I’m starting this off in Sucky Customers because although the customers here aren’t particularly sucky YET, I have a feeling this is going to turn into a similar thread to Brandy’s story, though through age and infirmity rather than drugs.
I have a pair of customers, let’s call them George and Jo, who have had their mortgage with us for at least 15 years. During that time, I took over managing the loan. I mostly dealt with Jo, since she was the primary financial person in the relationship. On the rare occasions I spoke with George, he told me to call Jo, who managed a local hotel. During that time, they were infrequently late on their payments, but it didn’t seem like anything to worry about. Just call up Jo and she’d make a payment within a few days.
A few years back, George and Jo had a falling out. Jo quit her job at the hotel (or retired, maybe) and moved out of the house. George set up automatic payments, and we were actually paid on time up until the present. George accused Jo of going “crazy” and other things. The main thing I remember was that she wasn’t taking his phone calls. I didn’t get involved. I didn’t really care as long as the mortgage was paid.
Today, George called to ask me to stop the automatic payments because he can no longer afford to pay them. In between telling me that he had a health condition that meant he was having a hard time keeping the house clean and that he was trying to get into assisted living by spring, he told me about his wife. She’d refused to sign divorce papers because she wanted everything. She has mental health problems and dementia. He had to change his cell phone number because she was using it for her schemes. She tried to turn all the funds in their joint account into bitcoin and send it to a guy in Texas. She’s living in a town 30 miles away, but she’s also stealing his WiFi, so maybe she’s living next door. Somehow.
I’m taking all that with more than a grain of salt. I told George I’d contact a supervisor and figure out what options we could offer him. He seemed fine with that.
I’m sure I’ll have more for this thread in the near future.
I have a pair of customers, let’s call them George and Jo, who have had their mortgage with us for at least 15 years. During that time, I took over managing the loan. I mostly dealt with Jo, since she was the primary financial person in the relationship. On the rare occasions I spoke with George, he told me to call Jo, who managed a local hotel. During that time, they were infrequently late on their payments, but it didn’t seem like anything to worry about. Just call up Jo and she’d make a payment within a few days.
A few years back, George and Jo had a falling out. Jo quit her job at the hotel (or retired, maybe) and moved out of the house. George set up automatic payments, and we were actually paid on time up until the present. George accused Jo of going “crazy” and other things. The main thing I remember was that she wasn’t taking his phone calls. I didn’t get involved. I didn’t really care as long as the mortgage was paid.
Today, George called to ask me to stop the automatic payments because he can no longer afford to pay them. In between telling me that he had a health condition that meant he was having a hard time keeping the house clean and that he was trying to get into assisted living by spring, he told me about his wife. She’d refused to sign divorce papers because she wanted everything. She has mental health problems and dementia. He had to change his cell phone number because she was using it for her schemes. She tried to turn all the funds in their joint account into bitcoin and send it to a guy in Texas. She’s living in a town 30 miles away, but she’s also stealing his WiFi, so maybe she’s living next door. Somehow.
I’m taking all that with more than a grain of salt. I told George I’d contact a supervisor and figure out what options we could offer him. He seemed fine with that.
I’m sure I’ll have more for this thread in the near future.
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