non-heating question for American landlords...

Dave DeFord_2

I feel for ya. I spent 23 years in Franklin Park (Evergreen & Plymouth). I left the city 2.5 years ago - haven't regretted a minute of it. I fought the good fight for 23 years, turned in the dope dealers across the street, tried to keep the house up, etc. Came home one Sunday night and heard feet in the house when I opened the door. I could see the phone so I called the police and told them someone was in my house - I was still waiting for them when I sold the house 22 years later. Just before I moved I came home one Saturday night about 1:00 a.m and couldn't hear the TV in the living room because of the party at the other end of the block. Got back in my car and went to the police station - they told me to call 911. I asked them why they couldn't do anything about the noise themselves - they just looked at me funny when I left the station. I guess my point is that I don't think the City of Detroit is going to get any better in my lifetime. Most of the citizens don't care, Kwame (the Mayor) doesn't care, the Police don't care and the rest of Michigan certainly doesn't care. If I were you I would sell my house/business and get out of the city. You sound like a good man and I'm sure other places that would be pleased to have you. It took a lot for me to abandon the city I grew up in but when I became worried for my life from some crackhead looking for a fix it just wasn't worth it any more. Best of luck and there's no shame in leaving - you're not going to change the city - no one is until the citizens want to change and I don't see that happening any time soon.

John S.

Fun in D-town....

I'll first apologize in advance for this post not being heating-related, but I'm familiar with the wide array of topics and expert opinions given on the Wall and that's why I'm posting this.

The city of Detroit is experiencing an overwhelming number of coin-op laundry machine thefts and I was curious if this was happenning in other cities as well.

Our machines have be busted up three or four times in the last couple of years and more recently, two Sundays in a row (during open hours).

The thieves have to break the coin slides, cut the water & gas lines and tip the machines over to get anything out of them. Since they're emptied weekly, they rarely get more than a few dollars, but of course, do hundreds of dollars in damage. These guys must really be hard-up, even for thieves. The only thing nice I can say about them is that every time they've done this, they'veturned the gas valves off to the dryers before cutting the lines (how caring).

So far we have:

1. fabricated locking metal enclosures to 'hide' and protect the coin slides. The caretaker unlocks them in the morning and locks them up in the evening.

Then, they got bolder and decided Sunday Afternoon was the time to do their dirty work.

2. So... we've now added extra security to the entrance doors. Latch guards and reinforcements for the aluminum jams so they cannot be pryed.

3. We then bolted the machines to the floor. If they can't tip them or even move them enough to cut lines, maybe they'll think twice. (maybe)

Years ago, the big thing was for them to simply steal the whole top of the machine, however, we fabbed some tie downs out of 1/4" x 2" bar stock that prevents that.

If it weren't for the convenience factor for the tenants, we'd simply eliminate them. Not many people want to drive their laundry around, though.

Just wanted to see if anyone else around the country has similar problems/solutions.

On another note,

as I was fitting the new door guards for the entrance doors last night around 7p.m., a pizza delivery man came to the door, so I let him in. He didn't quite look right for a pizza guy. Anyway, out of the corner of my eye I see four dude rushing me. Looked down to see 'DEA' on their sweatshirts. "Get out of the way" they yelled to me and my worker. Not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, I was gone (faster than a speeding bullet, apparently).

When things settled down, I went into the offending party's apartment to talk to the feds. Much to my surprise, in the living room closet stood a 30 ton shop press. WOW, was my reaction. "What the **** is that doing in the closet?" I asked. "They use that to break up bricks/kilos of compacted cocaine" was the officers response.

The apartment was rented to an older man, a retiree from Ford. We always run backround and credit checks, don't accept Section 8 and generally have hard-working, good people for tenants. His nephew was the one they were after, but it was obvious that he must have been part of the operation or at least covering up. He's been there only 3-4 months and the caretaker is like a watchdog that claims there's no significant traffic in or out of that apartment. We think he must be part of a BIGGER operation.

Anyway, enough of my babbling. I've had enough excitement for this week.

All I can say, fellow Wallies, is be careful out there!!

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Long Beach Ed

I think...

...it's time to get away from handling cash in the machines. Yes, I know it's costly and a hastle, but there are enough card venders out that that use some kind of pre-paid cash card for laundry and any other kind of equipment.

If you want the bother of a modem and phone line you can even accept credit/debit cards.

Bite the bullet and move into this century. COllecting quarters is dangerous.

New York's Nassau County lets me carry a pistol as a landlord. Hope you can do the same there...

Long Beach Ed

Brad White_9

Gee, Ed

In New York of all places they let you pack heat? Here in Boston you have to undergo a rubber glove exam, show that you carry a lot of cash (undefined, what is "a lot"?) by which you prove yourself too stupid to carry a gun. Then they deny you anyway.

I gave up a profitable business doing building inspections for prospective developers in run-down neighborhoods. I would walk into the boiler room, turn on the lights and see half a dozen junkies passed out with syringes everywhere... threatening to give me a needle stick. Despite being a former deputy sheriff, they refused to renew my carry permit for life and property. Told me to take it before a judge....

Anyway, not to bore you, but glad to see some common sense in the land of the Sullivan Law.

Brad

Long Beach Ed

Brad

...nothing you write is ever a bore.

New York City is nearly impossible, though Nassau County was very friendly to issuing permits. Now Democrats have gained control and it's getting more difficult. Each county is different.

You just hope you never have to use the thing, as you'd be tried by the media and sued for everything you own...

Ed

adayton_2

Give them no quarter.....

adayton_2

Give them no quarter.....

adayton_2

Give them no quarter.....

John S. Instead use debit type cards as Long Beach Ed sugests, issued by management (perhaps as a tennant perk) or prepaid style. AND place three hardened and protected videa cams where they can be seen (and 2 hidden cams) to video tape the area. This provides two extremely valuable services. 1) deters thefts..2) provides security service which lowers Landlords liability toward tenent security issues. Of course you have this installed by a security specialist and secure piped to a secure tape recorded spot. You add a couple cams to lobby and parking area and the landlord just gain HUGE liability protection and can sleep at night knowing his tenants are safe......lol :-)..This is a ONE TIME resatively minor capital cost for a HUGE return in tenant percieved safety AND furthermore it will substantially reduce YOUR mounting costs of stolen quarters and bashed equipment.

BTW, the crooks were not being courteous or nice in turning off the gas,....they merely did not want to get their butt blown up....lol (or their future income stream burnt to the ground)

Alfred

Robert O'Connor_12

John S

Shouldn't their finger prints be all over those machines (especially the gas valve). What is the police departments position on this and have they investigated?

I would farm out the laundry. There are many companies that will pay you just for them to install their machines in your building.

Installing a camera(s) is a great idea. You can use a still that will take thousands of pictures you can down load on your computor.

Another option I can think of is to lock the door.

Robert O'Connor/NJ

Brad White_9

Thanks, Ed

I appreciate the kind words. Advice taken at this address and I give the same to those I know:

"The only thing worse than a criminal armed with a gun is a criminal armed with a lawyer". You can quote me on that

And watch your language there, fella.. My grandmother never used the word "Democrats" in mixed company or in front of children. She used the word "****" instead

Joe Brix

Ed's right

While a reader device on every machine would be very expensive, don't some systems use a token. They have a token vending machine in a secure area or out in the open.
That machine could take paper money,coins or do debit/credit swipes. Just might have to get 2 token dispensers in case one goes down.

John S.

I certainly understand where you're coming from...

but all that for a total of 6 machines?

The CC merchant account fees alone would make it unprofitable.

We thought about tokens having used them in a previous building. They were too much of a hassle and then people will figure out that the caretaker collects the money for the tokens that are sold.

Here in Wayne county, anyone can get a CPL.



To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

John S.

they dusted once...

and then fed us some BS about the finish on the machines making it impossible to get good prints.

Detroit's police dept. is as useful as tits on a bull.

As for farming it out, they won't put their machines down there because they can't get insured for vandalism.

And when it comes to locking doors, fire safety comes into play as well as now I have to start fixing broken locksets/doors as they try breaking into them.

My sincere thanks for the suggestions.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Constantin

Hmmm...

I think the card/token ideas are best, take the incentive out to burglarize the poor washing machines. Payphones in Germany were a similar target until the Telco there went largely card.

Check out systems based on iButtons. My local copy shop uses them to keep track of how many copies you've made, and I would be surprised if you couldn't do the same thing for your tenants. The "keys" are small buttons that come in many inexpensive forms, including key fobs. Simply let your tenants pre-pay for the privilege of using your washing machines.

DeirdreLouisville

Up the rent $5 a month and make the laundry free......

soot_seeker_2

All this stuff...

...is getting much, much cheaper than you think. And as we get older, the things we think we priced last year we actually priced twenty years ago.

You can convert machines to read magnetic cards for less than $300 per machine -- which is probably less than your armor-plating-and-locks cost.

But I realize that some landlords (not you John S., I'm sure) are increadibly cheap creatures which is another story altogether.

Get rid of the quarters. It may save you from some skell who would gut you for a handful of quarters.

Long Beach Ed

Kniggit

that might even be the best option

Christian Egli_2

Crooks must go

Trust the good honesty of people. While the crooks are a definite minority who need to disappear as well as their many advocates.

Just install a sign up sheet for your tenants to write down when they use your machines. Tenants often work out some sort of schedule between themselves already, and they honor it. Of course, now someone will walk away with the ball point pen.

To scare the crooks (yeah, sure), install fake camera. Live tape is useless, I've never gotten the police to look at any. The usual excuse: "Oh, but this is private property, we can't do anything about it, unless it were something really bad"

-OK, I'll just wait like a dope for something worse to happen. Meanwhile, I'll protect myself.

Offer to all your tenants to each get Conceal Carry Permits, it will boost their safety immensely, it will add an assurance to you that you are dealing with responsible and criminally cleared background tenants, and perhaps joining a firing range as a team will build a team spirit among your tenants and yourself. You'll have dedicated armed guards on duty at all times without nearly the 24-7 cost.

There is a book I found it useful as a step by step guide to having a personal safety plan, including legal advice and the importance of proper training. It's:

The Justice Cooperative

by Joe Martino. Amazon has it.

I hope the stress of those washing machines is not getting to you, John. Luckily no one is touching your steam boiler.

jim lockard

Carry Permits

Great idea til one of the crooks overpowers the tenant,takes the gun and a really nasty scene unfolds.
I agree with a earlier post, that providing "free laundry service" with the price built in to the rent may work for the best. J.Lockard