Things Always Work Out For the Best

Mr. and Mrs. Green have been renting from me (in a house Marty Sunshine and I own without another partner) for more than three years. I know this precisely, as when I was filing the enormous stack of papers Bliz sent me the other day I found information on their credit check. Has it really been so long?

For the most part, Mr. and Mrs. Green have been good tenants. They don't call with minor dramas, and save it all for roofs caving in and other such dilemmas. I don't talk with Mrs. Green much, though I find her delightful. I happen to know she has two sons who are deployed overseas. I know she is a home-health nurse. I also know, when I mentioned to her a few months ago I had been in town over the summer, she darn near blew a gasket because I didn't stop by and introduce myself.

"You are telling me, that you came to town and didn't come by?" She asked with no small amount of outrage.

"Yes Ma'am." I answered meekly, with the mental memo that either next time I was in Birmingham I would call upon her, or I would just remember not to say anything else about future visits.

Last month, Mrs. Green sent me a text asking me to call. That is never a good sign, but I dutifully obeyed. It turns out Mrs. Green's job went away and the family of the woman she was taking care of gave Ms. Green a one hour notice her job was through. She wanted me to know she had a majority of the rent, but not all of it. And, then she let it hang with a nice pregnant pause.

What Mrs. Green did not know was Mr. Little had just given his notice a few days prior. Also, what she didn't know was cleaning up after someone has rented for years isn't a cheap process. There is painting. There is cleaning this and fixing that. All has to be painted, cleaned and repaired before a new and paying tenant can be brought in. And Mr. Little just called dibs.

Last week, I texted Mrs. Green and asked how her employment search was going. When she didn't respond for several days, I pretty much knew the answer. She finally called me a couple of days ago with the news she didn't have a job. Money was tighter than it has ever been before. I could tell she was afraid. I am afraid too.

She broke into tears when I told her I would take a token rent amount and not ask her to leave this month. However, I told her I didn't want her beholden to this house, and if she needs to move, she needs to move. I also mentioned I would be in town soon, and I would stop by and discuss her options.

I personally don't like throwing good tenants out on the street for a short-term money issue. Besides, the cost to carry a good tenant a month or two while they are getting back on their feet is much less expensive than carrying a vacant home. However, I have learned (the hard way), that when a tenant wants to leave, it is probably better just to let them go.