Yes Ma'am

I have gone through my fair share of Alabama property managers and feel I can unequivocally say I am convinced Luigi's company is the best I currently have to work with. Had Kirby not sold his company and went off to pursue more profitable vocations, I would take that statement back. And to be fair, Luigi's folks haven't been all that wonderful.

My true issue with Luigi's company is that his staff is having a very difficult time figuring out who they work for. I don't wish to belabor this point, but property management companies have one customer: the owners. They find owners renters for their homes. They handle tenant issues. They handle maintenance issues. They do not work for the tenants. It isn't that property management companies don't sympathize with tenants at times (and often curse owners behind their backs), it is that it is truly the owners who are the ones who pay for the services for the property management company. Hence, the primary customer of a property management company is the owners. Lest you think this is a philosophical issue, I assure you it isn't. This is actually contract law.

I have had my fair share of conversations with everyone at this company from Flunky, Slick Willy, Ms. April and even Luigi about this particular issue. I have written to them offering veiled threats. I have written them--using extra big syllables (and sometimes one syllable words when they were super-confused) explaining exactly how this is going to go. And somehow this has fallen on deaf ears (or in the case of my e-mails, blind eyes). However, I have two new contacts over there and though I am afraid I may jinx something, I think I have finally gotten Luigi's folks to see things my way.

Ms. Elsie apparently comprehends, "The tenants will be taking care of the yard." and "The tenants who ruined my hardwood floors will be paying my hardwood floors," and other such ideas. Not only am I getting a "Yes ma'am" from her, I am getting these kinds of e-mails from her, proactively explaining how the tenants are now being charged for their contractual transgressions. I would tell you it is about time but frankly I couldn't get any other property management company to comply with this prior to recently, so a new precedent has been set.

In addition to this, it appears I have a new contact in the maintenance department. Flunky is now apparently handling billing, though I am half-paranoid enough to believe I have been schlepped off because I may have suggested once too many times that he is incompetent. My new contact has been wonderful.

Ms. Mary sent me a note the other day, saying she was following up about the house in Moody. There had been a tree that had fallen in the yard. It hadn't been taken care of. The tenants were also complaining that I agreed to pay for flooring for a bedroom and hadn't followed through. That got my attention. Both of those issues should have been remedied a month ago. I let Ms. Mary know I was highly disappointed this hadn't happened.

I also let Ms. Mary know these are long term tenants and by no means did I want them to think I had dropped the ball on them. Because I hadn't. I sent her my correspondence with Flunky, showing that I did my part. I didn't say so in so many words, but essentially I double-dog-dared her to throw me under the bus and blame me to the tenants for not taking care of this house. Fortunately, it appears Ms. Mary has more integrity and sense than that. At least I hope so because I am quickly running out of big syllable words.