2008-10-04 Nothing like playing in S...ewage

I didn't get to do anything on my rentals yesterday.  The night before I walked downstairs at my home and the sewer tank buzzer was going off.  So yesterday morning at 6am I'm out in my yard pulling up the sewage pump.  The motor still worked but the shaft had sheared off and it was no longer pumping the efluent out to my drain field.  I picked up a new pump on the way into work and replaced it after work.  That shot my day for doing anything on the rentals.

 Today I checked the PO box and it was empty.  It was my two newest tenants that had not sent their checks.  You usually find out who's going to be on time, late, or rent skippers in the first two months.

I went to the 6 unit and did some more work on the new furnaces.  I also sold the left over fuel oil and the fuel tank for .45 cents less per gallon than I paid for it last time I had the tanks filled.  I don't mind though I wanted to get the stuff out of there and he helped me remove the tank and load it on his trailer.  The guy I sold it to is also pretty well connected in town and I told him that I would sell the old (4 years old) boilers for $300 each.  He was going to talk to some people to see if they were interested.  If you want one or know anyone that wants one they are both 180k btu boilers.  They were running at 83% efficency when they were installed and still have lots of life left in them.  Contact me if you're interested.

 I then went for last call to ask about the rent check from the one person that was late.  They were sorry, they mailed it from the office Fri and thought it would be here by now.  They wrote me another check and I told them I would give them back the one that comes in the mail when I get it.

I went home got cleaned up and my wife called the other tenant and they didn't know that their pro-rated check was due on the first.  She quickly wrote a check and I picked it up.

 I like to let tenants know that if I don't get the checks today that they will be getting charged a late fee tomorrow.  If I'm going to collect the late fees from my tenants I believe that it is my duty to let them know the day before they get hit with the fee.