Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The treeman cometh
One of the best parts of not being a homeowner, but rather a rentor, is that fact that home repairs do not come out of your own personal finances. Having moved to NC from GA, we are currently renting a house while we continue to try and sell ours in Atlanta. Since we've moved in, we have had to have the fridge and the toilet replaced.
Normally, as a homeowner, this would involve a trip to Lowe's or Home Depot, or a call to the plumber. Plus, I'd be seeing little dollar bills with wings on them flying out of my wallet. Ok, not really, but it would look that way in my mind.
But considering the fact that I don't own the current home I live in, all it really involves is a call to rental management company and they take care of it. Fridge? New one delivered and old one hauled off. My only responsibility was to be there at the time to open the door for the delivery men. Toilet? New one delivered and installed, old one hauled off. Did I get sprayed with toilet water or show plumber butt? Not at all. I stood outside and smoked a cigarette while the real work was being done by someone else.
Most recently, I had noticed that the power and cable wires (that run from the pole in the street to the house) were tangled up in the big trees in our rented yard. I contacted the rental company and someone came out to take a look. I told the guy that my concern was not losing power or television (although it most definitely WAS a concern) but rather the potential damage that could be done to his investment (the house) if a big storm knocked any of the limbs down, ripping the lines from the house. Needless to say, he agreed with my assessment of the situation and stated that he would have to get his "tree guy" to take a look at it.
He has a "tree guy"?
Anyway, this morning the "tree guy" showed up with the owner of the property to take a look. Next thing I know al I can hear are the sounds of chainsaws and woodchippers.
Another plus is that I didn't have to, as much as I would have loved an excuse to go to Lowe's, do any of the manual labor. Hell, I'd probably cut my leg off with the chainsaw and fall into the wood chipper, and I don't even know if my life insurance policy covers that kind of idiocy.
Bottom line is that the tree limbs no longer pose impending doom for the wires that run to my rented house, and the only finger I had to lift was the one to dial the phone. I was able to keep my check writing hand safely holstered in my pocket.
No more visions of devastating storms ripping the lines (and the siding, shutters, windows, insulation, etc.) from the house. Added bonus: no visions of dollar bills with wings on them flying out of my wallet. ¶ 1:40 PM
Normally, as a homeowner, this would involve a trip to Lowe's or Home Depot, or a call to the plumber. Plus, I'd be seeing little dollar bills with wings on them flying out of my wallet. Ok, not really, but it would look that way in my mind.
But considering the fact that I don't own the current home I live in, all it really involves is a call to rental management company and they take care of it. Fridge? New one delivered and old one hauled off. My only responsibility was to be there at the time to open the door for the delivery men. Toilet? New one delivered and installed, old one hauled off. Did I get sprayed with toilet water or show plumber butt? Not at all. I stood outside and smoked a cigarette while the real work was being done by someone else.
Most recently, I had noticed that the power and cable wires (that run from the pole in the street to the house) were tangled up in the big trees in our rented yard. I contacted the rental company and someone came out to take a look. I told the guy that my concern was not losing power or television (although it most definitely WAS a concern) but rather the potential damage that could be done to his investment (the house) if a big storm knocked any of the limbs down, ripping the lines from the house. Needless to say, he agreed with my assessment of the situation and stated that he would have to get his "tree guy" to take a look at it.
He has a "tree guy"?
Anyway, this morning the "tree guy" showed up with the owner of the property to take a look. Next thing I know al I can hear are the sounds of chainsaws and woodchippers.
Another plus is that I didn't have to, as much as I would have loved an excuse to go to Lowe's, do any of the manual labor. Hell, I'd probably cut my leg off with the chainsaw and fall into the wood chipper, and I don't even know if my life insurance policy covers that kind of idiocy.
Bottom line is that the tree limbs no longer pose impending doom for the wires that run to my rented house, and the only finger I had to lift was the one to dial the phone. I was able to keep my check writing hand safely holstered in my pocket.
No more visions of devastating storms ripping the lines (and the siding, shutters, windows, insulation, etc.) from the house. Added bonus: no visions of dollar bills with wings on them flying out of my wallet. ¶ 1:40 PM
