Delusions of grandeur

I’ve been asked by many why we withstood so much for so long.

After looking over the property in January 2007, I had made it clear to landlord that this was not something I wished to rent at his exorbitant price of $1550 per month plus lawn care. I was too old to be without a house and just continue renting. His promise that day — if we stayed at least three years, the lease would be converted to a rent to own.

This was the prime reason we withstood so much abuse from this man. When we moved in, we began thoroughly cleaning and replacing fixtures — particularly closet hardware. He had left furniture of all kinds that we had to sell for him. When all of the appliances eventually needed replaced, landlord was too lazy to perform his property management duties so we ended up running around town time and again buying those appliances on our credit cards, waiting, and hoping, for reimbursement. We made sensible purchases of those keeping in mind that some day this would be our house, and, therefore, we would not want to have cheap or scratch-and-dent preferred by owner to “cut his costs” — a phrase engraved in my mind by him at any circumstance that involved him opening his wallet in performance of his rightful duties.

But after that three years elapsed, no such arrangement materialized. He informed us that “a millionaire had bought his estate.” It was his terrible  joke. But it indicated to us that he was clearly deluded. He informed us shortly thereafter that he wanted approximately $45,000 more than the property value. And that was that.

It was at that point we ended his days of “landlord enrichment.” And we watched our investments — financial, emotional and physical, go straight down the proverbial drain in one instant.

Everyone has their delusion of grandeur. He based his on lies. And that crushed ours, which was based on misplaced trust. And when I left, I told him:

— Your word is worthless. Your word is not your bond. —

It is, thus, no wonder that he had two failed businesses in two years, PLUS this one. Three strikes you’re out! Hopefully, he will stay away from entrepreneurial endeavors that debilitate so many.

A foundation mortared with lies and greed will not support a strong business relationship.