Angela's Rant o' the Week

Original Post Date: March 27, 2008

Let me first preface this with a few things. You need to understand what exactly it is that I do for a job. I work for a property management company. We manage rental properties and homeowner’s associations. I have many job titles, but one of them is HOA Bookkeeper. I am in charge of all the accounting for 15 HOAs. Because of this, I deal a lot with Real Estate Agents and Title Companies. Many of them are very nice, very easy to work with, and we can work together quite nicely to get records transferred over for buyers. HOWEVER....

Stop trying to make it my fault and my problem when something doesn’t go right. If you had sent me the Status Letter a week ago, instead of the night before your closing, you would have known how much was owed in back HOA dues. Sure, under the superlien law I can only collect 6 months worth of dues in a foreclosure. But I can’t take the other dues off the account without specific documentation. Yes, I know there was also a bankruptcy, but I don’t take past dues and fees off unless I get the official bankruptcy discharge notice. If I just start writing off dues willy-nilly, I’m going to get in trouble. You are not worth me getting in trouble. Oh, I’m sorry? You didn’t know that the actual name of the HOA is something different that what you show as the registered Subdivision name. That’s too bad. I’m sorry that you missed the HUGE SIGN at the two entrances to the HOA that clearly say the official name of the HOA (not the subdivision.) The Title Company wouldn’t have been out there, but the Real Estate Agent sure as heck was there. Unless they are blind...in which case they shouldn’t be driving.

I’m not going to do your job for you. If you want to put me on salary (with benefits, of course!) with your company, I will gladly do your job. But see...I have my own job for worry about. I can’t do yours as well. I won’t do yours. I will do everything in my power to help you, but there are times when I just have to draw the line and say "Look, this is not my problem. You get it figured out on your end and let me do my own job."

Seriously, most real estate agents and title companies are fine, good, nice people. But those few that are dumber than a box of rocks just really irk me.