Email History

THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS THE ENTIRE EMAIL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MYSELF LANDLORD SAHAR SHAHIN (SS), TENANT JAMILA
JACKSON (JJ) AND MY AGENT (EB). THE EMAIL HISTORY IS PROVIDED IN DETAIL IN THIS DOCUMENT, WHICH MAKES IT EXCRUCIATINGLY BORING TO READ. ITS ONLY MEANT TO BE SHARED AS PROOF THAT ALL MY STATEMENTS ARE CORRECT AND THAT IM NOT BEING SLANDEROUS OR LIBELOUS TO JAMILA JACKSON. SEE THE OTHER DOCUMENT POSTED THAT PROVIDES THE HISTORY BETWEEN MYSELF AND JAMILA JACKSON IN ABBREVIATED AND READER-FRIENDLY FORM (AND WITH CONTEXT). IF IN DOUBT AS TO THE VALIDITY OF ANY OF THE STATEMENTS MADE IN THE OTHER DOCUMENT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO REFER TO THIS DOCUMENT AS BACK-UP. I ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTACT ME FOR A FORWARD OF ANY PARTICULAR EMAIL DIRECTLY FROM MY EMAIL FILES. THIS WHOLE FACEBOOK PAGE SERVES TWO PURPOSES: 1. IT ALLOWS ME TO VENT. 2. IT MIGHT SERVE AS A LESSON FOR OTHERS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. Nov 24 2010 From EB to ME:
Here is the 2nd application. Mrs Jackson. She is asking to divide the security deposit over 3 months, no pet deposit, and asking for the rent to be $1400/month not $1490. No processing for this application until you say that this offer is acceptable to you. PS: I think this can be a back up to the 1st application. Please let know your thoughts.
Nov 28 2010 From JJ to EB:

I just wanted to touch base with you again about the rental of the house. I hope no news good news, and that the owners are still considering me as a possible renter. As I said, my credit history is not an accurate representation of what I am working toward. I am in the process of repairing my credit and credit score, and I really appreciate the owners considering me. Please let me know of the status. Thanks, again!
Nov 29 2010 From EB to JJ:

I got your message, thank you, that is true no bad news. I will let you know if anything change. Also, if you like to improve your offer in anyway please let me know. Thank You
From JJ to EB:
I can not offer more rent, but I will say that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I am ready to move in within 2 weeks of getting the ok - I just need to give notice here and they know I'm considering moving. The long the owners wait to see what other offers they get, the longer they house is unoccupied and recieving no rent. They run the risk of loosing more money the longer they wait, when they have a tenant who is ready and willing to move in - the sooner the better. I would also be willing to do some improvements on the house like finishing the 4th side of the fense and repairing the bathroom floor and window, but of course, I'd want the rent to be credited
for what I spend to improve the look and value of the house to their benefit. I'll wait to hear from you. Thanks, again!
Nov 30 2011 From ME to EB:

Thanks for forwarding the email. I don't remember seeing the credit report for this applicant. Was there at least an improvement in the history? or does this applicant have good reference for rental history? If there are positive signs, I'm open-minded. What is your recommendation? PS: I don't know what he means about the bathroom floor and window. Which bathroom? I don't remember any problems in that area.
From EB to ME:
This is the backup applicant.. She offered the security deposit over 3 months and the rent lowered to $1400/month. Now she says something about improvement she never talked to me about before. The house is in the same condition as you left it, nothing changed. She is talking about improvements. I think she is trying to show us value in her offer by making improvements that will increase the price of the house in the future. She got her own credit report and score of about 520 (we still would have to get the report through my office. Based on her application and her emails. Is her offer acceptable to you, and if it is the next step is to check her credit and references. At the same time the search is on going for best possible tenant.
Dec 1 2010 From ME to EB:

Thanks for the credit report. If her rental history is acceptable, I would accept this tenant's offer.
From EB to JJ:
After talking with the landlord, they asked me to process your application. pleased send in your application with $50. money order made out to " JB. Finnancial ". The address to send it to: 2095 Chain Bridge Rd. #300 Vienna Va. 22182. Also, please list what you plan to get done for the bathroom floor, window, fance, and any other.
From JJ to EB:
Great to hear from you today! I mailed the application and fee this afternoon. If all goes well, I'd hope to be in the house before Christmas. The house could use a good cleaning and pest control inside and out (basement entrance is covered in spider webs and there's crickets in the tub). I'd love to see the house one more time to give you a complete list of items, but from what I can remember, here's what I noticed that needs work. 1) complete the fourth side of the fense 2) bathroom floor repair - linolium floor pealing up 3) bathroom window repair or replacement - it doesnt open, and the floor damage is probably due to long term trapped moisture 4) living room and bedroom ceiling lighting wires exposed A couple of non-urgent, optional improvements would be to repair the deck overhang and to install a railing along the basement steps, but I can live without those done any time soon. Other than that, I dont remember anything else, but like I said I'd like to get one more look to be sure we've addressed everthing.
Thanks, again. I'll talk to you again soon!
Dec 2 2010 From EB to JJ:

I forwarded your email to the landlord to let them know what you think needs to get done. I will let you know what their response is, as soon as I hear from them.

I think the list is a bit excessive. I think the bathroom linoleum floor is fine, for example. It was installed 3 years ago and a corner is detached, but overall it's a solid floor. I'm not sure which bathroom window doesn't open. I had all the windows checked and fixed before I left. I can discuss specific items with the tenant as we go along. It does not add any conditionality to the rental either way, I hope? I'm definitely up for necessary repairs in the house. Optional items (to increase value/etc) is a different matter. These may be discussed later. Could the tenant provide specifics on the necessary repairs, if any? I would strongly advise against dealing with the living room ceiling lighting wires, by the way.
From EB to ME:
I just finished talking to Mrs. Jackson "tenant" about your thoughts about the bathroom and she said that it is OK, she can live with it or she can get it done later and get reimbursed. she also said that the fence is very important to her because she has a dog. (its the fence on the side between the yard and the neighbor). I think it would be a good idea to complete the fence to protect the property from out side. Please let me know what you like to do about that, and if you still want to deal with this tenant or move on to look for others.
From EB to ME:
Just a reminder! Mrs. Jackson mentioned in the application that she has a 70 pound dog. She does not think there is a need for " pet deposit". Which I think it would be important to get another $600. for pet deposit but she asked not pay. These could mean dividing the deposits over 4 payments

I am asking you for your recommendation as you have more experience with this. I've never had a pet so I don't know how much damage could be inflicted. Please go ahead and come to an agreement with the tenant that you think is reasonable. About the fence, I agree that it could do a lot of good to complete it. We looked into it ourselves a couple of times, but found it difficult to do considering the row of trees right at the border. We had wanted to do a wooden fence all the way around. This would have cost around $4,000 at the time. However, we're interested to hear the tenant's proposal, and would be interested in completing the fence.
Dec 9 2010 From EB to ME:

Attached is the credit report for Mrs. Jackson. Please take a look and tell me your thoughts without my influence over your view.

This is the feedback from the current landlord. Yes, she is a current resident and has been late two times. Thank you.

Sorry for the delay in responding. If she was late twice in a lease over a year I think that's not too bad. I really hope that it works out better than that, but two late payments are better than none. I also will be thinking about the home improvements that she wants to do later.

Mrs Jackson can move in on Sat. 1/8/2011. She would pay $1400 for 1st month rent plus $500 deposit.. The prorated rent would be for the second month which would be for 23 days of rent $1038.71. plus 500 deposit. Is that OK with you?

Sorry EB. I'm a little confused. So what is the total deposit? and is it over 2 months? Would the payments be like this: Jan = $1400 rent + $500 deposit Feb = prorated rent (-8 days) + $500 deposit Mar = $1400 rent
From EB to ME:
The payments would be like this : Jan = $1400 rent + $500 deposit $1400 will go to my broker per our agreement and $500 will be deposited to your account.and all future payments will also be deposited to your account. Feb = prorated rent (-8 days) is $1038.70+ $500 deposit Mar = $1400 rent +495 deposit $1400 per months to the end of the lease.
From ME to EB:
Excellent. Thanks! I hope that this will be a smooth relationship.
Please read the lease, if you have any questions let me know. If everything is ok, please let me know as well. The tenant will sign the lease Sun at 12 noon, then I will send it to you to sign.

Here is the lease. Mrs Jackson signed it on the 19Th and payed 1400+500 in money orders. Please sign it and email back. She would like to get the fence done before she moves in.

Please try to send the signed lease soon because I have to turn it in to my broker asap. Mrs. Jackson made a list of her requestes and here it is: "~Days of trash collection? ~Contacts for landscaping? (grass maint & snow removal) ~Fense completion: I'm expecting some quotes shortly and will forward those to you soon for payment. ~House Cleaning: I'm expecting some quotes shortly and will forward those to you soon for payment. ~Pest Control: I'm expecting some quotes shortly and will forward those to you soon for payment. ~Handyman Issues: -living room light stays on (never turns off) -master BR doorway clasp hanging off -filters need to be changed -hole in wall in cabinet under kitchen sink -repair cabinet in front of sink -basement ceiling vent hanging"

Please find the signed lease attached. Regarding the tenant requests:
Days of trash collection? Trash and recycling are collected every Tuesday morning. ~Contacts for landscaping? (grass maint & snow removal) I don't have a reliable contact for this. The man who mowed my lawn promised to send me paypal information so I can pay him for this service while I was in Egypt, but he never responded to me after that. She might have to find someone else. As for the usual snow shovelling and mowing/leaf raking, we used to do it ourselves. There's a lawn mower and shovel in the shed in the back yard. ~Fense completion: I'm expecting some quotes shortly and will forward those to you soon for payment. Looking forward to the quote and also the method. We were having trouble figuring out how a fence could be constructed with the row of trees that are barely on the edge of our property.
~House Cleaning: I'm expecting some quotes shortly and will forward those to you soon for payment. Seriously? The house was professionally cleaned after it was emptied before I left. I can imagine that dust has accumulated since then but is there more than sweeping required at this point? ~Pest Control: I'm expecting some quotes shortly and will forward those to you soon for payment. Yes, we tend to have an annual issue around the fall with the crickets finding their way into the basement. I'll be expecting a quote for that service. I expect that for a while she will find lots of dead crickets in there and by mid-winter the problem will stop. ~Handyman Issues: -living room light stays on (never turns off) As you know this problem appeared about two days before my departure and I didn't have time to deal with it. So...will be expecting a quote for that. -master BR doorway clasp hanging off Yes, that's a problem I've had for ages and never bothered fixing. Good to have it fixed though. -filters need to be changed Filters of what? the AC? This was changed shortly before I left so they have not been used and should be fine. -hole in wall in cabinet under kitchen sink Why is that a problem? -repair cabinet in front of sink Is she referring to the water damage? That's fine to fix. -basement ceiling vent hanging" That's also fine to fix. Shouldn't be too expensive.
From EB to ME:
I got you signature but not on the lease all you have to do is print the last page of the lease, and sign under you name, then scan it and email it. I can't do anything with signature you sent. I agree with you on the handyman requests. Yesterday, I had one estimate for $450 without the fence, this person said they would let me know about the estimate for the fence later. I also have another handyman to take to the house tomorrow for another estimate.. All that while Mrs. Jackson try to get other estimates and will take the lowest. I will update you with the progress. I think Mrs. Jackson is asking about a filter replacement for the the heat furnace.

Please find the attached estimate for one side of the fence and the indoor handy work. The furnace was not working properly (there was no heat) . The problem was identified and added it to this estimate.
The signature is OK with me but I will see what will the broker say if any problem I will let you know. I will be depositing the $500 check to your account. I don't have any checks from the account to pay for the fixings on the house, and I am not sure how much money you have in it. Please advice on how you would like to get this things payed.
From EB to ME:
On the estimate, the closet doors is not going to be done by us. This is something that Mrs. Jackson wants to do in the basement to use the closet in front of the stairs as a library for her and her daughter's books. If she takes them off she will have to put them back when she moves out.

I will send it by email now to my brother-in-law and ask him to print it for me so I can sign the hard copy tomorrow and scan it back to you. I will be traveling to Lebanon Dec 28-Jan 4 but I will try to log on every day to make sure I don't miss anything. I can also handle payments online. The bank account we opened still only has $300 in it, but I can transfer more as needed from my other account.

Thank you and sorry for the trouble. I wish a happy and safe trip to Lebanon. Without checks the only way for me to pay for the improvements we talked about is in cash. I can get the cash using the most card I received from your bank, if that is OK with you!. If you would like to handle it any differently please let me know.
From ME to EB:
I have signed the printed page and scanned it. The PDF of the last page of the lease (signed) is attached. I am about to open your earlier emails with the estimates of the work so I can make a transfer now for the needed amount. Of course it is ok to use the card to withdraw the amounts needed for payment! Thank you for your work.

I have just transferred $825 to the account for the payments needed. The balance now is $1,110. Originally, there was $300 in the account but when I logged in now there was $285. There was a transaction of $15 as a maintenance fee I should have no problems logging on regularly in Lebanon and will be able to see emails and make transfers online. I don't think I will have easy access to a scanner/printer during that week though so hopefully any such action can wait until after Jan 4th.
Dec 28 2010 From JJ to ME:

Hello, again! I hope you're enjoying Egypt's warm weather!! : D Thanks for keeping in touch and keeping the lines of communication open. So here's what I've found: *Pest Control: I have a friend who works at American Pest Services, and we can get a slight discount for an annual
service of initial preventative service visit for $179 and a monthly fee of $39.99 for visits 6 times each year and free followup visits; OR you can just do one initial preventative service visit for $199 and $79 for any/each follow up visit if necessary. Regarding the cricket issue you mentioned, if its only a winter issue, we probably would only need 2 visits each year (not 6), so I'm assuming you'd prefer the second option. *Cleaning: I understand that you cleaned the house before you left, but it has since been visited by potential renters, crickets, spiders (basement exit is covered in spider webs) and dust so I'd like to have the house clean before I move in. I have to clean the apartment I'm leaving from top to bottom when I move out, so I'm sure you can understand that wouldn't feel right about also having to clean the house I'm moving into as well. My main concerns are the bathroom and kitchen, which both need a good cleaning, in addition to the above mentioned issues. ~Maids Home Services will send 4 women to clean the inside of the house in about an hour for $156/ hour. The rep said that was the average time it takes to clean a house of about 1,200 sf, and the house is only about 900 sf so it could take a bit less time. Merry Maids will send 2 women to clean the inside of the house at a flat rate of $240 OR an hourly rate of $100 with a 2 hour minimum. I also have a family friend who cleans houses from timeto-time. He's retired and cleans houses on the side. He'd probably charge about $150 for the whole house including the basement exit. *Handyman: You asked about the need for the filters to be changed. When I tried to turn the heat on and it did not warm the house I thought changing the filters might help, but if they're new, I suppose that's not part of the problem. EB has someone working on the furnace issue, so hopefully that will solve that problem before we move in, because the house is still freezing at 48 degrees, and I'm concerned for the pipes in this fridged weather. He is also going to address some of the handyman issues. Anything not taken care of by the time I move in, I will use my handyman to address. One other thing I'd like the handyman to fix are the closet doors at the bottom of the basement steps. They don't open. The knobs have either been removed or have fallen off, which would help, but they are really stiff. They either need to be sanded at the bottom so they can move without friction on the carpet or they need to be greased or both so they can be opened and closed. I actually would prefer having the doors removed altogether to create some additional shelving instead of closets, so let me know if you have a preference between removal and repair. Just for reference purposes, here's a list of things to be fixed: furnace, hole under sink, cabinet in front of sink (can that be turned into a drawer, please??), bedroom door clasp, basement closet doors, living room light, basement ceiling vent...i think that's it! Fence: Soul Squad can put in the fence for $900, but the trees are a real problem. What do you think about installing the fence a bit inside of the property line into the yard instead of trying to squeeze it between the line and the trees? I'm not sure about the best way to go about this so I'm just looking for your thoughts and a little guidance. Let me know what you think...Thanks, again!
From ME to EB:
I'm using an iPad to write to you today so forgive me if there are too many typos in this message. I don't want to be stubborn over small things so I think I will accept the house cleaning cost once especially since there are dead crickets to clean. what I am surprised about is that she is discussing a continuous pest control service. I imagined that I would handle it once but that she would take care of it after that. I hope you can tell me what the usual arrangement is? Here is what I think I can do:
Pest control. I will pay for only one time a year. In the fall when it usually happens. It doesn't happen more than once a year so there is no need for services at any other time. House cleaning. Will pay for it once before she moves in only. After that of course she is responsible for keeping the house clean and cleaning it again after she leaves. Furnace. Since this is a new problem, I don't know what the issue is, but it sounds like she has gotten her own handyman to see it. Do you think it's ok not to have our own handyman/contact to confirm what the problem is? Naturally, I would take care of what is needed to keep it working. Regarding the closet doors at the base of the stairs, the issue of stiffness came up after we carpeted the basement, which means that sanding the bottom of the doors will make it easier. However, I souls like to postpone this expense until after a few months of rent so that I can afford to deal with it. I would like to know first how much all the other stuff would cost. On the other hand, if she wants to remove those doors as she mentioned, I don't understand why she wants them sanded. She can remove them if she wants. They are easy to remove and put back. Other things I'm willing to do include the living room light, basement ceiling vent and bedroom door clasp. Also, the cabinet under sink can be repaired in front for water damage. But I don't understand the problem with the hole she mentioned in back (which I had never even seen in the7 years I lived there). If she can explain the problem we can discuss it. I dont have a problem with her installing a drawer under the sink if she does it at her own expense. The yard fence issue has been a difficult one for us because we realized a long time ago that the only way to do it properly is to remove the trees or else eat up a part of the back yard by fencing the trees out. I wanted to remove the trees but the expense is too big. I think I would accept fencing them out only if it would be easy for us later to remove that fence and handle it properly. I hope I,ve addressed all the issues she mentioned. Please let me know about costs and I will now check the bank account to see if they have responded to my email regarding the strange msg about credit balance.
Jan 2 2011 From EB to ME:

Happy New Year. As a better solution to the fence problem there is a wireless fence I ordered it on line for $279.95 will be deducted out the bank account. I think that this is less expensive way because the fence would have to be permanent and there are some issues with such as the trees and the property line, things that you as an owner would have to be here to over see. This week I will have a company look at the furnace, the handyman that fixed the kitchen could not fix the furnace. Things are coming along and by Wednesday I hope to have everything done including the cleaning and the pest control.

I hope all is well! Here is the list for the things we got done for the new tenant to move in: -The furnace, changed the control board and the ignitor. -The living room lights that did not turn off, rewired the switches correctly according to the code to fix and avoid future problems - Kitchen under the sink and water damage wood, fixed
-Celling light in basement next to washer replaced -Shower head, fixed for leak and drain cleaned to opened drain and avoid water stopping. -Bedroom door fixed -Front porch light bulbs replaced -House and back porch cleaned, outside drain in the back of the house cleared to avoid water stopping and creating any problems. - Pest control done -Invisible fence ordered and should arrive some time today the 7Th of January Mrs Jackson will have an alarm installed on her own expense She also wrote: " Now that the heat is on (and hopefully stays on) the last two issues are changing the locks on all three doors to the house and getting the invisible fence. 1) Please be sure to have the locks changed by or before Saturday, January 8th. Please let me know when the locks are scheduled to be changed and I'll stop by to pick up the new keys. If it would make things move more quickly and conveniently, I can schedule the lock change and you can call with your method of payment. 2)You said you ordered the invisible fence a few days ago, so it should arrive before Saturday. Please leave it in the house, so it's available to use when we move in." I think we have done everything Mrs Jackson asked for and she seems to come up with some new things to do. I do not think that changing the locks is something you want to do and much less to pay for. Mrs Jackson thinks because the key was with an employee of a company that was working on the kitchen and then I put it in the lockbox for other companies to do the work, that someone might have made a copy of the key. That makes her feel unsafe. please let me know your thoughts. From the time she moves in, I think she should email you with any issues she may have and you email me with what you would like done. This email was long after a long break, but I tried to update you on the progress all at once. Please email me with your thought as soon as you can.

I payed them $500 in cash for the furnaces to save some money on the charges and that was including the fixing of the living room lights. As you probably know that the bill for getting that work done is more than 7 or 8 hundred dollars. The handyman work was $230. I payed for the cleaning myself. The rest came out of the bank account and they are as follows: $279 for the invisible fence , $69 for checking the furnace to find out what was wrong. (That company wanted $400 just to fix the iginitor.) and The pest control $100 per quarter equal to $400 for the year for that you get service every 3 months or if for any pest control needed through the year. If you do not think that is worth it then it would be $175. for one time service. Just let me know which you prefer. That totals about $1,178 Please send in a separate email any instructions for the new tenant to handle the appliances such as the dishwasher since the paper you wrote was taken by one of the visitors, and on changing utilities to her name.
Jan 11 2011 From EB to ME and JJ:

I am writing and copying you both to let you know each others email address. to begin communicating with one another. If anything I can do for you both please let me know. Jay, I hope your move in went well and you are settling in nicely. Please let me know if I can be of any help. This is Jay's email: Jamila Jackson ***@***.com This is Sahar's email: sahar shahin ***@***.com
Jan 12 2011 From ME to EB and JJ:

Thanks for connecting us. Jay, I hope you are settling in now. I know how stressful moving can be. I am still settling in to my new place here in Egypt after months of being here. But I hope that you feel at home already. I don't know if EB has informed you already, but I wanted to let you know what I found out about the transfer of the electricity and gas utilities to you. On Monday night (your morning) I called PEPCO and they told me that all that's needed is for you to call them and give them the address of the house and the date you moved in, and they will transfer the billing to you as of that date. I don't confirm or close my own billing cycle myself. I only close the account, which could create a "gap" in which there is no service. So the seamless way to do it would be for you to call them so the uninterrupted account would simply switch to you as of the date you tell them you moved in. I followed by calling Washington Gas to get their instructions but their on-hold message indicated that I would be on hold for 30-33 minutes. I was paying international rates for the call so I hung up. I figured that their instructions would be similar to PEPCO and that you would need to call them for the account transfer so that they'd have your information for the new billing. I hope you could let me know how it all went after you contact them, and please do let me know if they need me to contact them for anything. I would try to find a less busy day to call than Monday or a cheaper phone service of some kind. The water and sanitation account will remain in my name and I will continue to pay those bills, so no follow-up is needed in this area. Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you.
Jan 14 2011 From JJ to ME and EB:

Thanks for sharing your house with us! We are settling in nicely. I love the master bedroom and my daughter wishes there was a similar theme in her room, but she's happy to have a ceiling fan! The heat is working, and we are comfortable. We're finding creative ways to fit everything in the house! Love all the shelving and hooks...they're great to find extra space. After receiving your email I got online with PEPCO and entered my info and I'm waiting for a confirmation and/or bill. I tried to do the same with Washington Gas, but their site was not as user friendly. So I called today and provided my info. Both utilities should be shifted over to me as of Jan 8th. I'll confirm with you as soon as I hear back from them. After living here for close to a week, I've got a couple of questions that you and/or EB can help with:
~Did you know the front door is very, very drafty? The living room is significantly colder than the kitchen. I'm not sure how to correct this, but I'm sure some minimul insullation around the frame would help. ~Sahar, is there a secret to removing the filter from the kitchen sink? When I turn the water on it sprays off to the side in two directions wetting everything around it. I've tried for the past few days and it wont loosen. I even tried one of the wrenches in the basement, but it wasnt big enough. ~There's a large hole under the bathroom sink, just like the hole that was under the kitchen sink. EB, can you have your handyman contact me or give me his number to have that taken care of as well? Maybe he can help with removing the filter from the kitchen sink. ~Also the left front burner on the stove doesnt light. ~EB, you mentioned that there was an extra panel to the patio roof that could replace the broken one. I didnt think it would need replacing anytime soon, but it blows in the wind and bags all night, and i'm pretty sure its gonna blow off soon. ~FYI - there's one window in each bedroom that are missing a screen. It's moot right now, but as the weather warms we'll want to open the windows. Thank you both for your help!!
Feb 3 2011 From ME to EB and JJ:

I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that Egypt is back online, though our cell phones still do not have texting capability. I thought I'd check in to make sure all is ok. I have a bad feeling about tomorrow here in Egypt so it might be possible that our internet may be cut off again, but hopefully that won't happen. Please let me know if there have been any pending issues or emails I may have not received. I will get online as often as I can and will check.
Feb 5 2011 From EB to ME:

Glad to hear you and family are OK. I hope things will get better soon. I will call Jay to check on rental and second part of the deposit and let you know.
Feb 7 2011 From JJ to ME:

I'm so happy to hear from you...I had been thinking of you and your family during the most recent revolts in Egypt. Are you anywhere close to Cairo, or are you in the southern part of Egypt? I hope you and your family remain safe! So far so good here...my only question is how to program the thermostat, but that's not urgent.... I think I have an HVAC contact who can help me. I've gotten the water filter off the kitchen sink with a brand new adjustable wrench and put a new filter on the faucet. I'd like to replace the shower faucet and add a filter there too. I bought the filter and faucet, but havent gotten around to replacing it yet...so we'll see how that goes. Anyway, like I said, all is well right now...I will keep you and your family in my prayers.....stay safe!
Feb 8 2011 From ME to JJ:

We live in the Southern part of Cairo, a bit on the outskirts, so not so near to downtown where the demonstrations are taking place. Though we did join the million man march last Tuesday. And I intend to get out there again on Wednesday to join a "protest of mothers". They are asking women to bring their children or at least a sign representing them. I will not take my daughter but I do want to be a part of this. I am not sure how to program the thermostat. The only thing I knew how to do was to turn it on and off. Basically, I set the fan to AUTO and I set the temperature higher or lower as needed. I can't remember specifics, but there was a button to hold down until the numbers flashed, then set up or down, then I held the button down again to set. I
can't believe I've already forgotten which buttons. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers! Wish us luck. We need this to work or else I fear this regime might be tougher after this has blown over than before the whole thing started.
Feb 9 2011 From EB to JJ:

I got your text about changing the locks on the house. I am not sure if that was OK with the owner to get that done! you might want to ask Sahar if she is willing to pay for it. Today is the 9Th of Feb. and as you know the rent is due on the 1st day of the month. A 5% late fee is added if rent is not received by the 10th day of the month. Please try to pay your rent in time to avoid the late fee.

I deposited the cash today less the cost to change the locks on the house. The receipt is attached. I had assumed that EB mentioned the need to change the locks to you last month (prior to moving in), but judging from his last email below, I guess not. During the weeks after I signed the lease and prior to my moving in, EB gave the lock box code to several people, so they could use the key to gain access to the house without supervision - the cleaners, at least 2 HVAC servicers, handyman(men?), and pest control were given the code. When EB told me about that just days before I moved in, I told him that the locks needed to be changed. I explained that I am a single woman with a young child and that I was concerned for our safety, knowing that unknown men could have access to our new home. EB said that he understood and the lock change would be taken care of, but when the locks were not changed by the time we moved in, I had it done myself. FYI - the key I was first given didn't work for the dead bolt locks on the back and basement doors. On another note; I'm a little confused about how the payments are to be made. EB gave me a bank name and account number to deposit the money into your account, but on the deposit receipt it says that the money went into an account that belongs to EB. Is that right? Thanks for clarifying!
From ME to JJ and EB:

EB had told me earlier about the lock issue and I was reluctant to take it on at the time because I was suffering from "expense fatigue" and the account I had opened at the time was opened with a very low balance that I kept supplementing to handle the move-in costs. Now that there is some deposit back into the account, I think I can handle this expense. And I'm hopeful that there won't be any issues for a while since you've settled in and most major appliances and issues have probably been covered. The bank account where you've deposited the rent is a joint account I have opened with EB before leaving the US to handle matters of apartment expenses and rental income. So that's ok. We have a challenging situation since I'm out of the country and can't really do anything myself, including rent collection or expenses. I really only access the account online from here to keep abreast. It is a joint account, however, so my name just failed to appear on your deposit slip. As I write now, the whole country is in a heightened state of anticipation! We are waiting for the president's address with a strong hope that he will finally step down. We are nervous about the next steps and whether the transition will lead to real democracy, to the current VP or to a military takeover. It is a very intense hour right now, though the protesters are already celebrating in the square downtown. I feel so far away from America right now! Unfortunately though I do have an issue that I hope you could assist with. It's tax time and I'm expecting 2 W2s to
be sent to me. I'm sure by now that the post office has figured out that mail to my home address is mostly undeliverable. But in case either of the W2s or any other tax-related documents get sent to my last mailing address at **** Street, could you please keep them for me and let me know you received them? I will also contact the companies and HR Block and find out how I can file my taxes from here. Your support in this issue would be most appreciated. If you have received my tax documents, I will figure out how to handle it. Thanks for your help and please wish us luck over here.

I just logged onto the account online and I see a deposit for $783.25. Is that the deposit you mentioned?

I've been collecting your mail in a drawer, and you have quite a bit of it...but so far there's only one W2...would you like me to forward them somewhere or scan them to you by email? I can do either...or just hold them until you're ready to deal with them....there's also what looks like a check form Verizon, as well as some mail from the IRS, Social Security Admin and WSSC. Let me know what you'd like done with these items, if anything...and yes, the $783.25 deposit is the cash amount that I deposited on Wednesday. Barring any unforseen issues, I'll be paying the full $1,400 for March rent.
Feb 13 2011 From ME to EB:

I need to touch base with you before responding to Jamila to make sure you and I are on the same page. As you have seen in my message to her earlier, I said that I had refused to pay to change the locks when you told me about it, but that I am now accepting it. The problem is that she sent me this receipt for the locks for $255, and the amount she deposited for rent was $783. She did not explain that amount to me and I wanted to know if you knew something I didn't know. Why did she feel free to deduct over $600 from the rent? I hope she didn't make other changes and payments and think that I would pay for everything she wants to do at any time. I appreciate any information you could give me about what you know of this amount. Also, to catch up because I had lost track of all the expenses, could you please tell me what the payment of around $700 (I forgot the exact amount) was that was made by check from the account? Were these for expenses made for the house or was it a payment for something else? I also notice that Jamila did not make a payment for the second half of the security deposit yet. As I remember, there were supposed to be 2 months, each month one half of the security deposit. The last time I checked the bank account was Thursday so maybe the payment has been made by now. I will check again. I won't talk with Jamila again until you reply so I can be sure to have all the information you have. Thanks!
From EB to ME:
Any communication from myself to Jay you have been copied on. If you look at the last 2 or 3 email I send to her and sent you a copy. . On the 8Th of Feb. I called her and left a voice mail, if she made the rent. She respond with a voice mail that she did not have the account no. to make the deposit to. I sent her the account no. On the 9Th I sent her an email to remind her that rent is due on the 1st day of each month and if rent is not received by the 10Th day she would have a late fee of 5%.
The amount she was supose to deposit and I stated that in the email $1073 prorated amount plus the $500 deposit payment, a total of $1573. I have no explanation for the amount she deposit even after she deducted $255.46. for the locks. I did not receive anymore communication from Jay since. Did she explain to you why she did not make the second part of the deposit ? or where is the rest of the money she is supose to deposit? Since she moved in I only will do what you ask me to do. From her move in day I think evetything we known needed to get fix, we did it. According to the contract, she must get your permission before she can get anything else done. If its emergincy and we do not respond to her email within 12 hours she can call and get it done and they can bill you. The $730 was refund to me for paying cash to pay for the fixing of the furnce($500) and the handy work(230) that was done for light in the livingroom, the kitchen, the bedroom door, and the light next to washer and dryer.
From ME to EB:
So she didn't explain to either of us why she deposited only $783. Tell me, the $1,073 pro-rated amount that you mentioned. Wasn't that the pro-rated amount for January? I believe that we are now talking about the February rent, which should be the full $1,400 minus the $255 for the locks, right? ($1,144.54) I just remembered that there is one month's rent that is to be paid to your office. Is this why the February rent is pro-rated for me? So that your office would get one full month and I would get a pro-rated month between both Jan and Feb rents? Sorry, if my questions are a bit unclear. Who should contact her about this now? Obviously, she owes the rest of the rent for February plus the second half of the security deposit, and she has not explained the amount she deposited to either of us. EB, I am sensing that you are starting to get impatient with this relationship, as you have encouraged the tenant and I to contact each other directly. Do you prefer for me to sort out these issues of payment with her? I would appreciate it if you could be the buffer and if you could point out to her that (if needed) as per the contract, expenses must be approved before being incurred and reimbursed by me. thanks for your help. Also, MABROUK for Egypt. I hope you feel the good mood we are feeling over here. It is strange not to have a president....
From EB to JJ and ME:

I know there has been some communication between yourself and Sahar. Sahar ask me to contact you regarding the rent and the second part of the deposit of $500. As you the lease states rent due on first day of each month and if any issue with the place does not give the right to hold the against anything you think has to get done. I think Sahar was very understanding to let you divide the deposit over 3 payments, also, I think I was helpful to recommend for her to give you the place. Your responsibility now is to taking care of your obligation and pay all your rent on time. That is also good for your credit and reference in the future. According to the lease you must get permission from the owner to get anything done to the house and I think I was clear in explaining that. You asked for lots of things to get done and it got done and the owner spent more that you payed so far just to get things right for you. Now anything else you need done its only fair to the owner to let her make the decision about what she agrees to get done.
If you are having money problems and this is your way of trying to avoid paying the rent, that would not be fair because I did ask you many times if you are sure you will be able to pay the rent. Please let me know how can I explain to the owner, instead of getting $1573 minus $255.46 for the lock, deposited to her account. She only received $783.

Congratulation to you also. you are now part of history. Thank you for contribution to the best revolution in the Egyptian history. The answer to your question is yes you have right. We always collect the full month first and the following month would be the prorated amount. The fist month gone to my office is also correct. Every time we get things done Jay seems to come up with more things she wants done. I sent her an email earlier and she has not yet answered it, I copied you on that email.

I do not know if Jay sent you any email in response to the one I sent her? If she did not, I will have to call her on tomorrow (Tues). I can't understand why she did not pay rent and deposit as agreed! Please let me know if you hear from her.
From JJ to EB:
The amount that was deposited ($783.25) was the prorated January rent ($1,038.70) scheduled to be paid February 1st less the cost to rekey the house ($255.46). Unfortunately I am not currently in the financial position to make an additional contribution to the security deposit at this time, but I fully intend to reach the requested amount in the near future. Fortunately, the delay in reaching the full security deposit will not effect Sahar financially, being that Maryland law requires that the security deposit be placed in an interest bearing account during the entire term of the Lease. I appreciate your patience as I gather the additional funds. Please note that there has not been and will not be any problem with paying the rent timely. As you know, rent was paid late this month, because I was not provided the bank and account information in which to deposit the cash; and as soon as it was provided, I promptly paid the rent. I find it quite distasteful that you insinuate that I'm using the lock change as a "way of trying to avoid paying the rent," particularly since you created the need to have the locks changed by being irresponsible with the key. You said that you understood my concern and would get the locks changed. So please don't accuse me of anything unsavory simply because I did what you said you would do, but did not do. If you had the locks changed, I would have paid the full $1,038 in rent, but you didn't. On another note, Sahar, as I mentioned in a previous email, I have some mail for you that looks rather important. Would you like anything done with it? - or shall I just continue to gather your mail.
From EB to JJ:
We have a professional relationship and name calling is not something I would get into. Do not forget that my irresponsible way did not only get you $0.0 pet deposit while other people pay $500 and $600 for pet deposit, but also helped you with getting a break on the rent, and on dividing the deposit over 3 payments.
Since everything is my fault, as you stated, how would you explain your delayed communication about your situation and never asked for an extension for the deposit. Not having the account number could have easily been found out by asking either Sahar or myself, and if payment and communication have been done early on we would not be having this conversation. FYI: The escrow account does not mean you have unlimited time to pay the deposit.

I'm so sorry that our communication has deteriorated so badly and so quickly. Please bear with me and each other. We've just started and we have a long way to go. I hope that we will be able to work together without any mishaps for the time to come. I really believe that once we've ironed out a few things here, we shouldn't have any problems later on. Jay, I resorted to EB regarding the amount deposited because I thought he knew something I didn't know, but he didn't know why the amount was low either. The question I have is why the rent for February is pro-rated. Because I assumed that your move-in date being Jan 8th would mean that the pro-rated amount would have been paid back in early Jan when you moved in. Based on that, I assumed that the amount you paid now in early Feb was Feb's rent, which would have been a full month. It seems from what I'm reading that what you deposited now is the pro-rated January rent amount. Is that the case? And if so, are you scheduled to pay the month's rent after the end of each month rather than the beginning? EB, I know that your office must be paid one month's rent (in full, of course) for the service provided. How and when would this amount be paid? I was assuming that I hadn't seen any rent until now because the first payment would be to the office. Perhaps January's rent was paid in full, and February's rent was pro-rated? Thus, the January rent was paid in full to your office and Feb's pro-rated amount was deposited to my account? If that's the case, then everything is on track and things are moving along nicely in terms of rent payments. If not, please let the 3 of us be on the same page regarding the schedule of payments. As you can both tell, we are talking to each other a lot but lots of questions remain unanswered. I hope we can just communicate more clearly and pro-actively so that we don't have any misunderstandings. Jay, it is important to me that you feel comfortable in your home and I hope you don't feel that I have been begrudging regarding customization of the home to your needs. However, I think that any changes in the future will be limited only to repairs of an essential nature (broken appliance, etc). I think you probably agree with me on this matter. If so, then I think there should be no future surprises. Please be mindful to inform us of any costs in advance, unless they are emergencies that need immediate attention (such as gas or water leaks) and you cannot wait for our responses. EB, I will email you separately regarding the ESCROW account that will hold the security deposit.(I have the bank forms with me here) Jamila, please clarify the dates of deposit for the 2nd and 3rd part of the deposit. I would like to make the transfer from my account to the ESCROW account in one click, as I have a limited amount of transfers online per month. I'm hoping for a smooth working relationship for the three of us as we are only a month into the year. Looking forward to hearing from you and getting clarity on how we're going to do this.
From EB to ME:
This is true, you got it right "I know that your office must be paid one month's rent (in full, of course) for the
service provided. How and when would this amount be paid? I was assuming that I hadn't seen any rent until now because the first payment would be to the office. Perhaps January's rent was paid in full, and February's rent was pro-rated? Thus, the January rent was paid in full to your office and Feb's pro-rated amount was deposited to my account? If that's the case, then everything is on track and things are moving along nicely in terms of rent payments." The only thing you are missing is the second payment of $500. for the Feb. part deposit which Jay asked for you to give her more time. The monthly fee is the only thing you owe and I will collect that once things get straighten out with Jay. Sahar you need to apply for the rental license, I have emailed you the forms before.

Thank you for your diplomacy and understanding. I appreciate your eagerness to keep our relationship amicable and respectful. You mentioned quite a few things in your email, so to be clear, I have replied directly to each question in your email below in bold....J I'm so sorry that our communication has deteriorated so badly and so quickly. Please bear with me and each other. We've just started and we have a long way to go. I hope that we will be able to work together without any mishaps for the time to come. I really believe that once we've ironed out a few things here, we shouldn't have any problems later on. I agree. Jay, I resorted to EB regarding the amount deposited because I thought he knew something I didn't know, but he didn't know why the amount was low either. The question I have is why the rent for February is pro-rated. Because I assumed that your move-in date being Jan 8th would mean that the pro-rated amount would have been paid back in early Jan when you moved in. Based on that, I assumed that the amount you paid now in early Feb was Feb's rent, which would have been a full month. It seems from what I'm reading that what you deposited now is the pro-rated January rent amount. Is that the case? And if so, are you scheduled to pay the month's rent after the end of each month rather than the beginning? No, per EB's instruction, the first month that I paid had to be the full $1,400 rent. When I asked about prorating the rent, he said to pay the prorated rent in February. The intention was to pay full February rent before I moved in, and the prorated January rent February 1st, so essentially the 2 payments were switched. I suppose that was done so that EB could get his full one month payment that you mention below. EB, I know that your office must be paid one month's rent (in full, of course) for the service provided. How and when would this amount be paid? I was assuming that I hadn't seen any rent until now because the first payment would be to the office. Perhaps January's rent was paid in full, and February's rent was pro-rated? Thus, the January rent was paid in full to your office and Feb's pro-rated amount was deposited to my account? If that's the case, then everything is on track and things are moving along nicely in terms of rent payments. If not, please let the 3 of us be on the same page regarding the schedule of payments. I believe that's what the intention was, as I tried to explain above. As you can both tell, we are talking to each other a lot but lots of questions remain unanswered. I hope we can just communicate more clearly and pro-actively so that we don't have any misunderstandings. Jay, it is important to me that you feel comfortable in your home and I hope you don't feel that I have been
begrudging regarding customization of the home to your needs. However, I think that any changes in the future will be limited only to repairs of an essential nature (broken appliance, etc). I think you probably agree with me on this matter. If so, then I think there should be no future surprises. Please be mindful to inform us of any costs in advance, unless they are emergencies that need immediate attention (such as gas or water leaks) and you cannot wait for our responses. I agree, that there should be no surprises and any needs should be discussed in advance. Please understand that I didn't realize that the key change would be a surprise to either of you, being that I spoke with and emailed EB about it in advance (before i had your email address) and he said he would handle it and mention it to you. Just to cover all bases, I want to also mention that I had an ADT alarm system installed on the property. I also mentioned this to EB way before I signed the Lease and he said he would mention it to you as well. I'm not sure if he did, so I just wanted to let you know now. The installation required a very small hole (big enough for a wire to come thru) and will not been an additional cost for you. I paid for the installation and the monthly bill. EB, I will email you separately regarding the ESCROW account that will hold the security deposit.(I have the bank forms with me here) Jamila, please clarify the dates of deposit for the 2nd and 3rd part of the deposit. I would like to make the transfer from my account to the ESCROW account in one click, as I have a limited amount of transfers online per month. I recently had some costly car trouble and my daughter's father stopped paying child support, so I'm working on making up for those financial changes. I'm sorry that I can not give you a solid date, but I am doing my best to find those funds in my budget. I will keep you posted with my progress. I will keep you posted with my progress, but I assume the partial security deposit should be deposited to the escrow account just the same.
Mar 23 2011 From JJ to ME:

Attached is the FedEx bill for sending the mail. I'll short the April rent by that amount...J
Apr 27 2011 From ME to JJ:

I just checked the bank account online and I didn't see a deposit for the April rent. As May is around the corner, please let me know at your earliest if you need the bank account information again for the deposits. As agreed, the April rent was minus the amount paid for the FedEx bill: $1,396.02. The May rent will be the full amount of $1,400.
Apr 29 2011 From ME to JJ:

Resent message of Apr 27
From ME to JJ:
A correction to my earlier email in which I stated that $1,396.02 is overdue for the month of April. The amount should have been $1,296.02 before application of a 5% late fee. If the 5% is applied to the overdue portion of the rent only, the total payment works up to exactly $1,360.82.
Please respond to my email at your earliest convenience and let me know if you are having any trouble with your payments. I hope to avoid a situation in which months might pile up since May is almost here. We haven't agreed to a payment date for the rest of the security deposit at this time either. I'm concerned about the silence. Please let me know what to expect.
Apr 30 2011 From ME to EB:

I just checked the account online and there was a deposit of $1,400 made yesterday. But there was no response from Jamila by email so there is no clarification about the amount. She only owed around $1,296 for April (that amount is without the late fee). So maybe she paid a full month now and will pay the lower amount for May. I will wait and see what she does during the first 10 days of May. If she doesn't pay the rent again, I will follow up with her again about it and will also demand the rest of the security deposit that she still owes. Please let me know if you think I should handle this differently. I just don't want to do anything that might endanger my legal rights if the time ever comes when I want to enforce them.
From EB to ME:
This is good news that she made the $1400. payment. I was worried about no response and no payment, but now that she made it, that could mean that she will respond to you soon. I also recommend calling her when she does not respond to let her know that you are series.
May 1 2011 From JJ to ME:

I just read your emails...this is my new email address...please update your records. I rarely check the old email address anymore because I get soooo much junk mail ever since Epsilon's email records got hacked earlier this month...anyway, Sahar, I'm so sorry for the confusion, but for some reason I thought I had paid April's rent in late March, but I just went back and reviewed my bank records,and clearly I didnt...So embarressing!! I just made a deposit yesterday for what I intended to be May rent of $1,400.00. Unfortunatley I dont have an extra $1,296, right now for April. Would you consider allowing me to pay that down? I can deposit another $200 next week, and maybe pay an additional $200 each month until we reach the total...I would really appreciate the opportunity to make up that balance over time...Thanks!
May 10 2011 From ME to EB:

I didn't realize until I got your email this morning that you weren't copied on the last communication between Jay and me so I'm forwarding you the last message I had received from her below. The deposit she made of $1,400 was for the month of May. So basically, she skipped April. According to her message below, she didn't realize that she hadn't paid April and now she's asking for time to pay it in installments of $200 starting this week and every month. I wrote back and told her that would be fine as long as she continued to communicate with me and let me know whenever she has any issue with a payment along with her plan of when to make that payment. She didn't address the issue of security deposit yet. I think if I don't see a deposit from her this week for $200, I'll write to her and ask her to please be clear about her
payment schedule, and I will yet again bring up the issue of the rest of the security deposit.
From EB to ME:
I wish you would have let me read her email before you agreed to let her get away with paying 200 each month and ignore everything like if she has no responsibility to pay her rent or security deposit. . I think you should be more demanding of the rent and keep emailing her from the 1st of every month to let her know that you are keeping track of her late payments, and give her the new figures to show how far behind she is and how much she needs to pay in order to get caught up. You might want to give her an incentive to get her to catch up on her rent and deposit. For example, you can telling her if she gets caught up you would drop her rent from $1400 to $1300 if and only if she get back on track and keep up. P.S. Please let her send a copy of the house keys to someone or to my office. We must have a copy for your protection. Please keep me posted.
From ME to EB:
EB, I really didn't think she was going to be able to do better than that because since she was behind one full month, the only way to catch up was to pay 2 months at once. So I just stressed to her the importance of staying in touch and not being silent. You're right that I should let her know that I'm keeping track. I'm going to take your advice and send her a tracking list with dates and amounts. So this week I'm expecting $200 and I will be giving her notices before payment is due from now on as reminders. I will also ask her to please finish paying the security deposit first and I'll include the request for a copy of the new key to be sent to your office. I will also show you all communication I get from her from now on, but please if we ever need to call her by phone to follow up, I will need you to make the call. Calls from here are much more difficult for me. I don't like the idea of reducing rent so much as I would rather have the full rent (even if sometimes late) than to have a lower rent (even if only $100). I forgot to ask you something... I remember that when you negotiated with her, you had waived the pet deposit and you had let her pay the security deposit in 3 payments instead of one. But I can't remember if the security deposit is still one full month of $1,400. Could you please confirm this with me before I write her the reminder? Because I want to be clear with her on amounts and dates, my messages will include due dates and exact amounts and what each amount is for. So for example, for this week, my reminder will be to remember $200 for the April rent plus $xx which is second payment of security deposit. Then next month, I will send a reminder for June rent and for the last payment of security deposit, etc.
From EB to ME:
The deposit is $1400 which is equal to 1 month rent, you received, $500 as far as I know.
May 11 2011 From Me to JJ:

I thought it would be a good idea to send reminders to you before payment is due every month to help keep track. Please see below the schedule of payments for the year and let me know if you think there will be any problems
with these amounts and dates. I would like to catch up and to get the security deposit before things snowball out of hand. I can help a bit by waiving the late fee for April, but I can see already that it's easy for amounts to build up. I put this together based on your proposal of depositing $200 this week and $200 monthly after that. As I mentioned above, I'll be sending you a reminder a few days before payments are due and I will follow up with a message if rent is delayed beyond the 10th of any given month. Thanks, Sahar PS: Could you please share a copy of the new house key with EB? May 14 Sec Deposit $500 April Rent $200 Total: $700 Jun 1 Sec Deposit $400 Apr Rent $200 Jun Rent $1,400 Total: $2,000 Jul 1 Apr Rent $200 Jul Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Aug 1 Apr Rent $200 Aug Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Sep 1 Apr Rent $200 Sep Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Oct 1 Apr Rent $200 Oct Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Nov 1 Apr Rent $96 Nov Rent $1,400 Total: $1,496 Dec 1 Dec Rent $1,400
Total: $1,400
May 13 2011 From JJ to ME

Thanks for the opportunity to pay down the April balance. I really appreciate you working with me. I am ok with the rent schedule except for the additional funds for the SD. I will deposit $200 on Friday toward April rent and will deposit an additional $200 each month to pay down the April rent. I'll have to let you know about the SD, as extra funds are few and far between at this juncture. I am happy to recieve reminders about the rent each month. Thanks for the update.
From EB to ME:
I think that would be good if she keeps her promise!. I would recommend checking the account on the dates she suppose to make the deposit. Don't forget to include the late fees. She should also know that you need the money to make the mortgage and that you will not be able to do more for her if she falls behind again. Last, we still need the key for the house. By law you should have a copy of the keys to your rental in case anything happens.
May 29 2011 From ME to JJ:

This is a reminder that the rent payment is due Wednesday, June 1st. I have revised the payment schedule I sent earlier and shifted ahead the security deposit payments. Below is the revised payment schedule. Also, please don't forget to send a copy of the new house key to EB. Thanks, Sahar Jun 1 Sec Deposit $500 Apr Rent $200 Jun Rent $1,400 Total: $2,100 Jul 1 Sec Deposit $400 Apr Rent $200 Jul Rent $1,400 Total: $2,000 Aug 1 Apr Rent $200 Aug Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Sep 1 Apr Rent $200
Sep Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Oct 1 Apr Rent $200 Oct Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Nov 1 Apr Rent $96 Nov Rent $1,400 Total: $1,496 Dec 1 Dec Rent $1,400 Total: $1,400
June 6 2011 From EB to ME:

I hope all is well. I have not received a copy of the keys yet. I hope that you have received some kind of deposit from Jay by now. Otherwise, she would need another reminder about making her rent.
June 7 2011 From ME to EB:

She hasn't paid the rent yet. On the 10th, I will either send her a message saying "thank you for the payment" or "please note that you're late and you've incurred a 5% penalty". Either way, i will add a reminder about the key.
From EB to ME:
I think you should remind her that you did not receive the rent. I think you should send her that reminder today and every day until she pays it or responds.
From ME to JJ:
Another reminder that payment should be made before Friday June 10th to be considered timely.
June 8 2011 From EB to ME:

As an owner you have every right to demand your rent to be payed and on time or else The reminders are to let her know that you are keeping up and you demand payment as soon as possible. You can let her know that you do not want to involve your lawyer because that will cost her even more. You can say those thing in your own words. I think that she will respond if you get tough and you mean business. You could say that you are going to be in the US by the end of the month and that you are going to go by and see her.
June 11 2011 From ME to JJ:

Jay, you did not pay the rent on time this month either and you have incurred at $70 late fee. You did not respond
to my messages at all, and you never got back to me about your ability to make good on your security deposit either. I tried to be optimistic and flexible, but so far I have little reason to believe that you're serious about honoring your commitments. I can't afford to let you pay at your leisure. I need to make my mortgage payments and to do that, I need a reliable and honest tenant. Please re-consider your attitude towards this lease if you want to re-new it at the end of the year. Despite the inconvenience of putting the house on the market again, I can't afford to do business with you in this way. If you catch up with your payments as outlined below, we can continue. Thanks, Sahar Jun 13 Sec Deposit $500 Apr Rent $200 Jun Rent $1,400 Late fee 5%: $70 Total: $2,170 Jul 1 Sec Deposit $400 Apr Rent $200 Jul Rent $1,400 Total: $2,000 Aug 1 Apr Rent $200 Aug Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Sep 1 Apr Rent $200 Sep Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Oct 1 Apr Rent $200 Oct Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Nov 1 Apr Rent $96 Nov Rent $1,400 Total: $1,496 Dec 1 Dec Rent $1,400 Total: $1,400
Jun 12 2011 From JJ to ME:

While understand your disapointment in the timeliness of payments, I disagree with your analysis of the situation. I'm doing my best to pay timely and in full, but things are tight for me right now. I'm not attempting to decieve you in anyway. I am simply paying when I have the funds to do so, and a deposit will be made this Monday. I'm not sure why you're saying that I dont respond to your inquiries. We have remained in consistant communication, but I did not see a need to respond to reminders for June rent. Last month, when you first proposed a rent schedule including 2 additional $500 payments for security deposit, I informed you that I was unable to do that, and nothing has changed. As for the future of our relationship, I think its a bit premature to discuss that now, but clearly this is your house and you make the final decision about who lives here, and I respect whatever decision you make. Thanks again for your patience.
Jun 13 2011 From ME to JJ:

Jay, I expected a response to my rent reminder by doing one of two things; either by paying the amount owed or by informing me that you were delayed and wouldn't be able to pay before Monday. I'm not implying that it's ok to pay at your own pace, but at least it would have been more confidence-inspiring than silence and no payment beyond the due date. Also, regarding the security deposit owed, even the language you use in your emails implies that you see it as a frivolity and not as one of the terms of the lease that you are bound to - even negotiated. You had negotiated away the pet deposit and broken down the security deposit into three installments. You paid the first one before moving in, but once you moved into the house, the rest of it became unimportant. What message does that convey besides that it was a mistake to hand over the key before payment was made in full up front as is the norm? A security deposit is a means to provide a homeowner with a limited amount of security against any default by the tenant. Where we stand now, even if you had paid it in full, I would still not fully recover what is owed to me. But in your email below, you refer to it as "2 additional payments". I did not add payments to your schedule. They were already there and were supposed to by paid by February and it's June. I'm sending you new schedules of payment trying to fit it all into one year. You only tell me that you're not ready yet, but you don't propose alternative dates and a new schedule. I can only log onto my bank account online and keep watching hoping for the best. I wouldn't say it's pre-mature to be thinking about next year, but with another 6 months to go on the lease I would say this is still salvageable. And I hope that we can get on track together, as it's a relief for me to have consistency on this as well. Thanks, Sahar. PS: Please remember to send EB that key.
Jun 14 2011 From ME to EB:

Just to let you know that Jay didn't respond to my second email in which I explained my frustration in further detail. And as of this morning I still see no deposit despite what she said in her email that a deposit will be made on Monday. So I'm getting online now to do some research into MD's laws and regulations on the subject. I know I have every right to demand my rent. But before getting into the "or else" part I need to educate myself what my options are. You see, I've met people like her before. I remember once a colleague of mine telling me that she pays her rent whenever she feels like it. She makes sure she pays a part of the rent so she could establish before a judge that she is "making an effort". I think that tenants like Jay have more experience at being bad tenants than I have experience at being a landlord. So I must be very educated about what I can actually DO besides emailing her. And I never make idle threats. If I say something I mean it. So it's important for me to know what I can do. I've already made it clear to her that if she doesn't stop this, I won't renew her lease next year. I'm not going to mention this to her again, because I don't want her to be "ready" for this. If she thought she's going to get kicked outanyway, she will definitely not pay up what she owes. So..I will let you know what I manage to find out and what I'm willing to do. I might even plan a trip to MD this year to work it out. But that won't be before the fall or winter. Will update you.
Jun 15 2011 From ME to EB and JJ:

The $1,400 June rent was deposited in the account yesterday. The updated schedule is as follows: Jun ??? (ASAP) Sec Deposit $500 Apr Rent $200 Late fee 5%: $70 Total: $770 Jul 1 Sec Deposit $400 Apr Rent $200 Jul Rent $1,400 Total: $2,000 Aug 1 Apr Rent $200 Aug Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Sep 1 Apr Rent $200
Sep Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Oct 1 Apr Rent $200 Oct Rent $1,400 Total: $1,600 Nov 1 Apr Rent $96 Nov Rent $1,400 Total: $1,496 Dec 1 Dec Rent $1,400 Total: $1,400
June 19 2011 From ME to JJ:

I didn't see another deposit since the June rent. Are you suspending your payment plan for April's rent? At $200 per month, it would be fully paid by November. What's your expectation?
Jun 21 2011 From JJ to ME:

I am not suspending the plan, however, I just dont have the $200 right now, but I am working toward it.
Jun 28 2011 From ME to JJ:

This is a reminder that rent is due on Friday July 1st. Also please remember to send a copy of the new house key to EB. Overdue: Security Deposit: $500 April Rent: $200 Late Fee: $70 Total: $770 July 1: Security Deposit: $400 April Rent: $200 July Rent: $1,400 Total: $2,000 Aug 1: April Rent: $200 August Rent: $1,400 Total: $1,600 Sep 1:
April Rent: $200 September Rent: $1,400 Total: $1,600 Oct 1: April Rent: $200 October Rent: $1,400 Total: $1,600 Nov 1: April Rent: $96 November Rent: $1,400 Total: $1,496 Dec 1: Dec Rent: $1,400
July 11 2011 From JJ to ME:

Thank you for the reminder. I had hoped that I would have the full rent payment for you before the 10th, but unfortunately that has not happened. I will continue to do my best to get the rent to you in the very near future, hopefully in the next couple of days. Thank you for your continued patience.
Jul 27 2011 From ME to JJ:

This is a reminder that rent is due on Monday August 1st. Also please remember to send a copy of the new house key to EB. Overdue: Security Deposit: $500 April Rent: $200 June Late Fee: $70 Security Deposit: $400 April Rent: $200 July Rent: $1,400 July Late Fee: $70 Total: $2,840 Aug 1: April Rent: $200 August Rent: $1,400 Total: $1,600 Sep 1: April Rent: $200 September Rent: $1,400 Total: $1,600 Oct 1:
April Rent: $200 October Rent: $1,400 Total: $1,600 Nov 1: April Rent: $96 November Rent: $1,400 Total: $1,496 Dec 1: Dec Rent: $1,400
Aug 1 2011 From JJ to ME:

Thanks again, for your patience with me. It appears that I'm just getting in deeper and deeper with you. Each month I review your reminder & rent schedule and I've been racking my brain to find a way to get current. I've been trying to find a part time job, to no avail, and it just looks like I'm regretfully reaching the conclusion that I can no longer afford to continue renting this house. Barring another solution presenting itself, I am prepared to vacate the house by the end of August to avoid the continued financial hardship to either of us. I am more than willing to help facilitate leasing the house again to another party. Please let me know your thoughts at your earliest convenience.

I had hoped to have a response from you in regards to my email below, but since we haven't had any further communications about this, I feel compelled to give you official notice that I intend to vacate the house within 30 days, no later than Sunday, September 3rd. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, but I'm sure you'd agree that it makes more sense for us to each cut our losses and try to pursue a situation that is more financially beneficial to both of us. As I mentioned in the email below, I am more than happy to help in any way with your pursuit of another tenant to rent the house. Hope to communicate with you soon!
Aug 8 2011 From ME to EB:

Please see the emails I received below on August 1st and 3rd. I had been offline for a couple of weeks while I moved so I just saw these now. Please advise regarding next steps.
Aug 9 2011 From EB to ME:

I hope all is well and Ramadan Kareem. I think that she has decided to move out and we can't do anything about that. I think she is still responsible for the amounts owed to you. As far as her help on renting the place is up to you! do you trust her to keep any agreement with you after what happened?. I just hope that she will leave the place in the same condition as she took it. I also would want to find out about utility bills if she is behind on anything. I think you should let her know that you received her email and that she should know that is consider a breaking of the lease. You can't stop her from moving out but she also should know that any money she owes based on the agreement she is responsible for. We would have to do a walk through to document the condition of the place at the time she moves out.
Sorry about this bed experience but as you know lots of people are having hard times and this is part of what you have to deal with as a landlord.
From MY HUSBAND to JJ, EB and ME:

im sorry to be jumping in at the end of the story here, but the outstanding amounts are still going to be paid? correct?

Jay, I hope that you continue to make your best efforts to pay the amounts you owe. I have summarized below the owed amounts by the end of August. (I didn't included a pro-rated amount for Sep 1-3 or a $70 late fee for August, which isn't applicable for another 2 days). The remaining security deposit owed of $900 can be scratched out if the house is in the appropriate condition. If there are no damages at all, I will credit the $500 you already paid in security deposit towards what you owe. Therefore, the final total amount owed could range between $3,466 and $4,866 depending on the condition of the home. EB, please coordinate with Jay regarding the home inspection and handover of property and keys. Also, please let me know if I'm needed in Maryland for any changes and I'll arrange the trip. Regarding the utility bills, the only one for which I have an account in my name is the water and that payment has been regular. I might come to establish new pepco/gas accounts in my name until a new tenant takes over. I haven't re-read the lease yet, but I'll do that tonight. Please let me know if there''s anything I'm forgetting. Thanks, Sahar Overdue: Security Deposit: $500 April Rent: $200 June Late Fee: $70 Security Deposit: $400 April Rent: $200 July Rent: $1,400 July Late Fee: $70 April Rent: $200 August Rent: $1,400 April Rent: $200 April Rent: $200 April Rent: $96
Aug 11 2011 From EB to MY HUSBAND and ME:

I think the option that you have at this point is to take her to court and that would require you hiring an attorney.
The best part of this is that she is moving out, and we do not have a hold over situation. Also that would give us a chance to find someone better. I know how you feel but this how things work out sometimes and I see it sometimes.

So here's the situation...my plan to move to another location has fallen thru. I'm scrambling now to find a more affordable option, but a solution is not guaranteed. I know that's not your problem, however I do want to propose a couple of options that may work for us. 1) we could renegotiate the lease to a more affordable rate, maybe $800/month starting sept 1 and based on my calculations that would be guaranteed. I know that less than the full rent is not ideal for u but at least you'd be sure to be getting some payment and not have a completely vacant house for months on end. or 2) I could get a subtenant in the basement room to help, but I'm not sure how long the process would take to get someone in here and contributing. Please let me know your thoughts ASAP.
Aug 17 2011 From ME to JJ:

Sorry I've been offline again. I just had a new DSL installed so I should be able to keep in touch better. Unfortunately, my mortgage is around $1,400 a month so a rent of $800 puts me on the spot to pay $600 a month out-of-pocket to keep my house. I don't have an income that could support that at all. My only options are to 1. receive the full mortgage amounts in rent 2. to come back to the US, live in the house and get a US based salary so I can afford the payments. 3. sell the house and unburden myself of the debt. (In today's market, this isn't something I can do overnight or from over here) In fact, I've been looking forward to the annual rent increase as a way to ensure I have some money on the side for household repairs, and to keep things going in between tenants - a little cushion. The little cushion I had when I left America has been severely depleted already by the repairs I had to do last year as well as the shortage in rent payments. It won't last much longer and I'm already facing big risks. The last of my funds will be used to buy myself a plane ticket to the states where I can just take care of it all once and for all. I'm not sure about the subletting suggestion. Because there's no guarantee that the second tenant would be paying on time either. And if he/she fails to pay, then I'm going to end up absorbing that loss also. I would like to discuss this with EB, however, to find out what his experience is with this sort of situation and if he is optimistic about it.
From ME to EB:
What do you think about Jay's suggestion of subletting the basement? Do you think it just means I'll have 2 headaches instead of one? Or do you think it might improve my chances of getting paid? I don't know who the sub-tenant is responsible to...me or Jay. In other words, would Jay still be responsible to pay me the full amount (and he pays her the sublet amount)? Or would they both be direct one-on-one relationships with me? I'm interested in your experience.
From EB to ME:
I think that the subleasing idea is unacceptable. The $800 rent is robbery, since that is a price for one room in a house not a whole house. I think there is too much time wasted for nothing. Someone is riding time to get free rent. I think the notice you received for the 3rd of Sept. should be it, and its best to cut your lose and stop the game you are being played.

Thanks for the advice EB. I definitely wasn't considering a lower rent. Like I told Jay, I can't afford that and I'd sooner just come back and live in the house myself. I hope she moves out on Sep 3 and doesn't give us any hassles.
From JJ to ME:
I'm so sorry for all the confusion! I hate to live life like this, and to be inconveniencing you and all involved. I dont know what to say right now other than I will do my best to get back on schedule or to give you notice when I'm actually vacating, but right now is a real struggle for me. I understand that you are strugglnig too...as is everyone, it seems. I will keep you posted on my progress.
Aug 24 2011 From EB to ME:

What is the update on Jay's situation.
From JJ to ME:
I'm planning to make a full rent payment September 1st. To avoid incurring any further late charges, I hope that you are willing to apply that money to September rent. I know I've put you in a precarious situation with the past unpaid rents, but at the very least I would like the opportunity to pay timely for coming months. Thanks again for your patience!

She just emailed me saying she intends to pay September rent on time. She has withdrawn her Sep 3 notice for now. I'm planning a trip to the states. I think the best time would be in October. I think I have to give her an eviction notice if I want to cut my losses. EB, I will tell you when I have travel dates. I want to find out if I can start the eviction request on line so that I can be sure to be in America during the time of eviction. I read that a 30-day notice is required to the tenant before enforceable eviction. So I will plan my travel dates around that basis. While I am there, I will also try to see what legal proceedings I should take to get her to pay the back money she owes me before, during or after eviction.
Aug 27 2011 From ME to JJ and EB:

Jay, I will apply the money to September's rent when it's deposited. I'm planning a trip over in September or October, by the way, to take care of some things. One of them will be a change in bank accounts because HSBC is
charging me $15 a month to keep the account open - something they said they wouldn't do when I opened it last year before I left. Due to this lie and their bad service, I'll be taking my business elsewhere. While I'm there, I could swing by and pick up any mail that might have come in for me that seems important. Anything related to taxes, college savings fund, montgomery real estate tax changes (which should be showing up by October), home insurance bill, etc. I will keep you both updated when I have found the best travel dates (ie: cheapest and most timely). Back to the running account we have: I'm going to do it month by month since we're not sure about your departure date, which means the $200 per month April amount is going to be contracted into one payment for simplicity of calculation. So the new presentation of missing payments is like this: Remaining Security Deposit $900 Remaining April Rent $1,200 June Rent late charge $70 July Rent $1,400 July Rent late charge $70 August Rent $1,400 August Rent late charge $70 Amount owed $5,110
As I mentioned earlier, if $1,400 is deposited before Sep 10th, I will count it towards the September rent payment with no late charge. And assuming you move out at the end of September, the remaining amount owed of $5,110 includes a fully paid security deposit ($1,400) to which you may be entitled in full or in part depending on the condition of the home.

I'm sorry for not making myself clearer in my previous email, but my intentions are to stay and pay timely for the future months of rent due. My breif plans to move were based on not being able to catch up on rent payments and not wanting to remain here making your situation worse. But if you will allow me to pay timely for future months and try, over time, to pay down the amount owed, it makes me more optimistic about remaining in the house. I dont have a concrete schedule for repayment, as I'm doing my best just to be current on future rents, but, like I said, im optimistic. By the way, I believe the amount due for April is $1,096 ($1,400- $200 payment -$104 fedex). You have mentioned the condition of the house several times so I must assume that you are concerned. Please rest assured that we are taking very good care of the house; however, mother nature has not been very kind lately. After the recent 5.8 earthquake and 5 aftershocks this week, my daughter noticed some very small cracks in one of the window frames in the dining room that we dont remember being there previously. We are also expecting hurricaine Irene this evening, but all-in-all the house remains in great condition. I do gave a couple of questions about upkeep though. I have gone through various lawnmowers (a friend, a neighbor who moved, a service whose mower broke down) and i need a reliable person. Do you recall who mowed your lawn previously? Can you forward the contact info? Also did you have a problem with spiders? We have to walk through spiderwebs daily to get in and out of the house, and I've seen some very large and scary looking species making huge exterior webs, that literally extend from the second floor to the bushes by the front door.
Fortunately, I've only seen a few small ones inside, but something must be done before the cold weather forces them inside. Will you reimburse (via rent credit) for extermination? Thanks for keeping the lines of communication open!
From ME to JJ:
I understand now that you've withdrawn your notice and want to go back to a payment plan. If you make timely and full rent payments in the future, it would buy us both time, which I would welcome too of course. I pay the mortgage every 2 weeks, so if a payment is one week late, I have a significant drop in my savings. Right now, I'm barely above water. So future rent payments have to be within the first week of the month (10 days I mean) to keep me afloat and away from crisis. Basically, my savings were supposed to pay for the monthly warehouse that stores my stuff and an annual ticket to the states if needed to deal with documents, the house, etc. These savings were going to last for years, but at a rate in which I'm paying mortgage without rent income, it's dwindling down to months and will become weeks, if future rent payments don't come in. When I've only got money left for a ticket back, that's the end of it for me. I'd have to come back - and move in. I know I told you this in my last email, but I wanted you to be in on it with me so that we can balance expectations together. I spent almost 8 years paying for the house, on time rain or shine. Of course, I'd rather return and sell it at whatever price than get re-possessed now. So compared to that scenario, I'm hopeful that you can stay and make the rent in the future. It means I can stay here and get on with the life I'm trying to build in Cairo! As for making up the past 3 months, if you can't provide a schedule for it, then just make deposits towards it as you go along and I'll keep track and keep sending out monthly reminders and updates. That will whittle down the amount before you know it. And we'll defer decisions until we approach the end of the lease in January. We can figure out if things are improving or not and whether renewing is good. Responding to your email below on a couple of points: The amount due for April was $1,200 because of the $200 payment you made in May towards it. The FedEx expenses were earlier in February and you deducted them out of the February rent. Do you remember that deposit for $783.25 you made in February? It was the pro-rated January rent and reimbursement for the lock changes and FedEx package. I'm just responding off information in my written notes, but I can go back to the emails and make sure of the numbers again. I'll confirm with you when I've done that. About the condition of the house, I'm not concerned. I brought it up as something that is dealt with when a tenant leaves. When I thought you were leaving. At that time, the condition was very important because my priority was to get the house ready for someone else, and how much would that cost me? And when I was calculating what would be owed, the numbers depended on that factor. So I added that caveat to every note about back payments. About Hurricane Irene, I'm about to check online to hear how it went. I hope it wasn't serious as we get warnings all the time. But I hope the power didn't go out! When a hurricane takes out power across the whole metro area it can take up to a week for the house to have it back. We had that experience last year and in 2003.
I have no idea why the spiders are so present in the house. During the hottest months, we would find webs around the laundry area, and there is a season every year when crickets find their way in the basement. But spiderwebs all over like that? I don't really have any suggestions. How was the company that dealt with it when you moved in? I think late summer is the best time to deal with it, but I'm not sure. I don't have advice about the lawn either. We tried a few professionals and they were either too expensive or didn't show up when they were supposed to. It was a constant headache for me so in the end, I just did it three times a summer myself. I just noticed now that you are asking me to pay for pest extermination. Jay, I thought it was clear that continuous pest extermination wasn't part of my responsibilities. If that is a standard landlord requirement I'd fulfill it of course. I'll try to look that up, too. By the way, I was looking at tickets to come in October before the high season, but I'm still not sure if it's better than waiting until after the season in January. I will update you and EB of my travel plans.
From ME to EB:
You must have seen the email I just sent to Jay which I copied you. It's a long email but it covers a lot of things. I was wondering if she might try to cheat, by claiming that she needs to repair something in the house and then deduct the amount she claims from future rent. That's why it's very important that any company she uses be provided by us not her. You'll notice at the end of her last email, she said she wanted pest extermination for the house and wondered if she could have it done and deduct the amount from the rent. I said it wasn't my responsibility. But if she comes up with something in the future that is my responsibility, I want to make sure it's real and not a way for her to get money back. Just a note. I hope you agree with the email I sent her today.
From EB to ME:
Your last email to her is good. Your message is always that you are an airline ticket away and that could be done anytime. I am surprised that she was moving out then she can only afford $800/month, and now she wants to pay the full rent. Hard to tell what she is going to do next. You should let her know that if she is going to stay; -She has to pay the rent in full and on time each month. -If she keeps up, you will not report her delinquency to the Credit Bureau and -You will not raise her rent even you know that the rent has been going up in the area. I have a handyman to check on the window issue if you want and for the lawn.

Thankfully we didnt sustain any damage in the hurricaine. Some branches were blowm from the tree in the front yard, but we faired pretty well. We didnt even lose power! I never had any dealings with any of the vendors used to prep the house before I moved in - ie the exterminator, cleaning crew, handy man, etc. I have no clue who was used for any of these services. I understood that you
would not be initiating any regularly scheduled extermation services, but it was my understanding that as needed, the landlord was reponsible for pest control, plumbing, major appliences (W/D, hot water heater, etc.). But let me know how you decide to move forward with the spider dealings. The payment made in February of $784.34 was the prorated rent for January of $1,038.70 less the $255.46 for the lock change. I had not collected very much of your mail by the beginning of February. I FedEx'd you the mail at the middle/end of March, and the $104 FedEx cost was deducted from the April rent. In your past emails, you referenced a total of $1,096 remaining due, with the last installment toward April rent in Nov was $96. That was with anticipation 6 $200 payments and 1 $96 payment totalling $1,296, and I made 1 of those $200 payments in May bringing the total due for April down to $1,096. I'll see if I can find the FedEx receipt dated in March and the emails we exchanged in March.
Sep 3 2011 From ME to JJ and EB:

EB, what is the landlord obligation regarding pest control? Jay says there are spiders coming into the house and spinning webs and has asked me to hire a company to handle it. Jay, you're right about the history you mentioned here. The cost of fedex was supposed to be deducted from the April rent and that's why the amount remaining was $1,296. I had forgotten that part. So for the record, the corrected amounts are: Security deposit April rent Jun late fee Jul rent Jul late fee Aug rent Aug late fee Total $5,006 $900 $1,096 $70 $1,400 $70 $1,400 $70
Sep 10 2011 From JJ to ME:

I'd like to deposit the money today, but I've misplaced the account#. Can you send it to me ASAP...thanks!
Sep 11 2011 From ME to JJ:

The account number is *********.
Sep 12 2011 From EB to ME:

In article 9 of the lease states that " Tenant is responsible for general control and elimination of household pests including but not limited to fleas,ticks,roaches,silverfish,ants,crickets and rodents."

Jay, there is still no deposit for September in the account. No payments at all since June. This isn't working out.
From ME to EB:
Thanks for pointing that out. I am so so so tired of this woman and her outrageous demands considering she is in serious breach of the lease. Anyway, it's no longer relevant now. As you can see from the email I just sent her, I'm not interested in keeping this relationship going anymore. I am going to book my trip for DC for the month of October. I've started going through the Landlord-Tenant Handbook to see what steps I can start with. It seems according to page 27 of the PDF document that first I must file a Failure to Pay Rent Notice or something like that. I'm not sure yet if I should first send her an email telling her that I'm going to kick her out, or wait until I arrive in the states so I can start action immediately so that she doesn't have time to make things worse. In either case, that's it. I'm going over there to evict her. Thanks for all your help. I'll write again when I've booked my dates. All this time, I was waiting to see if she was going to pay September on time or not. Obviously every day she is there is a day of "free rent" for her. I will try to come sooner than October if I can. Below is the link to the Landlord-Tenant Handbook of Montgomery County that I am using as reference. http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dhca/images/PDF/handbook_web.pdf

Below is an update of the amount owed through the end of September. My U.S. trip is not booked yet, but it is now planned for the duration of the entire month of October, with a possible extension of my return date if needed. Security Deposit April Rent June late fee July Rent July late fee August Rent Aug late fee September Rent Sep late fee Total $900 $1,096 $70 $1,400 $70 $1,400 $70 $1,400 $70
$6,476
From JJ to ME:
I guess you didnt my email on Saturday? I misplaced the account number, and was hoping to get it from you on Saturday so I could make the deposit by the 10th. I understand that the rent is late, so you feel obligated to charge a late fee, but I can't make the deposit without the account number. Please forward me the account number ASAP!

Jay, I did receive your email from Saturday and I sent you the account number on Sunday (see below).
From JJ to ME:
Oh, I see it...for some reason, I never saw that email on my phone. I will deposit the September rent today!
Sep 16 2011 From ME to JJ and EB:

This is to confirm that sep rent was received (without late fee) and that the new total is $5,076 as of Sep 16
th
Oct 4 2011 From ME to JJ:

This is to confirm that I've accessed my hotmail account and can send and receive emails again. My trip to DC will be October 17th. I will contact you a day or two after I arrive in DC so we can arrange to meet and discuss our lease relationship. As I mentioned a month or so ago, paying the rent in a timely manner buys time but making even small payments towards previous amounts owed along the way is still very much a requirement. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened yet and even the one rent payment wasn't timely. I hope that over the next two weeks I can see more positive signs. Actually, I just checked yesterday and the October rent payment has not been made yet. Please observe that while a $70 late fee is only applied on the 10th of the month, rent is considered to be late as of the 2nd of the month. Also, when you are paying rent later than the 10th, please include a $70 late fee with your deposit. Otherwise the balance pending for you just continues to grow month-by-month and will get harder to catch up. I hope that we can meet soon and talk in more detail. Below is the new update of amounts: October 4th Security Deposit $900 April Rent $1,096 June late fee $70 July Rent $1,400 July late fee $70 August Rent $1,400 August late fee $70 September late fee $70 October rent $1,400 Total $6,476
Oct 7 2011 From JJ to ME:

Thanks for the update. I look forward to meeting you when you get to the states! I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be making a deposit of $700 on Monday. I will be starting a part time job next week, so I anticipate that I will be able to pay the balance of October rent in the next couple of weeks. In addition, the additional revenue from this PT job should put me in a position to start making significant payments toward the past due balance. I thank you sooo much for your patience as I work toward getting current. I know its difficult for you, as it is for all of us, with the economy struggling and the increases in utilities, food and gas; but I hope that you understand that I am not intentionally delaying payment, and that I have been and continue to make every effort to pay the rent as agreed. I am not spending money on frivolous purchases and putting off paying you, I simply do not have the funds. However, I am confident that I will be able to repay the past due balance once I begin earning additional money. I anticipate having made a significant dent in the past due by the end of the year.

October 11th Security Deposit Apr Rent Jun late fee Jul Rent Jul late fee Aug Rent Aug late fee Sep late fee Oct Rent Oct late fee Total $900 $1,096 $70 $1,400 $70 $1,400 $70 $70 $1,400 $70 $6,546

October 14th Security Deposit Apr Rent Jun late fee Jul Rent Jul late fee Aug Rent Aug late fee Sep late fee Oct Rent Oct late fee Total $900 $1,096 $70 $1,400 $70 $1,400 $70 $70 $700 $70 $5,846

Last week I noticed that the washer was not draining all the water from the clothes, so I had to wring them out before putting them in the dryer. But this morning I noticed that the washer is making the normal noises like its working, but its not doing anything. So essentially the clothes have just been sitting, soaking in water, but not being agitated in the washer to actually wash the clothes. I've gone down periodically to monitor the washer and apparently the washer never does anything for the whole washing cycle. The washer clearly needs some repairs. Let me know what you think we should do...thanks!

Please note that I am closing my account with HSBC and that future deposits cannot be made there anymore. In the future, all deposits can be made as follows: Bank Name ******* Checking account number: ********* Account name: Sahar Shahin
In order to be sure that you receive this information and that it doesn't fall through the cracks, I will re-send this message to you a couple of times.
From ME to JJ:
Resent message
From ME to JJ:
Resent message
From JJ to ME:
Got it!

You never responded to my question below about the washer. Please let me know how you'd like to address this.
From ME to JJ:
Jay I'm going to find a plumber and come deal with this. Let me know when you have a copy of the key ready for me so I can schedule this to hit two birds with one stone.
From JJ to ME:
I have a key for you whenever you get here. Are you still in the states? I was expecting to hear from you last week during the dates you said you'd be in town. But the washer and key are two separate issues. We need someone to repair the washer ASAP, so maybe you can give me the name and number of the plumber you want to use so I can schedule to have him come when I'm home.
From ME to JJ:
I'm in town October 16 till November 21st with the option of extending my stay as needed. I have the contact info of two people, one of whom did work on the house before I left. Let me know your availability so I can schedule accordingly. If neither are available during the times you are, I'll find someone else.

Ok, great! Weekdays after 5pm are best...but I work pretty close to home so I can come home during lunch if needed. Please try to schedule a visit ASAP...thanks!
From ME to JJ:
I'll aim for an appointment tomorrow after 5pm. I think it's better to do it during non-working hours in case it takes longer than a lunch hour. I'll write back when I confirm the date and time.
From JJ to ME:
Perfect! Thanks!

Update Wednesday October 26
th
Security Deposit Apr Rent Jun late fee Jul Rent Jul late fee Aug Rent Aug late fee Sep late fee Oct Rent Oct late fee Total
$900 $1,096 $70 $1,400 $70 $1,400 $70 $70 $700 $70 $5,846
Reminder for Tuesday November 1 Security Deposit $900 Apr Rent $1,096 Jun late fee $70 Jul Rent $1,400 Jul late fee $70 Aug Rent $1,400 Aug late fee $70 Sep late fee $70 Oct Rent $700 Oct late fee $70 Nov Rent $1,400 Total $7,246
Nov 4 2011 From JJ to ME:

I recieved a Complaint for Repossession of Rented Property today. I was just curious to know if you initiated this or if your leasing agent did this without your knowledge. The only reason that I ask is because you and I have been very upfront, honest and cordial with one another, and I would be surprised to find that you filed this paperwork without giving me a heads up, especially considering that you were just here with me last week, which would have been a great time to let me know. Thanks, in advance, for your honesty.
From ME to JJ:
Jay I filed the action. The very short answer to your question is that based on our history and your past behavior, I'm now operating in crisis mode with an expectation of the worst. The more information I give you, the more exposed I am. Basically, the eviction process is a long one, which gives you time and all the "heads up" you need to make things right and avoid eviction. But unfortunately for me, it also gives you time to make things much much worse. And I'm expecting the worst right now. So I have no incentive to give you more notice than you already have. In fact, I am surprised that you only received the notice yesterday. I assumed that you didn't follow up and make good on your promise to pay the rest of October "in a few weeks" and you didn't mention a THING about your
plans for payment to me when we met, and you ignored my update about November rent due and haven't paid it yet, and you walked away from the opportunity to pay down $300 off your massive debt to me when the plumber fixed the washing machine (making me have to drive back up to MD from VA the next day to pay him myself)....etc. I assumed that all this was happening because you already knew about the eviction and didn't have any incentive to try or even pretend to try. I understand now that this was all just you being you. I've been upfront, honest and cordial with you (despite advice from friends, family and agents that I was being too soft and taken advantage of) but it hasn't paid off. I don't believe words will help anymore and I've moved on to action. And I suggest you do the same.
From JJ to ME:
Wow...that's quite an email, Sahar. Although the intended tone is hard to gage by email, Im definitely picking up on your frustration. Its unfortunate that you are assuming the worst of me. I have never had the intension of taking advantage of you. Your friends, family and agent do not know me. If they did, they would understand that Im just trying to take care of my family like the rest of this country. The issue here is one of a shortage of money, not a lack of integrity. I'm sure you noticed when you were at the house, that we are not living high on the hog and refusing to pay rent. I am scraping by and working a second job in an effort to make good on the Lease.
I am tempted to address the accusations that I somehow avoided the rental discussion and that I forced to you drive back to Maryland to pay the plumber, but I think those statements, while tauntingly incorrect, are irrelevant in the scheme of things. I am also in crisis mode, and have been for a few months now. Ive always had an incentive to pay. I did before I got the notice and I do now. I want you to be paid, and I want to remain in the house. I dont think that we have to remain in crisis mode, though. Although I do not have the cash to pay the full $4,946, I do believe that this landlord/tenant relationship can be repaired, but stopping communication is not the way to do it. I would imagine that if I could guarantee that monthly rent would be paid in full going forward that you would consider postponing the eviction. I can guarantee that rent payments come timely by giving you advanced postdated checks for the next 6 months. I will give you a check for November rent when the court date is cancelled as well as checks for December through April rent with the intention that you only deposit them when rent is due for that month. I dont want to make things much much worse for you or myself, however, if you choose to move forward with the eviction process, I will have no other option but to hold onto any future rent to cover the cost of relocating. I really would rather not do that. I really think that our landlord/tenant relationship can be repaired, if youre willing. I never got into this with the intensions of hurting you or making things hard on you. But despite your disappointment and frustration, there is no reason for either of us to cease being polite to and honest with one another. We are adults and women and we can handle either outcome while remaining ladies.
From ME to JJ:
Jay, did you think that I bought an $800 ticket to come to America just so I can close a bank account that was costing me $15 in fees? I came here to deal with this house situation. Remember when I told you that paying the rent "on time in the future" would buy me time so I can stay in Egypt? (while paying down your previous debt made it possible to renew the lease?) I didn't want to up and leave there to come here and handle all this stuff. Not only is it expensive to me, but the separation from my home and family is prolonged and depressing. But the scales tilted to the point where the expense and difficulty of coming here were outweighed by the expense and danger of leaving things as they were. I've run out of time. I've said all this before, but maybe I was being too subtle. I assumed that you were automatically putting yourself
in my shoes when you were considering what I would and wouldn't accept. Or for that matter, what I COULD and COULDN'T accept even if I wanted to. And I thought that telling you that defaulting on your rent means I risk defaulting on my mortgage was a pretty powerful consequence and something I would never let happen! I would sooner stay here, live in a shelter and get a job to pay the mortgage until I sorted things out than to just shrug my shoulders and let this happen to me after 8 years of making payments on that house. Did you expect me to let that happen? Why? I can be sympathetic and take an emotional decision, at the very least because you're not alone and you have a daughter. However, my sympathy and understanding can only extend as far as my capabilities. So I told you how limited my capabilities were. Either you thought I would let myself reach the point where I default on my mortgage, or you didn't really believe me. I have spent a lot of time trying to understand what you expected from me and why. I never quite understood it. And I'm very very sure if you were in my position you wouldn't have allowed things to get half as bad as this for you. As a tenant, your expectations were complete, even sometimes over-the-top. You wouldn't have let someone deprive you of what was rightfully yours, whether you can afford it or not. And you shouldn't have to. And neither should I. If I were living here in this country, I might try postponing matters another month to see how things go. But right now, if I go home and things don't work out, I'll have to do this all over again. Besides the cost of the ticket, the costs of me being here are astronomical, despite the fact that I'm sleeping on a friend's couch. I'm buying pre-paid phones, walking everywhere and renting cars when I can't walk and the distance is too far, printing at kinkos, buying coffees from starbucks so I can use their wireless connection...and the list goes on... and just basically otherwise living in extreme poverty conditions so my funds don't deplete completely. My hands are extremely tied. I'm not appealing to your sympathies. I'm describing the situation so you know what I can afford to do, and what I can't. At the end of the day, you can only expect from someone what they can handle. You can't get blood from a stone. And that includes you too. I wasn't expecting you to pay what you owe because judging by the difficulty in paying one month's rent, I don't expect you to handle paying the entire amount at once, even if I assumed the best intentions on your part. I wasn't expecting to receive the November rent anyway. I was resigned to that. Telling me now that you're going to have to hold on to it unless I drop the case isn't a card to play anymore. In fact, it's not legal since that amount was owed to me as of November 1st. It's already been "held on to". Advanced post-dated checks don't guarantee payment. What happens if a check bounces? Nothing really. I don't have recourse. Even if I do, it would probably be another long process that requires me to come back here and take on more expenses to follow up. And by then what you owe will be so much larger. Why don't you pick up where you left off last summer and find a more affordable place? You would be relieving both of us of this burden. I will cancel the court date if you evict before then. We both benefit that way. For me, I save time and can go home. And I have the opportunity to find a paying tenant that much sooner and begin seeing money come in on a regular basis again. (Believe me, applicants ARE standing in line. There are even some with pretty good credit at this point it seems). I was even advised to command a $1,500 rent. For you, you won't have the blemish of a court ruling against you, which will make a huge difference in your ability to find another place to rent. Tenants who don't pay end up having their names on a Registry for 7 years and savvy landlords take that into account when screening applications. Also, moving out is much safer than eviction. I don't even want to imagine how ugly eviction is and the risk of damage and theft to property once it's out in public. I don't want things to get to that point. But the alternative is for me to leave my house in your hands, occasionally being called in to repair things for you. I just can't keep this up anymore. I'm not saying I'm writing off what you owe me though. It's a huge amount and I need it. But if you draw up a realistic (realistic is important!! you don't want to default on it from the start) payment plan, and immediately start
sticking to it and honoring it, then I won't pursue the money through legal channels and that can stay off your credit report, again helping you keep a clean slate for your rental history. And helping me get back on track financially. I can't offer any more than that. Sorry. I can't think of any other scenario that keeps me safe from more losses. If you put yourself in my shoes and think "what would it take for me to be safe?" then please let me know what that scenario is. Otherwise, like I said many times, my hands are tied.
Nov 7 2011 From ME to JJ:

Based on my research and legal advice, I learned that my handling of the security deposit amount in my calculations were slightly off. As of April 2nd, the portion of the security deposit that had been paid was available to me to compensate for the missing rent. When that happened, the Security Deposit balance was re-set to $0. And the $500 could be credited towards the amounts owed in rent. What this means is that the amount of unpaid rent and late fees are now totaled separately from the security deposit. The security deposit will remain at $0 balance and will be handled after evacuation of the premises. Within 5 days of move-out, a walk-through will take place that assesses any damages at actual value as per estimates from repairmen. At that time, the actual amount required, if any, is presented for payment separately. I believe this amount would include any unpaid utility bills, but I'm still researching that in more detail. I have revised the schedule accordingly. I've taken the liberty of assuming that you won't be paying November rent by November 10th and so I applied the late charge below. If you prove me wrong and make a payment, I'll remove it and send a revised update. Amount to be owed by tenant as of Thursday November 10 (for rent due through November 2011)
Apr Rent Jun late fee Jul Rent Jul late fee Aug Rent Aug late fee Sep late fee Oct Rent Oct late fee Nov Rent Nov late fee
Total
$596 $70 $1,400 $70 $1,400 $70 $70 $700 $70 $1,400 $70
$5,916 (+assessed costs of damage after walk-through, any unpaid utility bills, etc.)
Nov 12 2011 From ME to JJ:

This is to notify you that general information and assistance regarding evictions is available from the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs (240)777-3636.
From JJ to ME:
Thank you for the information; however, I welll be moving out prior to the eviction.
Jan 2 2012
From ME to JJ:
Jamila, what is the status of things?
Jan 3 2012 From JJ to ME:

The status of what? Oh, you must be talking about my weight loss. Well, I've lost about 30 lbs, but I gained back 10 over the holidays. I just returned to the gym yesterday, so hopefully I'll be back on the right track soon! Thanks for asking!

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THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS THE ENTIRE EMAIL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MYSELF LANDLORD SAHAR SHAHIN (SS), TENANT JAMILA

Nov 28 2010 From JJ to EB:

Nov 29 2010 From EB to JJ:

Nov 30 2011 From ME to EB:

Dec 1 2010 From ME to EB:

Thanks, again. I'll talk to you again soon!

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