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“Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.”

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Friday, February 11, 2011

listen dear children, on a lesson of greed

Here's a lesson I want to share with all of you. When you go into business, be VERY careful who you rent from. I had a lease with my Nelsonville landlord for $1000 a month. Because my income came in in big chunks, I had an arrangement to pay in big chunks. So I would be behind, then catch up and pay several months ahead. I kept doing this the 18 months or so I was there. One time I paid a late fee and was told I didn't have to. I always gave notice to that landlord about the chunks and was told it was perfectly fine. We had a good relationship. I did his professional photo - free of charge - plus tons of photos of his kids, and even photos for his wife's business. I thought we were friends... but when I gave my notice to leave, and I my rent was caught up at the time, these people went back and attached all those late fees, plus charged me a rent increase that wasn't even in the lease! (it was supposed to be increased in March 2010, but they made it increase Sept 09 - 6 months after I moved in, though I had a 1-year lease). So even for all those months I was paid up for several months ahead, they said there was unpaid late charges for months before (even though that was not the agreement) and they ended up charging me every month - even when I had a credit of thousands!

With all the things I now know about this rental business, I would really avoid them. They mismanage their business and then try to squeeze even penny out of you, even when you don't owe them anything.

Actually, just avoid business in Nelsonville altogether. It's a town that needs to be put out of its own misery.