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"The Ballast Banshee" From Our Archive Entitled ~Tenant Tales of Terror~

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Property Manager with Investors Choice Property Management CAL BRE LIC# 01124954

As a professional property manager since 1992, I have my fair share of odd stories that have stuck with me over the years. Here is one of my favorites:

I had occasion to call Ms. Parker (name changed to protect the slightly deranged) during the summer of 1995 after I noticed her lawn was looking unkempt during a routine drive-by inspection.

"You have to get your lawn mowed, or your rent will be increased to pay for gardening", I explained. She did not miss a beat, replying "I am NOT going to risk catching AIDS from a mosquito, so do what you gotta do!" Ironically, in 2008 we were getting the same occasional complaints about West Nile, but that is another story.

"While I got you...you need to send out someone to arrest the man staying in my attic!". Now, I should point out that I already knew Ms. Parker was, shall we say, a little eccentric."Why do you think someone is in your attic?" I asked.

"Well, my kitchen lights flicker, so that must be from him walking around." I am shaking my head at this point. She continued- "And he stole from me...I was making lunch and had my chicken on the kitchen counter, and when I went to the bathroom, he came down and stole it!"."He must be using the attic as a bathroom, because my kitchen smells awful!"

In the end, we sent out the ghost busters (aka: our contractor) who discovered and corrected the problems. The kitchen ballast was bad, causing the lights to flicker. And the smell? Yes, her chicken had fallen off the kitchen counter and fell between the cupboard and refrigerator, where it proceeded to rot over the next 2 weeks until discovery. True story. Does this mean I get to list "paranormal experience" on my resume?

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Tim Bradley
Contour Investment Properties - Jackson Hole, WY
Commercial Real Estate Expert in Jackson Hole, WY

Gotta love the old ladies! You certainly can't argue with them! Thanks for the chuckle.

May 12, 2009 02:51 AM