While I do own a property management company, I made the decision a long time ago to manage only my properties and no one else’s. I remember coming here back in 2006 and being introduced to different management companies when searching for properties. They would make like $50-$100 per unit, and that never seemed like enough for me. Besides that, I don’t like the idea of needing permission to get a repair done. So I’ve always wanted to do my own properties and have my own standards. But when my mom Rita decided she wanted a property in Smalltown as well, I knew it was gonna be trouble. And so far it’s been just that.
The sewage pipe problem rages on at property Chi. The sewage vent clean-out on the outside of the house is broken, which forces all the water used in the house to get backed up into the basement. The water is now at a level where the hot water tanks don’t work because the pilot light for the tank is underwater. I called Rita to let her know of the situation. I knew that she would go crazy, especially after she’d been telling me about how broke she is due to repair work for her properties in Nigeria-- so I tried to make things easy for her. I told her exactly what she had to do: call the insurer, contact the claims department, and get someone out her to inspect the problem so it can get taken care of this week. I reiterated what the plumber told me, which is to make sure the insurer knows that it didn’t break by itself, but because someone threw something down the hole which caused it to break (the usual culprit). This means that it’s covered under vandalism insurance instead of normal wear and tear, which insurance doesn’t cover. Her response:
Rita: Okay. Well I have to go home and get the information because I don’t know the insurer.”
Me: Don’t worry about it. Call the mortgage company and give them either your loan number or the address of your property, and they’ll have the insurer on file.
Rita: Okay. What’s the address of my property?
What’s the address of my property. She said this. I can understand not knowing the insurer, as sometimes I need to be reminded. But to not know the address of the property you own is… it’s just a shame. Anyway, she got back to me and stated that they will take a look at everything and call her back. That was Friday. It’s now Monday, and they still haven’t called her back. I told her to give me the insurance information so I can call them. Since the plumbing people don’t accept 3rd party payments (payment from insurance companies), my idea is to pay it and then get reimbursed before the end of the month. But I can’t do that until I get the information and that means I have to rely on Rita. Other People’s Properties. OPP. I hate it.
The insurer called me yesterday and said they need verification from the plumbing company that the sewage vent pipe broke because of vandalism and not due to wear and tear. Only after they get that confirmation will they send out the money. Today I spoke to the insurer and they got verification from the plumbing people, so he’s cutting a check out for $1800, with my mom paying the deductible which is $1000. Since she was complaining about needing money to pay debts and stuff earlier, I told her that I’d pay for it and she can pay me back whenever. I'll probably never see that money. When all this is over, I’m telling her to add me as an "authorized representative whatever" for the property. This means that I no longer have to go through her to get a problem solved. Rita didn’t even know where the property was, so it’s best that I handle things and keep her completely out of it. She clearly doesn’t care about the property, but wants the $400 that the property generates each month. I’m okay with that, but not when I’m the one that has to go through the headache. Property Chi is an incredibly big pain in the ass, and I have problems of my own to deal with.
You know, I remember last year when my mom said that she wanted to pay off the $47k owed in principal for property Chi, so it can be all hers. Good advice would be for her to take that 47k and invest it into better properties in better neighborhoods. Instead, I agreed with her and advised that she use any money she has available to pay off the principal of the loan. See, if she bought more property in Smalltown, I’d have to manage it. No thank you. So instead, she’s been using that money to buy stuff in Nigeria. Fine with me. Rita can buy whatever she wants wherever she wants, just not in Smalltown. Smalltown is mine. More of OPP? More units that make me no money but give me as much, if not, more problems than my properties? Forget it.
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