Today’s Gazette has a business feature article from Kristian Gravenor, who when he’s not blogging owns an … err … affordable apartment building in Verdun.
Confessions of a slumlord goes into how he purchased the building and some of his issues raising money from residential and commercial tenants. Sadly it leaves you wanting more, and the sidebar with tips on dealing with tenants doesn’t seem enough to satiate the hunger for interesting slumlord stories.
Take photos of people applying to rent an apartment? I like Kristian but that seems excessive. Do landlords have the right, legally, to photograph you?
He should be shot. So much for pseudo “alternative” journalists.
Disgusting filth. And such people pretend to be “alternative” journalists?
Nothing like supporting the status quo, eh, rich boy?
We’ll get your fucking slumlord ass.
Fagstein, what do you mean by “leaves you wanting more”?
I just think it’s the kind of story that needs far more than 700 words.
And more than just his perspective.
I used to work at a community organization that fought against slumlords and while I know he’s trying to get a rise out of readers by being provocative, there are some disgusting landlords out there who need to be stopped.
I wonder why he hates prostitutes so much.
That guy, he’s not just a bad journalist, but he’s a horrible human being as well. At least in the JDM, you get the feeling they are TRYING to do something somewhat informative, however “sensationalist” it may be. Him…. he’s as much of a journalist as Maury Povich, exploiting other people for personal gain and entertainment.
lagatta, I just wanted to pick up on Dom’s comment above by saying that clearly Kristian is using “slumlord” in a self-deprecating tongue-in-cheek manner. His efforts to improve the building and the lives of its residents is the opposite of what a slumlord does. Again, his mug shots of potential tenants seems invasive, at least to me, but I don’t think he needs to have his ass “gotten.”
(Maybe you were just being tongue-in-cheek, too. Damn all this irony! )
… and I should add that I’m a little surprised Steve approved that threat against Kristian, in that this is moderated forum., and Steve presumably wants his colleague’s ass to stay connected to the rest of his body.
I am not suprised by all the anger here. The general opinion is that all landlords are greedy, filthy rich and dishonest.
It has been my experience that, for every bad landlord, there are 50 bad tenants out there. I know multiple people who had properties foreclosed on because of non-paying tenants.
I once had a job where one of my monthly duties was to visit 5 or 6 of my bosses rental properties and collect rent. When I first started, I asked him why he didn’t just have the tenants mail in their rent. He laughed, clapped me on the back and said “you will see”. I can tell you that there are a lot of people out there that feel the world owes them free housing. By my third month on the job I was on a first name basis with the clerk of the court and fully versed on eviction procedures.
Of the dozens of people I evicted during my time on that job, only the tiniest percentage were working people who had fallen on hard times. Most of the evictees knew how to clean themselves up and say all the correct things at the first meeting. Gravenors obervation of a tenant showing up with paint on his hands or other types of work clothes is spot-on. Most of these people had been evicted many times and knew exactly which piece of paper from the court meant that they actually had to leave. This is why Gravenors other idea of starting eviction proceedings on the day after the rent is late is another good idea. It can take several month to actually get the police to come and turn someone out. It’s important to get the process started as soon as possible.
Of course I don’t want to kill him, but I hold people like him and you in deepest contempt.
There are lots of rich sons of bitches who’ve never done anything useful in ther lives as well. Justin Trudeau (our MP) for one.