The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-26
COLLECTING TENEMENT RENTS
4 CALLING ~ WHICH ONE MUST
ALWAYS LOOK PLEASANT,

And Never Lose Ones Temper-N Ia Also
Necessary to he HARD Heaftcst-Geed
Training, Though, for Real Estate
ManJThe Wiles Of tho Delinquent
"A collector Of rents In the tenements. =
remarked a>prosperous real estate deaier
In a reminiscent tone, needs the wisdom
Of q serpent. the cunning Of FOX, tho
stolidity of an elephant. the power OF en-
durance Of camel.
sThere is no better school, though, for
the making Of practical real estate man.
It Is dollars to cents that II young fellow
makes success Of the job he will turn out
at the right end every time when it comes
to question Of bigger deals.
1T Is q preliminary training many q
young man is eager to have and can't get.
Nearly always it Ia the younger men VINO
are set at collecting rents. myself
had q big dose OF the work, and at first
took It rather unwillingly.
WANTED to get into the real estate BUSH
ness, but hadn't bargained for climbing the
stairs and knocking at the doors OF tene-
ments from 8 to 8 o'clock every day with no
time to stop for lunch. was just out OF
Harvard then, and felt equal to bigger
things.
aThe best opening could find was in
Mr.. Blanks office. and when found that
about dozen other fellows were after
the same Job snapped It UP. I'm glad
now did. owe most OF my success to
my experience there.
Blank handled tremendous tenement
property on the West Side, and was put
to work at once collecting. About half
my work was with colored tenants, the
other half with Germans and Irish. The
rents varied from Is to sic month.
From the start went at the work for
all I was worth. and made big success
OF II. / know this because learned after
/ gave up the Job and another took my
place that the collections fell OF one-sixth,
ever since.
mo, every man can't be successful col-
lector. To get there one must be sort OF
mind reader good judge Of character;
he must have a firm grip on his temper
have tact, friunsss. qiickness Of decision.
good health, above all. and unequalled
staying powers.
There are $50 families In the tenement
property was Get to work at. and sonae-
times made a. many - 100 calls tn one
week and $50 Collsoeions. Did hsvs 10
call at the same place oftener than oucef
Well. I should say did. to
why, every aseut Of cheap tenement
property must call on some families at least
half q dozen times every month. Fre-
quently went two or three times , week.
III Il bstter to accept the rent In small
sums than not get 1t at all never refused
even 50 cents. I felt had gained that much
"a. the. good anyway. And always when
state when I would can again, adding that
expected to get tho balance Of the rent
at that time
there are two things collector always
learns early in his experiences: one IL that
he must always keep his word about cali
toned, the other that he must be able to
call every tenant by name on sight.
I have known woman to slam door In
q collectors faoe because he didn't get
her name quite right;
lector has to deal with. You must look to
the old woman for the rent says the man,
and we do look to her for it. If she happens
to be smart enough 70 know how to 60
through her husbands clothes on pay
night the agents NE Is IHde e.. easier, srn,s ana
pretty often serseif he won't have to call
90 frequently.
man ugly enough to lock bis wife In when
he went away In the morning because OF
Sure I can't let you In. sur came
through q door TO me one day when /
k1ooked, according to prearranged
schedule. I have some money fur .ye
but me old man Is after taking me key
Sure enough II was 80. ! came back
10 e. hour thinking to catch the woman
OF !. lard, and heard her conversing through
the door with a neighbor. =.
It's dying with the thirst, am said
about e an you III Fl MAKE It good GOD as soon as
me husband comes home.
IAN right, said the other. i have q few
pinnies can spare. I'll be back In q tiffy.'
Don't forget The pipe came from the
other side Of the door.
the Il ing was done. The stem Of q clean
clay pipe is poked through the keyhole
the bowl Of the pipe resting In the beer,
and the locked-in one takes refreshing
pull.
able snslis TO every tenant. At tie same
time he must not make the mistake Of being
too pleasant and cracking Joke, else he
will DO dubbed soft. He munt also steel
his heart against tears and hard luck stories
and tales Of III health. Il is 90 easy for
come women to weep.
y used to find that on occasion one and
another. woman at the CRY Here comes
the agent, screeched out by youngsters
playing at the front door or In the halls,
would take to her bed and turn on the
groans until had turned my baok. After
disappeared she would be all ready to
take part In the next mixed ale matinee.
1T goes without saying that only small
proportion Of our tenants are like that.
Nevertheless fully 50 per cent, pay only
in small sunns. and they must be chased
all the line. However, ] never turn out
a tenant unless there Is no income what
ever or no disposition to pay even In small
sums. The next tenant may not be bit
better.
The most popular excuses for not pay.
ing ere sickness and having to pay the
doctor. or n neighbor died and a carriage
had to be hired to go to the funeral. As
between hiring a carriage under such cir
cumstanoes and paying her rent an average
woman never hesitates-the carriage Is
first always.
Under no circumstances, however, must
a collector lose his temper, get angry, or
take the satisfaction OF giving q tenant
a piece Of his mind. Oh, dear, no. you
can't drive tenants OF that class-not q
cent worth.
.One day, when was green at the work,
l Gid lose my patience and eaid some plain
M 4