Ms. T was a single mother. Because she didn't have a steady income, her brother was named as the lessee when she moved into her rental apartment. Making a fresh start, Ms. T was doing her best to rais...
Ms. T was a single mother. Because she didn't have a steady income, her brother was named as the lessee when she moved into her rental apartment. Making a fresh start, Ms. T was doing her best to raise two growing boys, and even though it was hard at times, the happy faces of her children kept her going. However, one of the major difficulties Ms. T faced as a single mother was having to do everything herself. If one of her children was injured or sick, she had to take time off work. Due to many of these sudden absences, she ended up quitting her job and had not been able to find regular work since.
As a result, she was using all her money just to put food on the table and had gotten behind in her rent. Every day she felt the anxiety of knowing that she had to pay the rent, but having no means to pay it. The fear of a call, visit or letter from JID telling her to pay up or risk being thrown out of the apartment made her stop taking calls or answering the door completely. The situation had reached the point where, if things continued, she was in danger of being served an eviction notice from the court.
Because there was no way to contact Ms. T, my colleague at JID who was in charge of her case contacted Ms. T's brother and explained the urgency of the situation. He suggested that the brother accompany him to Ms. T's apartment seeing as today should be her day off. The brother agreed, and they went together to Ms. T's apartment.
The brother went in first, followed later by my colleague. This was the first time my colleague had managed to talk to Ms. T. Ms. T sat with her hands trembling unable to meet his eyes. Unperturbed, my colleague spoke to her.
"It's been hard, hasn't it? It's OK. We are here to help you. Let's talk about this and find the best way forward."
Ms. T looked up, surprised. She had been mistaken all this time. "I thought guarantee companies were like repossessors. I thought you would sneer and shout at me. I thought that once you came, that would be the end of everything. I would be evicted. I was so worried about what would happen to my children."
My colleague discussed the situation right there with Ms. T and her brother. He first explained her options in terms of welfare benefits and how she could apply for them. He also told her that if things continued as they were now, she would be evicted. He urged her to think about the impact it would have on her children and on her life if she didn't do something about her situation.
On hearing this, Ms. T apologized and said that she wished she had consulted with JID sooner. Even though she was crying, she seemed very relieved. Before he left, my colleague asked her to think about things and let him know her decision?whether she would move or get some help from her family.
The next day he heard from Ms. T that she had decided to move.
On moving day, the real estate company came to inspect the apartment and estimate cleaning and repair costs. At the end of the inspection, the real estate company discussed with Ms. T how to settle the costs, received the keys from Ms. T and left. Just as my colleague was about to leave for his next consulting appointment, Ms. T stopped him, and, together with her friend, Ms. K, who had come to help her move, told my colleague how grateful she was for his help.
"I had read on the Internet that guarantee companies are very ruthless in recovering rent owed by tenants," she said. "That's why I was so afraid to discuss my situation with you. But JID didn't tell me to immediately pay up. When I reread your letter, I realized that all you were asking me to do was come and talk to you. You really wanted to help us. My children think we are simply moving house, and their friends from school who are our neighbors probably don't see anything untoward, but if it was known that we were forcibly evicted, my children might get bullied at school. You also helped negotiate down the repair costs for me. I really have nothing but words of thanks for you. I'm so glad JID was there to help."
After Ms. T had moved into her new house, she gave my colleague a call.
She told him that she was no longer anxious and that she felt very positive for the future. She also said that her children were full of energy and sometimes wore her out, and that she had found a job.
After thanking her for letting him know how she was getting on, my colleague put down the phone and thought to himself, "I just saved a family." That was how this case felt to him.