[quote=birmingplumb]Guy is mail carrier 16 yrs, 52k per year 58k with overtime, wife just got full time at 28k as per letter from employer. I can ask my “tom cruise” lawyer to draft a special lease tailored to this Guy. He was late 3 weeks all the time @1900 per month but did pay up with late fee according to landlords wife. But it is the deceitfulness that I find here that leads me to keep quiet about what I found out and insist on a letter signed by the owner. Then , if it is true that he was late, they should go away quietly or they could send the new letter. They won’t due to wife of owner statement on always late. The wild card is the human element, we have his innocent 15 year old daughter probably attending high school in a safe upscale (Detroit Lions, Pistons , ect live nearby )North suburban neighborhood and the Dad is pulling out all stops to ensure it happens even fraud. I am asking 2.2k and they offered 2k subject approval. My heart wants to help but my mind and helpers here seem to say move on. I will also pray about this and wait until tomorrow. God bless this forum and it’s members. Motown[/quote]
birmingplumb, having seen this piece this morning when I logged in, I understand your situation:
The Detroit area is apparently the “4th emptiest city” in the US with a 16.9% rental vacancy rate.
My advice is still don’t let your heart rule your head. I would take a pass on this applicant simply because three weeks late is simply TOO LATE if you have a mortgage to pay on the property. Receiving rent this late will undoubtedly cause YOU late charges and dings to your credit. Even if you own the property free and clear, receiving the rent this late every month would be a tremendous hassle that I wouldn’t put up with. Now that all this couple’s consumer debt is wiped clean, you have to ask yourself why they STILL haven’t been able to make rent on time. Are they accumulating MORE debt (that they won’t be able to “discharge” this time)?
Don’t feel sorry for the daughter. I realize many parents will do ANYTHING to get their kid enrolled in their “school of choice.” It is commonplace in SD County for parents (ESP those who live in MX) to use the addresses of friends, relatives, current vacant REO’s, comm’l properties and even longtime boarded-up residences for school-attendance purposes! Is this fraud? Yes, but the districts don’t have the resources to check. It’s really not your problem. No matter where their daughter goes to HS, she will graduate and get accepted into college if she is a good student.
Ask for the letter from the legitimate fmr landlord like you mentioned and when your prospective tenant produces it (or decides not to because they don’t like what it says), you can then turn him down on that basis. Then he will have no cause for filing a discrimination complaint. Meanwhile, keep advertising for a tenant. If the local school(s) are as good as you say they are, you will get a better applicant soon, likely before school starts.
btw: $86K gross income for this hshld is likely $66K net. You are asking $24K to $26,400 annually in rent which is 36% – 40% of their net income, not incl utils. Your rental might be too expensive for them, considering they still have to pay for heat in winter, etc. Remember that they don’t have any assets so likely have few tax deductions to take.
