I think that one thing that this business had done to me is made me cold. For example, today I was cleaning out a unit and throwing out all the contents. And in that pile of stuff is a wedding photo. 10 x 14 or some larger picture. And as I put it in the dumpster I just laid it there.

I didn't care today.

I used to worry and wonder about these kind of things like should I try to find them and see if they want it or what kind of person am I to throw it out. That kind of stuff does not phase me one bit anymore.

The only contents that really bothers me and that's actually starting to fade away is when I'm tossing out little kids toys. Because when little kids are in this environment, you know that for the most part there's really no hope for them. They're just going continue on this cycle.

I see it as a landlord and as a real estate investor evicting people and buying properties that people have lost. My wife has also seen as a teacher. She just knew that some kids are almost doomed in a way.

It's not my job to save the world.

To not let it bother me, I've had to become numb to it. It'll eat you up otherwise.

I know what your feeling. One of my tenants purchased for their son, only child, a new bicycle. It got stolen. The parents went out and purchased another bicycle for their son. It got stolen in 3 days. Then the parents went out and purchased a third new bicycle for their son. I came to the property and saw the bicycle laying on the front lawn of the property in plain sight. The parents and son had left for the day leaving the bicycle outside.

I quickly removed the bicycle and locked in my storage garage on the property. The next day I saw the tenants. They blamed their son for loosing 3 bicycles. I laughed. I said, "How dumb can parents be"? They looked at me as if I were crazy or something. By the way, I am crazy!

I explained that instead of buying 3 bicycles and allowing them to be stolen, they could have purchased a good bicycle lock and chain for $10 and taught their son to park the bicycle in the back yard or garage and chain it to a post, steps, pipes or fence.

Instead of buying 1 bicycle and 1 lock they are out now for 3 bicycles. But I said to them, If the go today and purchase a bicycle lock and teach their son where to secure the bicycle, I will recover his bicycle from my storage locker on the property.

The parents were upset that I took the bicycle, I should have left it alone to be stolen like the other two bicycles.

The parents were educated college graduates with zero common sense.

NE of PA well put by Ken of NY.

I NEVER CARED!!!

YEP its the best policy.

Call it COLD.

Call it have no sole.

Call it whatever you like; bottom line its a business an must be run like a business.

UNLESS you're a 501K Charity. AND you like dealing with charity cases and Drama Queens that is MR or MS Drama Queen.

Yep it is sad that kids will and are used as pawns in broken relationships between adults. Then you wonder WHY many present and future generations of adults are so messed up in more ways than you care to examine.

NE of PA your focus is preparing the unit for rent or flip it then onto the next unit.

The people that were foreclosed on or evicted are NOT paying your bills. Mortgage, car purchases, food for your family, filling other financial and personal needs are YOUR focus, YOUR goals, YOUR dreams for NE of PA.

AND YES as you are in this business the lease continues to grow in more pages and clauses. BRAD20K book bound leases wait for the next edition and Evictions become easier.

NE of PA take a look at two owners one of the Tampa Bay Bucs and Minnesota Vikings NFL teams are Multi-billionaires. They started in Residential real estate renting properties then into Residential Construction building homes and subdivisions then onto Commercial Properties.

NE of PA you and you wife and kids could be the net owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers or Philadelphia Eagles. Yes MR and MRS NE BILLIONAIRES of PA anything is possible don't take you eye off your goals.

OH YEAH and you or your wife or your kids could be the next BILLIONAIRE and PRESIDENT OF THESE UNITED STATES.

THE AMERICAN DREAM IS THERE FOR YOU and you and your wife are making it happen!!!

Go For It! An NEVER look back alway look for the next opportunity.

Apathy? MAYBE? However, your working your business plan and moving forward with your goals.

OOPPPS Soul not sole...

The odds of becoming a billionaire are minuscule. How many owners of residential rentals are there? How many billionaires? I would make more money betting against anyone here becoming a billionaire than in my rentals.

I used to care, but then I think about all the money they owe me that I'll never see. I stopped caring. I've thrown away driver's licenses, social security cards, passports, marriage certificates, wedding photos, baby pictures, etc. Sure, it bothered me the first few times. But not anymore. I now watch my tv on a 55" LG High Def tv that the tenant owed me about 5 times what the tv cost brand new. He wanted it back and I said sure, for the rent you owe. Magically I never saw him again.

I understand and have the same problems. At first it really disturbed me to see these things left behind. I would spend time sorting the obvious ones out and box them up and try to notify whoever left them. Boxes of it piled up. Some I stored as much as two years waiting for them to ask for these things. Not a single one ever did.

Like others here, I finally became numb to it. I accepted the reality that some people just don't care. Everything to them is throw away.

Now I just call the thrift store. They come and take what they think they can sell and the rest goes to the dump.

I've realized deadbeats and scum just don't care about anything. I've decided not to waste my time on them. I will help ones that are truly trying to better themselves. Those who don't care are lost and I let them go.

Wow, it's amazing what people leave behind. Also, thanks, RobertJ, for the anecdote about your tenants and their clueless mentality about their son's bicycle even though they were college-educated.

Ron White did a routine about stupid that might bring a chuckle.

It's rough being rough. When we do set outs-- which is a lot-- we try to put the toys aside. The crew knows what I want and how I want it. Don't be breaking things either.

Toys are placed into separate bags along with unopened food stuff. I want the pile as small as possible by morning.

Rest is bagged and as much trash put in the bag as possible mixing good stuff with bad. Clothes and trash with trash on top. REASON: if they come back for the treasures they'll have to take the trash to.

If there's grease, there usually is, I pour it all over and inside bags along with opened food from fridge and cabinets. The bag-- this keeps the people from going into the bags and emptying out what we just put in them with the sheriff.

We take the food and toys to the Good Shepherd shelter. Refrig's we donate if in half good condition or sell them to other tenants. (Sheriff doesn't like them left outside).

So you can try to do some good with the precious treasures. Feel good about that.

I've long lost count of how many people's possessions I've thrown in dumpsters or burned.

I have pulled entire stainless steel cooking pot sets out of the dumpster of my apartment building. The pots were in perfect shape. One of our tenants must have gotten a new set and just threw away the old. I scrubbed the set up and gave them to my son.

Several years ago there was a popular book "Nickeled and Dimed". This woman moved to a new city, got a room in a rooming house and a minimum wage job. She would work at the job for 3 months and then move on to the next city and industry. The book consisted of her experiences. The thesis of the book was that it was impossible to get ahead working minimum wage. But she never seems to move her belongings with her -- she never accumulated personal capital. So she was starting from scratch with each move. My first job -- a nurse's aid in a nursing home -- paid LESS THAN minimum wage -- and I seemed to have more than this woman.

Think of the executioners throughout history who had to swing the sword, pull the level, or squeeze the trigger.

It's funny too, my wife often mentions how she would like this thing or that and I tell her don't worry, one will show up soon, thesr houses provide everything.

And I thought it was just me.

Lately I've been very apathetic toward current tenants too and some of their dumb repair requests; it always seems to be the ones who pay late (with no late fee). I assumed my apathy was due, in part, to my depression over losing my partner of 19 years five months ago (today).

Someone suggested waiting at least a year before making a large decision such as selling out. Not sure I can wait that long to be rid of tenants.

MYOB of GA, The bag-- this keeps the people from going into the bags and emptying out what we just put in them with the sheriff.

Myob does the sheriff get upset with you when you put him or her in the bags TOO.

Just trying to clear it up...

Speaking of old bags...

...or was that a blow bag: meaning their mouth keeps a running and they can't shut up.

...I have known a few of them...

...former tenants that is...

... I digress NOW back to the subject!!!

YEP! COLD! Callous! Don't Care! And yes the tenants created this environment. Plus some tenants think you own them...

The best time to post eviction notice are in DECEMBER as a Christmas Gift to a deadbeat tenant.

Have to be careful not to become a pack rat with the stuff left behind. OH yes and the range and refrigerators that are left behind because they don't work OR they don't want to move them. Clean them up and make repairs that are needed and they are good to go. Plus a new coat of paint and now the unit has appliances.

My youngest son had to study "Nickel & Dimed" at university. However, he was already the son of landlords and was just like, "WHAT?"

I wouldn't call it apathy. Call it efficiency. If I'm clearing out leftovers I try to be as efficient as possible. Moving fast. No time to get sentimental. Usually it's a mix of undesirable (trash), some minimally valuable items, much of it bulky items (like worn cordoroy sofas), some dirty but functional items that with a little bit of cleanup could go to someone who needs it.

I did this to my own mother! She walked away from everything when I was in college. I was 19.

She moved everything into my grandmothers house from a house we lived in. She packed the craziest stuff. Dirty diapers, condiments from the fridge in with clothes and all sorts of other stuff like knick knacks. It looked like she had 15 minutes to pack. I was in school when she moved.

When I got home to my grandmothers after college I literally sifted through things, pulled out some pictures and tossed/burned the rest.

Tenants stuff is nothing.

It's a crazy world.

As heartless as I am, I have saved folks personal stuff, in one case for several years (all the family heirloom pics, ids, letters, costume jewlery, etc).

And in NOT ONE CASE did anyone ever show up to claim anything. Not once.

People. Sigh.

Excellent Point Fred of CA!

HOWEVER,

Fred of CA would you post a Christmas Eviction Notice?

I think from another post you would most likely not do it past mid month but wait to after the holidays.

Fred I am not picking on your decision but helping you work with in the post don't let emotions and feeling take over your rational.

I know in my early landlording days I let emotions/feelings cloud my business descisions and I got burned by the deadbeat tenants. Then I realized I was not the problem the tenant was the problem so its eviction time to rid the problem.

I became my tenants worst nightmare. If a tenant needed a break no break was given. A few bad tenants made it a problem across the board.

As the case with Apathy. A few bad actors/deadbeat tenants changed my focus to a NON CARING mindset and toss it and move on.

PLUS some people can be real slobs. This is WHY the importance of IN HOME INSPECTIONS with a final decision on a new prospect. It will save you tons of time and loss of rents.

Excellent Point Fred of CA!

HOWEVER,

Fred of CA would you post a Christmas Eviction Notice?

I think from another post you would most likely not do it past mid month but wait to after the holidays.

Fred I am not picking on your decision but helping you work with in the post don't let emotions and feeling take over your rational.

I know in my early landlording days I let emotions/feelings cloud my business descisions and I got burned by the deadbeat tenants. Then I realized I was not the problem the tenant was the problem so its eviction time to rid the problem.

I became my tenants worst nightmare. If a tenant needed a break no break was given. A few bad tenants made it a problem across the board.

As the case with Apathy. A few bad actors/deadbeat tenants changed my focus to a NON CARING mindset and toss it and move on.

PLUS some people can be real slobs. This is WHY the importance of IN HOME INSPECTIONS with a final decision on a new prospect. It will save you tons of time and loss of rents.

14 and 16 years. I've got a couple boxes that have been sitting around waiting to find their rightful owners for that long.

They sit in storage. Just waiting. Because of those boxes I won't hold anything now. I sort and donate it away as quickly as I can.

I've hurt only one guy over the years...that I know of. Bought a shack with old speakers in it. A sizable collection. I gave them out. He showed up a year after I owned the shack and had been in a terrible car accident. Months and months of hospitalization...the whole nine yards. I felt bad that his things were gone. What I saw in front of me was a guy trying to pick up pieces and carry on with his life. A strong person, not a broken down spirit but someone with a future. I'm certain he landed on his feet but I felt bad.

I care. I just don't let my empathy reach as far as my wallet.

I want my tenants to enjoy their rental and I really want the neighbors to feel that they have no complaints about my tenants.

It's unusual for my tenants to leave anything that isn't garbage. My best leftover was two full 10 yard dump trailer loads of firewood rounds. I put those to good use.

The only time I called a tenant to come and get forgotten stuff was a box full of genealogy and old family photos. That was a 6 year tenant paying $1600 a month who moved to buy a house.

Tom FL you think we're Apathic--- the Sheriff doesn't even come inside. He clears the premises and then sits in his car.

Would love to mention here HOW MUCH I HATE "GOODWILL"....

On more than one occasion I have sent messages out to the emergency contact on the lease to have someone that elected to do a midnight move with a message. Mr/Mrs XXXXXXX left my house without providing me an address to contact. They have left some money behind. Do you have a way for me to contact them so I can return it.