Rent's Due!

I work for a property management firm in Denver. We lease commercial spaces. I've said many times that I really love my job. However, that doesn't mean that it doesn't have its trials. Some of those trials are with people not paying rent. I understand that times are tough, but these people did sign a lease! In order to deal with the past-due accounts, I tend to try to get a giggle or two out the wonderful excuses that people make.

The most recent excuse that I have received for not paying rent on time is: "My rent is late because I was out of the office because I had hip surgery yesterday." Okay... rent is due on the first of the month. Today is the fifteenth. I don't see how being out of the office on the fourteenth of the month is going to prevent you from remembering to pay your rent 2 weeks before the surgery date.

The most common excuse is always: "I was out of the office." Were you out of the office for the entire MONTH? You know that your rent is always due on the first. ALWAYS. If you know you are going to be out of the office, make an effort to pay your rent before you leave. Or make an online payment. Where are you that you can't get to a computer???

I love the "it must have gotten lost in the mail" excuses. Why? Because the post office stamps the date the check was mailed right on the envelope. So, I doubt that it is a coincidence that the day I call you to remind you that your rent is late is the date that the post office stamped on the envelope. I'm not an idiot.

The honest answer usually makes me feel bad. The "I didn't have the money" answer is kind of depressing, but at the same time, what am I supposed to do? If they don't pay their rent, I'm out of job. And then I can't pay MY rent. If you can't pay your rent, you need to surrender your keys and vacate your suite so that we can at least try to rent the suite out to someone else. Don't be a pain in the @ss. Why make your landlord feel bad for trying to get the money that YOU agreed to pay? I just have to laugh at the people who get angry when you evict them after they don't pay rent for 4 or 5 months. What did they think was going to happen??

Gah! Some of the people drive me crazy. But, at least they keep me on my toes!