Landowner ensures unscrupulous landlording neighbor pays them the $4k they're owed: 'The following week he came with a check for $4k'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Aug 30, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

"Slumlord" landlords really don't do much good for anyone. Sure, they provide "housing" in the barest sense, but really, they're just doing the bare minimum possible to maintain a structure that they can charge top dollar rent for to desperate tenants in areas with limited housing available, making as much profit as possible while they "land bank" the land the structure is sitting on as an almost entirely safe investment. 

We found ourselves living in one of these places just out of university when we were desperate to find any available housing with our current lease expiring and new jobs set to start. It was a pretty dingy building in an otherwise nice area in Seattle. Not much had been done to the building for a long time, and a fair amount of asbestos probably lingered in that popcorn ceiling, but that didn't stop us from paying top-dollar rent for the place. "It will do for now," we thought to ourselves… until we started getting uncharacteristically sick, and the black mold started erupting through the paint in the corner of the bedroom.

Yeah, it wasn't a great place to live, and I can't imagine it was great for the neighbors, either. The building was unsightly and in disrepair, tucked amongst a neighborhood of cute little houses with perfectly painted trim and immaculately maintained gardens. Meanwhile, there our apartment was, looming ominously over them, the brutalist 80s architecture and dilapidated state of the building doing its best to sell the appeal of a "dystopian eastern bloc."

These types of buildings and the attitudes of their owners make for a miserable existence for those around them. This landowner shared how they handled their "slumlord" neighbor's poor attitude when their neighbor refused to help share the cost for the removal of some troublesome trees on the property line, when push came to shove they made sure they got their money. 

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  • 01
    "Time to pay what he owes...
    via Cash Macanaya
  • 02
    Slumlord Neighbor's Time To Pay What He Owes The house directly next door to me is a rental property which I had some issues with earlier this year. The issues came from two massive spruce trees that were growing on the property line and were causing property damage to my property. In my
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 03
    area it is a law that in the case of trees growing on the property line, the costs of removal must be split evenly between neighbors and because the trees and roots were causing property damage there was a significant case to be made for their removal.
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 04
    Removing the trees was not cheap, and involved bringing in cranes and multiple days of work due to their size and proximity to structures. I approached the neighboring property owner about splitting the removal costs and was basically told "I have no money".
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 05
    His portion would have been about $4k. At that point we decided it would be more expensive to hire an arbor attorney and drag this through the courts and then try to collect that money than it is to just pay for the entire job ourselves.
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 06
    Now here is where the revenge comes in. The tenant that lives there passed away and the landlord decided to sell the house. During the inspection process they discovered some trees on their property that were hazardous and needed to be removed before the sale could go through. It was uninsurable unless the hazard was mitigated.
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 07
    In order to get to these trees equipment would have to go through my property. The lots are small and the way this lot is situated, he would either have to demolish his other neighbor's garage or use my property. The owner approached me asking for permission and my response was that I would only grant
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 08
    permission to use my property for $4k the exact cost of what he owed me. He tried claiming that it would jeopardize the sale of his property and I simply replied "I don't care, this is the cost to use my property take it or leave it". The following week he came with a check for $4k and I granted written permission to use my property.
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 09
    RedGhost3568 · 13 hr. ago Should have asked for five grand cash. Four stacks for the owed bill and another stack for the inconvenience he caused you.
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 10
    PresentationThat2839 • 10 hr. ago Right what op was originally owed plus the a le tax. Last time I checked that was 50% so really six grand should have been the asking price.
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 11
    TheOtherPete 12 hr. ago • Honestly this doesn't sound like pettyrevenge, this sounds like you were completely fair to him Pettyrevenge would have been to tell him its now $8k or you can't use my property.
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 12
    Queenofhackenwack 13 hr. ago i would have told him CASH......i will write you a receipt.
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 13
    wkendwench 12 hr. ago . I hope you waited for the check to clear before granting access. Also you could have simply put a mechanical lean on his property. He would not be able to sell without paying you off first. At least that is how it works in the states.
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer
  • 14
    FreakshowMode ⚫ 12 hr. ago . Seems entirely fair as you could have added 20% under the heading 'Aggravation Charges'. In the end, a double for you because you got your money, and it looks like you're getting a new neighbour too.
    via u/TheToiletDestroyer

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landlord hoa neighbors rental neighborhood homeowner landlords neighborhood-drama bad neighbors neighborhood-stories terrible neighbors renting Bad Neighbor neighbor
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