Please Fix the Screens Today

My newest renter is late and owes me two months rent. She sent me a letter explaining how her husband lost his job, and her son was hit on a motorcycle, etc. I don't care. When people's feet are held to the fire, they find a way to survive. I have a court date set with them on June 28 for eviction. The fee for eviction is $45 - I used to file for eviction and money damages but the fee is like $150 for that, and I never collect a dime, so what is the point?

After they were already late on the rent, she sent me a letter telling me the house needs screens on the windows (I guess there are presently no screens, and no a/c, whateva). I was like, pay the rent, and I will have screens installed. then I was like, you can put the screens in yourself, and I will give you a rent credit). My proposals went on deaf ears and I never heard a reply back.

Then last week I received a voice mail from the lady telling me that they will be coming into some money before June 28 blah blah blah (probably an attempt to get me to cancel the court date to buy them more time and I end of never collecting). The second part of the message was that I promised to put in screens and I need to keep good on my word, and I need to get the screens done that very same day, in a very stern lecturing tone like I am her kid.

This angered me greatly. First of all, I never promised to fix the screens. Not until she paid. Second, she owes me $1400 and I need to go to court to get them out of my own house ( pay $45 court costs, $50 to be served by the sherrif, and literally the whole morning of june 28 out of the office, followed by 10 days grace period to get out, and of course, I'm sure they will TRASH the place. I will be lucky to get a new tenant in there by the end of July, which means I miss two more months rent. So in the end because of there being deadbeats I will lose $2900 in missed rent and costs incurred to remove them. Acutally I have the security deposit, so call it $2200.

I called her back and reached her voicemail and with an even more stern voice left a rude message telling her I never promised to get the screens fixed until they paid and I don't appreciate being told what to do when she owes me $1400 in back rent.

bitch.