Missing Children

Hi All,

Don’t know if anyone else has read the recovery story of the two kidnapped boys, one missing four days and the other four years. I’m a crime buff and always like to know how these things get solved . . . when they do.

In reading the story, I was stunned to read that a landlord had been in the abductor’s apartment fixing a plumbing issue, saw the boy and assumed he was the man’s son, not realizing that this boy is someone the authorities have been seeking for four years.

Another reason we as landlords need to be diligent in visiting our properties regularly and knowing who is in our units. We usually see a girlfriend or boyrfriend with an unacceptable screening trying to sneak in but this one takes the cake.

Cate

yeah, that’s absolutely insane. can you imagine?

just think - the news filming your property, swarming the place. oh my God.

i mean, the amazing thing is these boys were found, but i’m just thinking about the smaller scenario. as a landlord, can you imagine having something happen like that at one of your properties and having to deal with all that?

i’ll take the “busted pipes” any day of the week and twice on Christmas!

Cate,

I can’t say that I’m that surprised. Quite honestly, I’m sure that I would not have noticed. My typical Section 8 tenant is a young single woman with several children, all by different men. I’ve got one right now who has 5 kids (by who knows how many men) and now is pregnant by her latest shack up boyfriend. Our tax dollars at work! She does not have custody of the first 5, but they are occassionally allowed to visit. I wouldn’t know one from another.

In my low income buildings, I’m just happy if they aren’t dealing crack! Spare kids, I’d never notice and I’m a very hands-on landlord. Sad, but true.

Good Grief!

Mike

The assisant managerI mentioned in another posthas a very good way of handling this type of situation. When someone moves in she lists the children names and birthdays in the file along with the schoolthey attend. She takes small presents on birthdays to the children. If a tenant has children that are only there for visitationshegets those names and info also. So she can delivery gifts for them too. She visits the properties at least once a month to collect rent butdrops by unexpectedly during the month tomakesuretrashis going out and property is being kept up. Any time she sees the childrenshetalkswith them and they tell her lots of what is goingon. She is real popular with the kids. You’d be amazed howmuch information they tellher. It would be realhard for someone to have any one new on these properties with out her knowing. If kids are notin school when they should be she talks to parents to findout why
and remindes them of the laws and that they can go to jail if kids are not in school. You’d think the tenants would not like
her because of some of what shehas done but they all call her for help on all sorts of things and ask about herwhenever I’m at their rental. It works for her might work for others too.

I don’t think there is anything anyone could of done differently in this case. I believe this demented SOB was already living in the apt when he abducted the first boy so he wouldn’t automatically be in any files at the time the lease was signed. I believe he was passing the boy off as his god son. If he had made up a fake name for him and told people he was home schooled, there is nothing anyone without facial recognition software and a picture could do. You can’t reasonably ask every kid you see “Have you been kidnapped?”

I know more investors who have never met their tenants than ones who even know the tenants names, much less the names of their (alleged) kids. Doing a fingerprint analysis and a retinal scan on your tenants and any visitors to discover their true identity would be a bit much.

I will be mailing a noose to Kirkwood, MO for Mr. Devlin to swing from.