Bastard landlords...

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StroppyChops
The Missionary Man
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Bastard landlords...

Post by StroppyChops »

I've always had a good, friendly relationship with the landlord. Even my suspicion that his family (our neighbours) are 'camping out' on our power supply and cable TV subscription hasn't dampened the fact that we get on really well.

Until today.

We're switching up to a bigger premises during the month to allow us to expand our homestay operation. Our existing lease had expired and we'd notified the landlord we wanted to switch to a month-by-month agreement, which he agreed to. We gave six weeks notice, over the required four weeks for monthly agreements. He advised us to burn the one-month deposit as our last month of rent, and we'd simply part ways as friends at the end of the month.

Until today.

Today he arrives unannounced, all furtive eyes, and complains that he'd come to the house three times already but I hadn't answered the door. This is possibly because I'm out of the house teaching these days, and a phone call has never been a problem for him previously. He asked to deal with my personal assistant, and I arranged for him to come back later this afternoon at a time my assistant would be working.

We knew the landlord had his eyes on the three air-conditioning systems we'd installed, and wanted to offer a buy-out. Surely, this was his reason for wanting to meet.

He rocked up full of piss and vinegar and started insisting that we'd not paid the rent for last month, that we had been paying in arrears and were a month short in the final wash (I'm paraphrasing). He asked for our copy of the lease and berated my assistant with it, claiming it proved we owed him a month's rent as he couldn't remember coming to collect the rent at the start of the month. As we got on so well, asking for rent receipts would almost have seemed an insult. I trusted him, we were mates.

Until today.

I went to check with Mrs S that she recalled him coming to collect the rent this month (it coincided with our return from Australia and was vivid in our minds) - and she could even give the date. He realised a) he was wrong and had lost serious face (a bullshit phrase for 'shamed himself') and b) we weren't going to back quietly away from his temper tantrum. So he promptly reverted to the 'paying in arrears' argument and claimed that the rent he did actually collect was for last month. About this time I was feeling a little antsy (after teaching my first class at 6.30am and not yet having had a wee rest) and was getting a little pugilistic about matters. We reminded him that we moved in on the standard Cambodian one-months-rent, one-month-deposit arrangement and so were paying in advance, not arrears. Again, that muppet look of shame at being caught out (not guilt at doing the wrong thing - there's a difference), and so immediately wanting to move on to matter of the air-conditioners.

We installed two 1.5HP Panasonic invertors and a 1HP Panasonic non-invertor a year ago, all-up cost around $1500. Mrs S agreed that if he met us at $1000 we'd let it go. We'd made it very clear that we were planning to take the a/c's with us unless he made a serious offer.

I don't have to tell anyone who lives here what direction it took from there.

We brought the conversation around to a list of over $800 in improvements we'd added to the place at our expense and were gifting him outright - on the basis that he offered a fair price on the a/c's. Again, no surprises... he actually started picking apart the upgrades he was getting for free, despite all of them being at a higher standard than he himself would have done. We were staggered at the disrespect shown - even for Cambodia.

I called a halt to conversation, stating we'd simply take the a/c's with us, but would also take the plumbing and wiring out and return the house to the original state.

This clearly was not a factor in his plan - he figured at the very least he'd get the other upgrades, and the plumbing of the a/c's for nothing if we took the units. There was further conversation about his thoughts that we should leave the plumbing, and me making it clear that would not happen. Stunned silence.

An awkward silence that lasted about 10 minutes while he tried the inscrutable Asian silence trick on us, only to discover that these particular barang play that game better than he does. He eventually gave up and went home.

So, round one to the Stroppys... but the month ain't over yet.

Yes, the obvious lessons are learned.

Thanks, I feel better. Actually, I don't, but that's what you say after epic ranty posts, right?
Bodge: This ain't Kansas, and the neighbours ate Toto!
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Jerry Atrick
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Central African Republic

Re: Bastard landlords...

Post by Jerry Atrick »

Tread carefully.

Round two may involve he and his police buddies giving you an hour to vacate, on whatever grounds he pays them for.
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Duncan
Sir Duncan
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Re: Bastard landlords...

Post by Duncan »

Having been a landlord for a major part of my life, I have always insisted on rent being paid into my bank account. That way you have proof on your statements that rent was paid on what date and how much.
Cambodia,,,, Don't fall in love with her.
Like the spoilt child she is, she will not be happy till she destroys herself from within and breaks your heart.
bkktrapper
Expatriate
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Location: the ceiling

Re: Bastard landlords...

Post by bkktrapper »

better bail before shit hits the fan.
ceiling cat is watching you masterbate
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Jerry Atrick
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Central African Republic

Re: Bastard landlords...

Post by Jerry Atrick »

I've been paying rent for 16 of my 32 years and the only time I ever insisted upon a recipt was the year I rented from my evil dwarf brother.

Never had issues otherwise.
Jaap N.
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Netherlands

Re: Bastard landlords...

Post by Jaap N. »

SC, that sucks!
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StroppyChops
The Missionary Man
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Australia

Re: Bastard landlords...

Post by StroppyChops »

Jerry Atrick wrote:Tread carefully.

Round two may involve he and his police buddies giving you an hour to vacate, on whatever grounds he pays them for.

Yeah, that had crossed my mind. It's a particular risk as we don't now have a written contract, we've fallen into the informal month-by-month phase.

Our new landlord is, let's say, a "big" business man with a government position, and he's already invited us to contact him if we have any problems in Cambodian life, so I have a fall-back.

I'm already considering stripping out a lot of the upgrades sooner rather than later.
Jaap N. wrote:SC, that sucks!
Yeah, it does.
Bodge: This ain't Kansas, and the neighbours ate Toto!
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vladimir
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Re: Bastard landlords...

Post by vladimir »

Slip some parboiled chicken into a plastic bag, puncture the bag with a toothpick, and hide it in the ceiling.

Just before you leave, flush a box of sanitary towels down the toilet
Jesus loves you...Mexico is great, right? ;)
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StroppyChops
The Missionary Man
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Australia

Re: Bastard landlords...

Post by StroppyChops »

vladimir wrote:Slip some parboiled chicken into a plastic bag, puncture the bag with a toothpick, and hide it in the ceiling.

Just before you leave, flush a box of sanitary towels down the toilet
And this is why I'm always careful to stay friends with you...
Bodge: This ain't Kansas, and the neighbours ate Toto!
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Duncan
Sir Duncan
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Re: Bastard landlords...

Post by Duncan »

vladimir wrote:Slip some parboiled chicken into a plastic bag, puncture the bag with a toothpick, and hide it in the ceiling.

Just before you leave, flush a box of sanitary towels down the toilet
Reminds me of a time I owned a motel in OZ. Some young pricks had a feed of prawns then inserted all the shells through a small cut in the inner sprung mattress . Took weeks to find where the smell was coming from. Impossible to remove them and ended up with buying a new mattress.
Cambodia,,,, Don't fall in love with her.
Like the spoilt child she is, she will not be happy till she destroys herself from within and breaks your heart.
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