Originally posted by @Nicholas DeGaetani:
Originally posted by @Account Closed:
Dude. What I say is for you and anyone else in this thread that think the tenants deserve to be "punished" in any way. You need to apologize to and thank your tenants for doing what they did.
Sewer gas backing up into a house is more than stinky, it can be deadly. I'm a bit shocked this has not been the number one point brought up in this thread. I found this link in 5 seconds. I suggest you and everyone else that might wonder why this is a serious safety issue read it.
https://deltaplumbingatlanta.com/news/the-danger-sewer-gases-present-in-your-home
Here is one quote from the link for anyone that won't bother to read it:
"Gases that originate in your home’s sewer system can lead to explosions in the house as well as asphyxiation and even death for anyone inside."
Anyone who doesn't have the common sense required to keep their tenants safe from death ought not be in this business.
Go pour yourself that bourbon and think that last statement over.
Maybe you should get evicted from this business before you kill someone.
Hey bud - to be clear, as you may not have read all my other comments, I don't think anyone believes the smell is not a serious concern. Appreciate the link. Fortunately, this was remediated this morning and confirmed by the inspector. Challenges included having multiple representatives not be able to positively confirm the smell for multiple months after hours of trying to replicate. My ultimate take aways are:
1. The truth is probably somewhere inbetween the contractor and the tenant observations
2. Ask for an independent assessment to confirm due diligence if there's a hint or suspicion that a problem is significant
3. Don't write a partial post on Bigger pockets to vent/complain. Full details matter, and even then, not all of the details will be read.
4. Post to BP sooner to get a sanity check - you guys all have fantastic feedback and there's a lot of wisdom here.
Thanks!
OMFG. You care more about what an internet community thinks about you than you do about making sure you don't threaten the lives of your tenants. Here's my idea of what your "take aways" ought to have been, buddy ole pal:
#1 - I have come to realize my knowledge of basic housing 101 is lacking to a degree that is life-threatening to my tenants.
#2 - Now that I have come to this realization, I need to make educating myself on housing safety my number one priority, and until I obtain this education and can competently manage a residential building, I ought not to purchase any additional properties.
#3 - In the meantime, I should probably consider hiring a property management company for the interim, and maybe retain their services indefinitely. This makes good financial sense, not just moral sense, as a negligence lawsuit could ruin me.
#4 - Just because people on BP speak to me in a manner that I don't understand, or is from another era, or in a manner I might perceive as being mean, that doesn't necessarily make them internet trolls and maybe, just maybe, they say these things to me because they would hate to see my incompetence cause the death of another person.
#5 - Just because people advertise or present themselves or I misjudge them as experts on a certain topic, the reality is they might not be an expert at all, and taking their advice may have serious adverse consequences. This includes people that make a living as a plumber, people in my family that I trust because I love them, and people I meet on the internet.
#6 - Most people on BP do not even bother to read what I've posted, or some skim over it, and maybe I even leave out details, but then sometimes some people read every word of it, and know more about my story than I wrote or even understand myself - lol.
#7 - I am still really young and have a lot to learn about all sorts of things.
And if we're still friends and still having fun...
1. The truth is probably somewhere inbetween the contractor and the tenant observations
Uhm...like the truth of life? Truth and consequences? Truth of a politician? What sort of truth are you seeking here? The truth is you should have enough knowledge as the property manager to know sewer gas is serious and requires immediate remedy. That has zero to do with the contractor or your tenant.
2. Ask for an independent assessment to confirm due diligence if there's a hint or suspicion that a problem is significant
Ask who? The property manager??? That's you. You're the property manager. You're the guy that confirms due diligence has happened, or better put, you need to perform your due diligence. That means you call the plumber. That means you call out their BS and call a second plumber.
3. Don't write a partial post on Bigger pockets to vent/complain. Full details matter, and even then, not all of the details will be read.
O I don't know. I write long posts and sometimes think I'm better off out of the gate with less. You can definitely come here to vent or complain, but you might not get the coddling you were hoping for, but often you will. You are right on the last bit, not everything you post will be read by everyone. And, sometimes people respond without reading or worse, are complete idiots and take what you said entirely out of context or, maybe you just thought they did until you go back and read what you posted and discover you were not very clear in the first place - lol - welcome to the digital world of people. As far as forums go, BP is pretty awesome and for the most part free of idiots.
4. Post to BP sooner to get a sanity check - you guys all have fantastic feedback and there's a lot of wisdom here.
You hit that one square in the head. The best threads are the ones where people share their failures. Unfortunately people prefer to share their success and hide when they fail, in part because the world can be cruel when you're down however, it is precisely those threads that we all, not just the person who started the thread, learn how to avoid mistakes. My friend, the number of times I posted something on the net and got my fanny handed back to me are countless. While there are people who can say that's never happened to them because they are just so perfect, most of us are just a bunch of dummies trying to get through to the next.
Go learn to be a proper property manager and the first rounds on me.
