You will never guess who called me when I got home from work tonight? My long-lost missing landlord (or his representative!) We had quite the interesting chat about how the billing arrangements are done regarding utilities. The bottom line is that he has verbally promised me that I no longer owe the money overcharged for electric nor the late fee. We shall see in January.
Apparently my threat to put my rent in escrow has worked. Also, some of the statements I made in my letter regarding not hiding behind an anonymous PO Box. Whatever. At any rate, he called me and now I have his name and phone number in my little book along with other useful information.
I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. He may truly have been ignorant of all the billing errors committed in his company's name, though I find that very hard to swallow. He tried to minimize them but I wouldn't have it. I said, this is the first time it (the electric overcharge) has happened to me, but it has been happening all over this park to others and there are a lot of unhappy people here. I told him I work with data and I am taught to question when things don't look right and my electric bill does not look right when you compare it to previous months. He looked it over and agreed with me that it was not right. I asked him how the meters were read. He said, "By hand." I said, "I am at work all day and am not around when the person comes around to read the meters. But I have been informed that this person takes a picture of the meter and sends it to you. Furthermore, the power company will not give out any information regarding the account and the rates." Because he was trying to use the excuse that the power company raises its rates from time to time.
"I read every letter people send me," he said. Yes, you may read them but you don't reply. This nonsense started in November and only now do I get a reply--by phone, which is not as easy to document as a letter. Without things in writing it boils down to a he said she said situation. And I think that is what this guy wants. The record keeping in that office is a mess, to put it mildly. They've been getting away with it because they've been dealing for the most part with people who are poor and uneducated and don't know their rights, and furthermore, don't have the best of payment records. And now they are back-pedaling because they tangled with someone who didn't fit their assumptions. They want me to look upon them favorably. They want my goodwill. Because if I leave, there goes a regular, dependable source of income. And, do I dare think they might even be a little afraid of me, of what I might uncover, of what connections I might have?
We shall see. This isn't over yet.
Apparently my threat to put my rent in escrow has worked. Also, some of the statements I made in my letter regarding not hiding behind an anonymous PO Box. Whatever. At any rate, he called me and now I have his name and phone number in my little book along with other useful information.
I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. He may truly have been ignorant of all the billing errors committed in his company's name, though I find that very hard to swallow. He tried to minimize them but I wouldn't have it. I said, this is the first time it (the electric overcharge) has happened to me, but it has been happening all over this park to others and there are a lot of unhappy people here. I told him I work with data and I am taught to question when things don't look right and my electric bill does not look right when you compare it to previous months. He looked it over and agreed with me that it was not right. I asked him how the meters were read. He said, "By hand." I said, "I am at work all day and am not around when the person comes around to read the meters. But I have been informed that this person takes a picture of the meter and sends it to you. Furthermore, the power company will not give out any information regarding the account and the rates." Because he was trying to use the excuse that the power company raises its rates from time to time.
"I read every letter people send me," he said. Yes, you may read them but you don't reply. This nonsense started in November and only now do I get a reply--by phone, which is not as easy to document as a letter. Without things in writing it boils down to a he said she said situation. And I think that is what this guy wants. The record keeping in that office is a mess, to put it mildly. They've been getting away with it because they've been dealing for the most part with people who are poor and uneducated and don't know their rights, and furthermore, don't have the best of payment records. And now they are back-pedaling because they tangled with someone who didn't fit their assumptions. They want me to look upon them favorably. They want my goodwill. Because if I leave, there goes a regular, dependable source of income. And, do I dare think they might even be a little afraid of me, of what I might uncover, of what connections I might have?
We shall see. This isn't over yet.
