Self Policing of ourselves.

I just learned a foreigner living down the street (most likely US, since is son was supposedly from US but living in the Philippines for 7 years with his father and filpina step-mother) has run off leaving his rental obligations behind of approximately unpaid 39,000 P (including 13,000 utility bills). He disappeared without notifying the owner, and the owner has blotter the incidence. The house has had two foreigner tenets since I have moved here, but the owner no longer want foreigner renters. We hear about the Filipino landlords being unfair at times, but what about us?

I never met this man as he was a loner, but his actions will reflect on me and other foreigners in the community.

We need to observe the actions of expat community, and try to make our actions respectable toward our communities and the Philippines as a whole. Between the sexual activities of some of the foreigners that have been recently publicized here and this I am sure foreigners' community is not gaining respect around my neighborhood.

I do not have any great, or even mediocre solutions but I do see a problems getting bigger. Some form of self-policing may be wise for the expat community.

 

It was mooted some time ago that a Foreigners Association be Formed Similar to one in Cebu arranged through City Hall but apparently it was considered a Gathering with intent by some local Authority, this is of course according to some rules, illegal. Now self Policing is a good thing but it would appear to the Locals as some sort of neighbourhood watch which they would not be included in. The one in Cebu I think failed as no one wanted the Responsibility for it and many Foreigners just do not like to have their affairs interfered with. On this I feel it is not going to happen and for many good reasons. The Good Foreigner far outweighs the Bad foreigner and of all the years I have been here this is the first I have heard of such a thing happening.
Having said this I agree, there is no certain way of preventing it unless the lease of the House is in the ladies name and is then held accountable but then are we not then removing all if any rights? or Responsibilities from what we are trying to achieve?
Family, problems ( If this is the case) will always be with us and there are Many Many more Locals abscond like this weekly, but of course it is a Foreigner involved so Bad Bad.

Maybe if this man had been a member here, we would have been able to help before it all went Pear shaped but as you say he was a loner and this would always be a problem.
For me. Landlords should do more Checking, Vetting, Deposits and such could be looked at in greater depth, Even asking for a Guarantor (The Ladies Family?) just a thought.
I am sure this is a One off at this time and I don't think One Landlord getting stung will alter many things. letting Property is a gamble and I feel it is only jumping out because it is a Foreigner.

JP

 

We were told (rumor) that many things were broken and the house was very dirty. Just saying... we will never have both sides of the story, but if he did move out without telling the landlord there is not much of a story on one side. I am not defending anyone, but would like to see the behavior that lets the Filipinos point there fingers at foreigners not be given too much fuel to use against us. Foreigners can not defend themselves and are not as good at denying everything and looking the other way as the culture is here.
(After three years even Imp is picking up local ways, after escaping the yard this morning and going across the street a "Big Bad" he refused to look at me when I scolded him... obviously he has been spending too much time with the natives... )

 

Well of course Dave, Rumour mongering is a pastime here. What happened to the Lady?

 

Leading up to saying , HA! he just upped and Left? but then there are always two sides to a coin.

JP

 

Rentals need to be run like a real business. To set out to make money with rentals and then b*tch about associated problems is lame. If you can't stand the heat, get the **** out of the kitchen.

I haven't had a rental which cost more than $200 / month for a long time. How is it that the foreigner was able to rack up such a large bill? The deposit is meant for offsetting risk. Once the bill hits a certain trigger point, then the tenant needs to go.

Same for utilities. You would have to let them go for quite some time to get to 13K.

If you can't deal with the rentals, then get a property manager who can. People get too emotionally involved in these rentals (they shouldn't be renting them out if that's the case.) Collect the rent. Pay someone to clean empty units and repair damage. Do what you can to minimize losses. If you are losing money, then you are doing something wrong. Keep doing the wrong thing, then you won't be in business.