Landlording fun

I just dropped Mr. K off at the city court building. It took me a long time to get home because I accidentally got in the wrong lane to get on the interstate, and had to turn down a side street. At that point, I just went to another cross street (Main St.) that I knew would take me to a street called Belvedere, which would take me across the river on the Robert E. Lee bridge, and from there, I know the back roads well to get home. It was unpleasant driving along Main St. The lanes were so narrow and the buildings were so tall it made the street shaded on a sunny day.

Driving downtown is misery itself. Lanes are narrow. Lanes are blocked by buses and delivery trucks. Construction is everywhere, also blocking lanes. It's hard to change lanes when you suddenly find you lane is blocked. I drive a sedan, so most vehicles on the road block my view of the lane ahead (that's how I got in the wrong lane to get on the Interstate). Sometimes the traffic lights are overhead. Sometimes they are on a post at a corner. It is very easy to run a red light if you aren't looking in the right place. Parking is hard to find, especially if you can't parallel park (like me). A homeless-looking guy ran out in front of my car shortly before I missed my lane to get to the Interstate (probably drugged or mentally ill). People wonder why no one wants to come downtown to shop or eat dinner. Could it be that it is very stressful to get around, and difficult to find parking once you get there? I'd rather park my car in a nice, suburban mall parking lot if I felt like shopping or eating out (actually I usually just run through a drive-thru for food and mail order for shopping or go to Target).

I finally got almost home, and the road that I had used 45 minutes before to get from our house to the Interstate was closed. I took a long detour through the neighborhood with N and J's school in it.

Finally, about 8:20 a.m this morning, our phone rang. (Mr. K's court time is 10 a.m.) It was our tenant at the rental Mr. K fixed up. She called to tell us she had $1500 rent and hoped we wouldn't go to court. I gave the phone to Mr. K. He told her very clearly that we are going to court. If she had been able to talk us in to not showing up, it would take us another month and a half to get this process where it is right now. I don't know if she actually has the money. If she does, she'll never give it to us; she'll use it to give to the next landlord to move in so that she can quit paying rent until she's evicted. She also made no mention of the utilities, which she hasn't put in her name. I just got the bill two days ago, and there will be at least one more bill before we get her out. The amazing thing is that before she neglected to pay rent, I got the utility bill and discovered she hadn't put the utility in her name. I called her that night, but only got her voice mail. I left a message that she needed to put the utilities in her name, and that she owed us $50 for her part of the utilities, and that I'd be sending a letter that included the utility bill. She never called me. We sent her a pay or quit. She never called. We sent her a court summons (and the sheriff delivered her one). She never called. Now, this morning, the day she goes to court, she calls to try to straighten things out. A) too late B) I don't believe she actually plans to become a model tenant; she's just trying to delay us so she can keep the place as long as possible for free.

I guess if the tenants show up for court, Mr. K has to wait ten days for his writ of possession (which he takes to the sheriff and schedules the eviction--several week wait on that). If they don't show, he gets the writ of possession today.

Anyway, I'm understandable grumpy and stressed from driving downtown.

(I drive Mr. K there because he has to be there at a certain time, and there's no guarantee he can find parking once he gets there if he drives himself. He'll call me from a pay phone when he's done and I'll pick him up. He can't bring his cell phone with him into the court building.)