Wednesday, April 07, 2004
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Bigger People
So when Jim went to talk to my landlady last night he offered to pay for the additional cleaning that she says the suite needs. She said that after deducting the week's rent, the cost of replacing the blinds (boy my cat -trashed- those blinds) and the classified ad there was $50 owing to us. Then she told Jim that he can either finish the additional cleaning himself or cover the cost ($100) of hiring someone to do it. Please bear in mind that we have left the place in much better condition than we had received it! Besides, I don't buy the $100 cost because the spots that she pointed out that had yet to be cleaned were under the stove and under the fridge. I don't think moving those appliances to mop the floor beneath constitutes a $100 labour and supplies charge.
You can expect that I was livid to hear that Jim offered to pay her an additional $50. Bear in mind that the only expense that we were obligated to pay was the cost of replacing the blinds. Given her son's actions, we did not have to cover the rent until the new tenant moved in and no tenant is ever obligated to pay for classifieds unless the tenant breaks a lease. (We didn't even sign a lease when we moved in) I am speechless at her audacity...asking for more money! We are not a charity and her financial position is no one's fault but her own. I told Jim that she can keep the security deposit, but to make it clear that we would not hand over any extra money. Jim's a good guy and he believes that one should always leave a place clean. I believe that one is only responsible for returning a place to the condition it was when one received it. *sigh*
I just want to clarify something though. I don't dole out goodwill freely. I was more than happy to help out my landlady, that's why I agreed to cover the rent, that's why I agreed to pay for the classifieds and that's why the place was cleaned to better than when we had gotten it. I would also have been more than happy to pay for additional cleaning. EXCEPT that of late she's been rather hostile. We went to great lengths to make things smooth for her. She did not return the favour. In fact, while I was using her laundry facilities for the last time, she constantly pestered me to finish up and point blank refused to let me wash my comforters. She's got these amazing high-capacity machines that let me do two comforters at once. She knows that I'm moving to a building which has coin laundry. She also knows that I think sharing washing machines with strangers is gross. Let me put this into perspective. We pretty much gave her our entire security deposit and she could not even give me an extra load of laundry?!
I am only generous to the people I love, with the expectation that they will extend similar sentiments to me. I wanted to help out my landlady because while I was living there she was my friend. When she stopped becoming my friend, I wasn't going to be the schmuck. I guess Jim's the bigger person because he was willing to help her out to the end. I still think that we should have asked for the remaining $50 back.
posted by Joie! at
3:11 p.m.
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