August 25, 2005

BLOOD BATH

The Bride is a property manager, overseeing the rental of some 130 or so single family residences. As careers go it falls on the pestilence scale somewhere between locusts and plague, I reckon. Somewhere between the deadbeat tenants huffing the rent in the garage in a $400,000 house, and the shamefully cheap landlords who want to steal a poor schmuck's security deposit because there are dust bunnies upon move-out stands the property manager, fully prepared to kill either/both parties. There should be a psychiatry specialty in landlord/tenant morbidity, in my asshole opinion.

So this guy moves into a nice house in D's portfolio in late May. Pays his June rent ahead of time, a squared-away 26 year old man. He then proceeds, two weeks later, to strip to the bone, climb into the bathtub, and slit his wrists.

Thort he was being a considerate fellow. The only problem is he had no concept of pressure physics, and Nature abhoring a vacuum. Never stuck a finishing nail in an engorged garden hose, I daresay.

And so despite his consideration of the owners, his arteries spewed blood like, like...

You remember that scene in The Shining, when that tsunami of blood pours down the hallway? Like that.

I was told, as I was force-feeding tequila into her, that that was one Hellish scene. The cops were apparently saying Fuck! Let's go check out the dismemberment on the Northside...

And so D called in the clean up crew from Three Mile Island, and made the place habitable again. Only she knew there would be hell to pay renting it back out. Stigmatized property? Not really, as it wasn't for sale. But she knew she should disclose to prospectives, as the neighbors would surely regale the new tenants with sordid details anyway, and who needs a lawsuit?

To make a short story long, three young gents signed a lease today. 23 or so year old slackers. And, just prior to signing the lease, D said "I want to tell you, blah blah blah." The whole shebang.

These guys looked at each other, and were all

"DUDE! FUCKING AWESOME!" High five, high five.

Which proves my point, which I cleave unto always: I don't give a fuck what you're selling. There is always a buyer. There is always a target market.

Here endeth this particular epistle.

Posted by Velociman at August 25, 2005 10:45 PM
Comments

Yeah...wait until one of the fuckers uses the tub, of a balmy midnight, and soft wet legs close around his waist, and wet lips whisper into his ear pictures of the hell that awaits, as a dessicated penis lolls against his shuddering spine...

Better get first, and last, and cleaning.

Posted by: Bane at August 26, 2005 2:30 AM

{shivers}

Posted by: vw bug at August 26, 2005 7:37 AM

Damn, that was one heck of a narrative, Velociman. You should write that Stephen King crap, really...

Posted by: sadie at August 26, 2005 8:32 AM

I know what you mean about the spew. I cut that artery in my wrist one time (accidentally, of course) and sprayed bystanders 10 feet away. It wasn't a pretty sight when three people fainted at that sight. Luckily it was outside for easier clean up.

Those kids who thought it was cool ain't right.

Posted by: Dash at August 26, 2005 10:11 AM

Condolences to the wife. Nobody should have to ome on the last moments of anyone, I know, I've doe it often enough.

Posted by: og at August 26, 2005 10:16 AM

Ay, whatta story.

And leave it to my friend Bane to drop the Comment o' th' Day. Yeef.

Veins'll spew blood badly enough. One of my Work Colleagues popped a leg vein in the locker room after a round of golf; the damn thing looked like it was taking a piss, except it was blood. But an artery? That'd be like a damn firehose.

Posted by: Elisson at August 26, 2005 11:20 AM

skin crawling....

Posted by: ArmyWifeToddlerMom at August 26, 2005 11:40 AM

I can relate... I too am a property manager. The job sucks, I do it for family as I never would have picked this line of work for myself... I kinda go suckered in. A few years back I had a guy try to shoot himself in the head in one of my apartments.. luckly he didn't aim too well and only would up in the hospital psyc ward without an eye... still the mess, oh the mess.

Posted by: Jackie at August 26, 2005 12:46 PM

I used to walk my Rottweiler through this unsavory neighborhood at night. One time, we went to go through the parking lot of a squalid bar, and we encountered a big circle of police tape. It seems two Mexicans had dueled with knives over something, and had filleted each other most dramatically.

The pool of blood covered at least three car spaces, and looked deep enough to ski on. Right in the center of it was a good sized chunk of chitlin, some part of someone's intestine.

My Rotty, maddened by the smell, wanted to get at that snausage in the worst way. It was all I could do to hold her back as she whimpered and scrabbled to get at that morsel.

The whole rest of the walk, she would turn and look back over her shoulder wistfully, and then give me the hurt look.

Posted by: Bane at August 26, 2005 2:03 PM

Is it bad of me to laugh at the new tenants reaction?

Posted by: livey at August 26, 2005 6:11 PM

I've been a property manager for most of my adult life and, thankfully, have never had anyone die or commit suicide in any of my places. This surprises the hell out of me considering some of the tenants I've come across.

I have a funny feeling that it's only a matter of time though.

Posted by: Chablis at August 26, 2005 9:59 PM

If the Bride ever happens upon another rental property where the former tenant has left this mortal coil under some "less than ideal" circumstances, be sure to let me know. Hanging, slit-wrists, maybe a disembowlment...it's all good.

In my debt-ridden state, it's probably the only way I'll ever get into a house wit my old lady and chillins.

Posted by: David K. at August 26, 2005 11:57 PM

I've worked for a property management company for almost 15 years in the D/FW area. If your portfolio has enough units in it, you will come accross it sooner or later. I've had two suicides, two murders, one police shooting, and three deaths that were found due to the smell and flies...GOD THE FLIES!! HUGES FLIES!..and thousands of them... And you NEVER forget that smell. Intersting side note: met really interesting couple who are in the bio-hazard cleanup business. Bless those folks....what a stinkin job.

Posted by: Morris William at August 27, 2005 10:24 PM

Thoroughly disgusting with comic relief at the end, the Velocipost naturally, AND Bane's comment...

(Bane, I think it was that wistful "hurt look" that made that one postworthy. :D)

Posted by: Key at August 28, 2005 7:56 PM

I have to try and spice up V-Mans dreary posts, somehow, the poor thing.

Posted by: Bane at August 28, 2005 8:08 PM

One time, we went to go through the parking lot of a squalid bar, and we encountered a big circle of police tape. It seems two Mexicans had dueled with knives over something, and had filleted each other most dramatically.

Posted by: Jeremy >> Herbal depression medication at December 22, 2006 6:46 AM
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