In my last post, I talked about how the tenant on the first floor of our two-unit apartment was refusing to pay rent until she got back both her first month’s rent and the realty company’s administrative fees. She’s also initiating legal action against the realty company, claiming she was scammed. We still don’t know how that’s going to play out.
Meanwhile, our second-floor tenant is now dealing with a similar water pressure issue—just like the tenant downstairs.
The difference is, when we sent a plumber to check her apartment, he found water leaking from a pipe connected to her bidet and possibly from behind the toilet or sink. This long-term leak might even be the cause of the humidity problems the first-floor tenant keeps complaining about.
The plumber is also going to inspect the water tank on the roof to see if he can fix the pump. That pump’s been off for years because when it was on, it was supposed to stop once the tank was full—just like a toilet. But it didn’t always stop. The damn thing would overflow, flood the rooftop, and cause water damage. So yeah, I’m not exactly eager to reactivate it. But if it means our tenants will finally get better water flow, I’ll suck it up and give it another shot.
But back to the second-floor tenant. In a previous post, I mentioned how she constantly forgets to pay her utility bills on time, and how I’ve had to remind her every month. So, as a courtesy, I offered to simplify things last month by including utilities with the rent. That way, she’d just pay me one lump sum, and I’d handle the bills.
This was supposed to make things easier. But on May 10th—the deadline for rent payments—she didn’t pay. As I’ve mentioned before, after the 10th, late fees (called mora) start to pile up. So, on the 11th, I reminded her.
She said she’d pay that night. Then she sent me a bullshit message claiming that she had opened a new bank account and the ATM she was using wouldn’t accept her debit card.
I called her bluff immediately. You don’t need an ATM or debit card to transfer money in Argentina. All you need is the CBU or the alias of the account. She’s known this for three years. Suddenly, she was playing dumb—or thought I was.
I warned her to cut the shit because those late fees were going to stack up daily. And believe me, I was fully prepared to shove those fees down her throat if needed. I also told her that I had already paid the utility bills out of pocket to avoid getting hit with interest.
She fired back saying, “No one charges interest for late utility payments.” Then she threw in the classic excuse: “I haven’t had water in the apartment for several days.” How convenient that she remembered this after I asked for rent and utility payments.
I was at the end of my rope, but I kept it professional. I told her I’d waive the late fees if she paid everything within five days.
Less than five minutes later, the money was in my account—from the same bank account she’s been using for years.
I could’ve called her out for lying, but honestly? Screw it. She paid. That’s all I cared about in the moment.
But come June, I’m sure she’ll come up with another excuse. And with everything I’m dealing with from the first-floor tenant, I don’t think I have the energy left to be diplomatic with her too.
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So, to wrap up this four-part property saga, here’s what I’ve learned:
These real estate companies are like a damn mafia. They’re in it for themselves and don’t give a shit about you or your tenants. Honestly, managing the property myself—frustrating as it is—is still better than relying on these so-called “professionals.”
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