Tuesday, December 14, 2010

A Sisyphus Christmas

I never make my tenants pay rent in December - it is the month of Christmas after all.
Usually I try to buy gifts for the families which are intended to bring them closer or to make things easier.
This year, I'm buying nothing. (Well... maybe for the few kids.)
After watching Haiti and seeing how the onus of debt can ruin a whole country - this year I'm forgiving all debt.
My tenants don't really owe me any money - but they think that they do.
Missed rent was written off long ago,.
Gifts of formula (I know, I know... but the kids were not being breast fed to begin with.), diapers, utility payments, cars or money were just that - gifts.
But I think these people think that they owe me something.
This year all my soon to be former tenants (I'm tired of the rental home business) are getting is a card telling them that they owe me nothing.
That helping them was my obligation and pleasure.
Maybe I'll even enclose a small amount of money - IDK.
But this year it's a Jubilee year - no one owes me anything.
(I wonder if they know how much such a gift is worth?)

5 comments:

DF said...

They'll know how much it's worth when they are no longer your tenants! Hey UBJ thanks for giving people with a hard time a break in life. Might not be a lot to you to do it but it'll mean a lot to them to receive it.

Anonymous said...

That's very noble of you UBJ. I'm sure they will be very appreciative.
Blessings.

brohammas said...

Bunch of thoughts here;
I am willing to bet this wont be fully appreciated, but if appreciation is why you are doing it, dissapointment surely awaits.

Maybe you could make the forgiveness conditional on if any of them know who Sisyphus is, or why his story is relevent here.

Wanda said...

Wow, very noble action indeed.

Reggie said...

Not having them pay rent in December is one helluva Christmas gift. I wish I didn't have to pay my mortgage this month.