When Two Fools Collide

Fool 1:

Michael Smith is not the absolute worst tenant I have ever had. But darn near close. And he is currently the one I loathe the most. He also refused to move, made me drag my butt to Alabama to show up in court and evict him. He, the coward that he is, refused to show. So, I won by default.

I have one heck of a judgement on him. I am willing to bet one of the big reasons he is living at his father-in-law's home is that nobody sane will rent to him based on his eviction and the amount of the monetary judgement that will live on his credit report until he pays it off or dies. I will renew it until I get what is owed. Trust me.

Because he owes me, I keep tabs on him via Facebook. I know he is currently enrolled in college and graduates in 2012. I also pay attention to what his wife is up to.

Here's a tip: if you owe money to people, you might not want to broadcast your life on Facebook so that anyone can read your profile. Surely I am not the first person to think of this.

Fool 2:

Tommy and Tammy wanted to rent my home. I was skeptical from day 1, with Carolsue giving me about 16 different reasons why I was being too picky. There was nothing wrong with Tommy's credit. He was gainfully employed. He had money. I just didn't like him. My gut said no. Finally, Tommy was enough of a jerk that I used that as my get-out-of-Tommy-renting-my-home card.

The Gist:

So, I was poking around on Mr. Smith's Facebook account, which I do every so often, and I see a familiar name: Tommy. Then, I see another familiar name: Tammy.

Mr. Smith only has 26 friends. So, it isn't like he is one of those Facebook people who hoard strangers and call them friends. Just to be sure, I checked Mrs. Smith's Facebook site: yep, they are friends with her too.

According to the US Census Bureau, the population of the entire Birmingham metropolitan area is 1,212,848 (2009). These two guys know each other? My gut was sending me a clear signal. Looks like I swerved a foolhardy disaster.