You know what sucks? Being practical. Sometimes when you have to look out for yourself, you end up hurting someone else and it really does suck. I'm not a cold-hearted bitch so when I feel like I have possibly damaged someone, I feel terrible, even if it was what was best for me.
My situation was this, I have an apartment for rent. Its a condo that my brother and I bought to rent out. Mainly, it's been nothing but a pain in the butt. We can't sell it because the market here is so bad and the prices have dropped so low that we would be upside down.
So the tenant is moving out. Someone in the building gave me a possible interested tenant. The lady turns out she was looking for her elderly mother so that she could live next to her and she could take care of her. Okay, fine. She liked the place and wants it for her mother. Okay. Her mother is Section 8 (for those that don't know, this is like housing assistance). Again, okay since I figure she's so old that she can't really do much damage and it guarantees payments to me. However, she wants to move in a month and a half and has no paperwork or deposit. Apparently, the Section 8 has a bunch of paperwork and red tape. . The tenant lady begged me and begged me because the location is perfect for her mother. So I said okay, and gave them a rental application. I have yet to receive it or the money for it. So...along comes another tenant. He went through the agent I use to rent my place. He has his deposits, great credit, and a great job. He is ready to sign a lease and move in now. I have nothing for this other lady. I tell her about the other person and she begs me and begs me that she is certain and that her mother already gave her notice. Yet, I still have no money or nothing in writing. I call her mother's case worker with Section 8. He tells me that she is not approved and that the process cannot be started until she brings him paperwork and she has not done that yet. On top of this, the guy tells me that they would actually be paying less than what the daughter told me that they would. They also have to inspect the place to make sre that it is up to code prior to approving my apartment.
Needless to say, I had to call this lady and tell her that I could not wait for her mother because nothing was certain at this point and they would not pay what I wanted in rent. I then called and told the other person that I would sign. I know, I know, this sounds like a logical thing to most people. However, I feel terrible. I feel like I have displaced an old lady. I have upset a family and I have gone back on my word that I would rent to her mother. However, I felt like it was either screw or be screwed. My friend pointed out that I shouldn't be worrying about their problems, that I have no one paying the mortgage for me if this paperwork should fall through. The agent renting my place pointed out that I had to step away from the emotion of the transaction (exactly why I don't like to rent my own place) and look at it the same way that I would look at a sales contract for my buyer or seller. She told me to only look at the facts and stop feeling guilty. What would I do at work? Well, of course I would push the guy with the good credit, good job, and deposit. I see on a first hand basis when sellers find their own buyer or try to sell to friends or family, they get so emotionally involved that it clouds all of their judgement and now I was doing it myself.
This does not stop me from feeling bad. I wonder if this poor lady will be able to live near her daughter. I wonder if they will be okay. I wonder if they will be cursing me as the evil person who rented the place to someone else, etc. Sometimes it feels bad to do what's best for yourself.
1cd87c94d194af285419eceb558a00fb.jpg)
