We Saw What You Did Last Night
A Day In The Life ...
Now more than ever before people’s actions are caught on camera. This includes the good, the bad and the ugly! Here’s a wild story, submitted by a property manager in Dallas about a resident whose irresponsible actions made him somewhat of a “film star” in the leasing office.
I worked at a high-rise community for many years. In addition to our guest elevators we had freight elevators that were used for maintenance as well as moving residents in and out. We also had surveillance cameras that caught activity in all of the common areas—including the elevators. We would always point this out to prospective residents so they would know there was an extra measure of security for them.
One day, one of our maintenance team members came into the office and said that someone had “taken a leak” in the freight elevator.
“That’s so gross!” I exclaimed. “What kind of fool would do that? Everyone knows there’s a camera in there!”
The guy laughed. “Well, maybe this person was drunk or something and didn’t remember or care about the camera. Let’s play back the footage and see who we’ve got!”
A Real Whodunnit
I contacted our security company and asked them to review the footage from the elevator for the last twenty-four hours. I told them that we were seeking to identify who had urinated in there. We got our answer within an hour when I received an email with the footage.
Everyone in our office was gathered around my computer as we watched one of our well-known residents get into the elevator, undo his belt and fly and pee in the corner! There was no denying who it was. At one point, the guy looked up, smiling directly at the camera!
I was elected to make the call requesting the resident come into the office. He asked me if there was a problem and I assured him that indeed there was, but wanted to discuss it with him in person.
When he arrived at my office, I shut the door and told him that I had something he needed to watch. I turned my monitor around so that he could see my screen and played the footage for him.
The Big Confrontation
I wasn’t sure how he’d react, but really didn’t expect it when he chuckled and said, “Wow! That guy is a real jerk! What’s he doing taking a leak in the elevator?”
“That guy?” I replied, in stunned amazement. “That guy is you!" I pointed to the screen. “How can you even deny it?”
“No way!” he argued indignantly, rising from his seat. “That’s not me. That dude doesn’t look anything like me. Is that why you called me in here?”
I was starting to get angry because I knew he knew that he was the person on the video, yet he was going to stand there in my office and act like I was the crazy one!
I scowled at him. “Look, you can deny it all you want, but we both know the person in that footage is you!”
Slinking Away
The resident and I were both standing now, facing each other. I told him that we’d had one of our housekeeping staff clean his mess up and that it had better not happen again because if it did, there would be very serious consequences.
He left the office quickly without another word and kept a very low profile after the incident. It’s likely he was embarrassed because everyone in the office knew he was the “elevator pee-er”.
He never came back to the office after that. In fact, not long after this he submitted his notice and quietly moved out. Frankly, we didn’t miss him in the least!
From the book I Have a Complex, But I'm Managing It!, stories from property managers compiled by Monica E. Simmons.
Monica E. Simmons, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for JDC Enterprises, LLC, has worked in the multi-family industry in several different capacities since 1987. She is a published author whose books include; I Have A Complex, But I’m Managing It!, It Happened in The Hill Country and 30-Love.
Contact her at: Monica@TheVendorGuide.com
