Mold or sabotage - Posted by rise2it (VA)
Posted by rise2it (VA) on February 20, 2009 at 17:11:45:
I’ve looked at a LOT of foreclosures lately - doors gone, windows knocked out, holes in walls, ceiling leaks, etc. - these homes have pretty much sat vacant through Summer, Fall, and now Winter.
For the most part, the only mold I ever find is on the INSIDE of sheetrock (when looking through a hole in one wall at the back of another sheet).
Different climates may do different things - hopefully some others will chime in with their experiences, because I’m pretty lost on this.
…just a thought…did the guy have any kind of vaporizer/humidifier in these bedrooms that could have thrown things this far out of whack?
Re: Mold or sabotage - Posted by rise2it (VA)
Posted by rise2it (VA) on February 21, 2009 at 17:50:59:
“had a few friends and family members stop by that day and tell me I was basically still a loser for doing this stuff especially in this economy and that I should get a job.”
I heard somewhere once that if you will spend three years doing what most other people are unwilling to do, you can spend the rest of your life doing what you want.
I blindly followed that in the beginning, and now, I firmly believe it is true.
As for friends and family - mark my words on this - the day WILL come when those very same people end up coming to YOU hoping for a handout because they have over-extended themselves with all of their ‘toy’ purchases.
They’ll blame all of their woes on ‘bad luck’, and you being in a better position will (in their mind) be the result of ‘good luck’.
YOU will be fine, Celeste
Chin up - Posted by Dr. B. (OH)
Posted by Dr. B. (OH) on February 21, 2009 at 08:17:56:
Celeste,
As Tony says, your family members with JOBS are in a more dangerous position in this economy than you.
Look at it this way. Anyone with a job depends on ONE employer. You depend on MANY employers (of your tenants). ALL your employers have to go out of business, cut hours, and layoff EVERYONE for you to be out of income.
Theoretically, all of your current tenants could lose their jobs and you’d be out an income. However, realistically, this would be over an extended time period, reducing your income, not wiping it out. Plus you have the opportunity to replace that reduced income with another already-employed tenant. Your job-holding family members can be out of income by the end of the day this coming Monday!
Steve
Re: Mold or sabotage - Posted by Tony Colella
Posted by Tony Colella on February 21, 2009 at 06:37:53:
Any given Monday.
Celeste, I feel your pain and again, in case no one else says it, I am sorry you had such a day.
One thing I have learned about the real world of investing full time is that you have good days and bad days. They just happen more often than when you have a job (at leat in my experience).
Sometimes it feels like being manic depressive.
The good news is that when I hit a low (bad day) I can rest assured that a really good day is soon to follow. The contrary is also the case… bad days follow great days so be ready.
Having a job in this economy, despite what your family may believe is NOT safe. Very few jobs are depression proof. Those that are will still face cuts and concerns.
Most of the folks I know with “good jobs” such as engineers, manufacturing jobs, police officers, builders of all trades etc. have had 10-20% pay cuts if they have a job at all. We are just in the beginning of this coming depression. We went from “economic slow down” to “wait, our professional economists just figured out we have been in a recession for over a year!” (Think those guys/gals need a layoff).
In bad times it will be the income producing assets that keep us afloat provided the gov’t does not tax us into the stone age.
Hard assets will be what survives these hard times.
While none of this cheers us up today, please find some hope in the fact that you are doing the right thing, the best thing that you can. If all goes to heck with the economy, you will have done the best you could, which will be better than most, especially those clinging to jobs in companies that most likely will not survive.
I don’t mean to be all doom and gloom but I do see realities.
While my message sounds depressing it is not intended as such. You are doing the right thing despite friends and families who cling only to hope at this point. Of course they want you to quit. Fear loves company.
We will make mistakes but they get fewer and fewer. Even after playing this game for over a decade, I still pull off some great goofs and wonder “how the heck did that happen.” It’s just life. Life happens.
Hang in there.
Tony