Personal Tenant Question

[Keith(CA)]

Okay...so the tenant is me.

The owner of the house I rent happened to buy at just the right time. In three years, home values have more than doubled. The house is the responsibility of a property management (PM) company, and the owner has no involvement at all.

The problem?

I still get mail addressed to the owner. For a while, about once a month I'd drop a stack off at the PM Company's office with the admonition that the owner needs to fill out a simple change of address form at the post office.

One of my little traditions is walking out to the community mail box across the street with my two year old daughter. On two separate occassions, I have opened the mailbox to discover a smutty magazine in the name of the owner (one Maxim, one FHM). The first time I called the PM company to complain and get permission to dispose of it...they said to dispose of it. The second time, I drove it in and half slammed it on the counter and told them it had better stop.

Today, lo and behold, with 2 year old girl in hand, we discover a third: a Stuff magazine with a horrendously racy cover. And I just about went through the roof (I would have if I hadn't been outdoors). Fortunately, there was enough other mail in the box that I could quickly sandwich the magazine to keep it out of her view.

What should my next course of action be? It's almost like this guy is ordering them and having them sent to my residence. I've been living here 10 months now, and each time it's a different magazine. I don't have any record or evidence of the last two occurrences, but I'm really fed up. My daughter doesn't need to see that crap (me either, for that matter). I want to make sure this stops NOW!

[dealmaker]

I drove it in and half slammed it on the counter and told them it had better stop.

OK, telling the management company what YOU THINK the owner should do with his mail had no effect, nor should it IMO. I don't think you should do the following, but it's what I would do, repeat I don't think you should do it, wink wink, nudge nudge:

Take a marking pen and write "RETURN TO SENDER" on any mail that you don't want, (I always use this on credit applications) and drop it back in the box. AFAIK the magazines get a pretty good rate on mailing stuff but it can really clog their system having to handle stuff coming back. Either that or just mark the address of the management company over the owner's address and mark it MOVED, NEW ADDRESS IS: xxx.

I think you'll find that will fix your problem.

Just curious, I'm not familiar with "Stuff" but I've seen "Maxim" and "FHM" sitting around in customer's shops. While not my style of magazine, nor yours I found the cover to be slightly less offensive than what I see at the grocery store check out line.

frank

[Dan Auito]

I vote for Frankies ideas above! :thumbsup:

[Aldo]

Aside from the fact that you are grossly exaggerating the severity of the problem, there are things you can do. The first thing to do is get real. Your 2-year old could have a totally nude person standing in front of him/her and not have a clue that it's not appropriate. Next, I have to wonder why you would be showing these illicit things to your young child who would never see them without someone (you?) showing it to him/her. If your child is seeing those terrible things, it's because you are allowing him/her to see them. The fact that s/he has no idea about what is seen is another issue.................. Solutions?
1) Recognizing them as undesired mail, toss them in the trash before even unfolding them.
2) Find the name of the guy's wife and forward them to her.
3) Pose as the addressee's wife when calling the publisher with a threat to subpoena them as witnesses in your impending divorce action unless they cancel the subscription.
4) Get real. Oops, I said that already
In the unlikely event that you ever have a question about investing in RE, never hesitate to ask here.

[dealmaker]

Thanks Aldo. I had prepared a much more biting answer than yours, but bit my tongue, re-wrote it and felt a bit of sympathy for his kid.

I think Keith's real problem is in his first sentence: Owner bought it "right" and it's more than doubled in 3 years! IOW, he got over and I'm paying the price for it. Just my opinion.

Anyway thanks for calling hiim up short.

dealmaker

[Dan Auito]

Well guys, Kieth is actually a mother of two and her 8 year old son was also getting the mail so that may change things just a little. Thought I would add that just for a little more insight. She was somewhat flustered at not being able to stop the magazines from getting into the 8 year olds hands as he often gets the mail before her. It's all good folks. I think we can answer anything and this is one more that we made it through! :SM039:

[Aldo]

Yuppers! I bought a locking mailbox last week.

[REIaddicted]

I would just make sure I told the kids NOT to get the mail for a while. Take a big red marker with you. When the magazine comes, write in bold letters..

MOVED, NFA ( no forwarding address) and drop it in the mail box.

Also, finding the wife and sending it to her is a great idea.. hehehehehe

Lisa

[Aldo]

Telling the kids not to bring in the mail will serve to pique their curosity. Wondering why they shouldn't get the mail, they will want to know what mom doesn't want them to see. Cool. Grab the mail, scan the mags, and diligently place them back in the mailbox before mom gets home. At least that's what I always did.

[Dan-Fl]

I agree, we can't protect children from everything, so who better to introduce than a parent. Sometimes when one protests too much it is meaningful.

[kimesha]

i am a postal carrier so i understand hoe these things can occur. call the post office in your zipcode and ask to speak to the "REGULAR" carrier for your specific street. tell him/her your situation. ask him/her to make a note/remider for the fill in person to see that the former owner no longer lives there. ask them to send the mail back moved left no address. this should fix it, if not ask for the supervisor!
hopes this helps :SM025: