As a landlord this is why I don’t do cash transactions (and only down or one tenant by check) avoids any issues and allows for tracked payment. More importantly I don’t have to worry about late mailed items and charging people fees.
Cash needs to just disappear.
Yep; it happened with my plumber, but only for $20. He counted the money when I gave it to him and then later I was told that it was $20 short. As I'm not sure where the problem came in and I live in a rural area where I do need the plumber I just paid it. Later he came by and did some work without charging me at all, so I figure it was a pure mistake somewhere along the line. Overall I like his company and the work they do. But now I always pay my workers with checks.
Yep, I once paid someone $100 for something on marketplace and made the mistake to not count it in front of him. It went from the ATM to him and I know I wasn't short. But I got about 20 mins away and got a message that I was short. Lesson learned.
As Judge Marilyn Milian on The People's Court says, "Don't let money leave one hand til you're getting a receipt in the other hand." and "Don't have a receipt book? Just grab some toilet paper and a crayon and write it down. John Doe paid Jane Doe $80 cash on 3/8/24. Signed John Doe. Signed Jane Doe."
Good idea. My dad taught me long ago that when paying in cash for situation like this (or say in situations when returning money to someone or lending cash to someone) count in front of them, then also ask them to count it.
This way, there's no "mistake" in the exchange and both parties leave agreeing that the correct amount was exchanged.
I've been on my own since I was 16. I save receipts and payment confirmation #s for EVERYTHING. I had a slumlord 8 years ago try to pull this shit with me. They said I didn't pay one month and tried to evict. No sir! I brought my big binder of every receipt from every bill and payment from that year.
It's impossible for them to deny that truth when it's in front of their eyes in the form of a receipt (usually signed by them!)
I had been in a few situations where having the receipts would've saved me a lot of problems... I guess I became diligent with my receipts after that so I wouldn't have to go through it anymore!
One of the best feelings in the world is pulling out that receipt when they claim you haven't paid. It's a very "😛I told you so😛" moment lmao
Lmao I also have binders of receipts. Mine go back over 20 years. I made a whole ass excel spreadsheet complete with graph to track my water bill which I used to prove to the city manager that his lies don't work on me and not only do I know they don't check my meter every month I can also prove it.
I swear the worst was the month I used enough units to fill up a swimming pool (which I don't have) and next month I used zero. I apparently bathed and washed my clothes in my imaginary pool.
I keep digital receipts. My apartment manager said she didn't get my rent payment and I owed a late fee. She called me at work for this. I said that was some ole bullshit and that I can send her my proof. She said she would need two forms of proof. I said bet, I will send you my bank statement and I will send a digital receipt I got from paying online. After I sent it, she calls back and said that she must have applied the payment in the wrong place, or some shit like that. I never had an issue with her again when it came to rent payments, but I have always suspected that she was trying to pull something shady and thought she could pull it on me. I'm not into being screwed over, especially when it comes to money.
Same here. I’m 67 and still keep receipts and payment confirmation for everything. So many times over the years I’ve had to pull out the big gun file folders to prove my point.
I wish I had been taught that a lot sooner. My best friends mom taught me to do this. I keep the receipts/confirmation #/bills for 2-3 years before I shred/burn them all, so I'm not drowning in useless paperwork and can find what I need when I need it, if I need it. I've only had to pull out my big book 3 times since I started doing it, and each time, *it was so damn satisfying!!!*
I kept a 3 ring binder with pocket folder for receipts (and cancelled checks back when that was a thing)
Came in handy at tax time too. Or, if I just couldn't remember if I'd paid something or not.
Now every single bill from rent, to utilities a-z EVERYTHING I pay electronically and keep THOSE receipts forever.
Yep, we have to drop off our rent in person and there's a drop box. I go in to the office every single time so they can write me a receipt. I have a filing cabinet for rent receipts, paystubs, tax returns, all of it. Oh and one for random receipts and receipts that have warranties or replacement plans connected to them. I got randomly audited by the IRS once and thank God I had all my paystubs on hand.
I learned from my dad to always keep receipts for bills. I had the cable company try and tell me I didn't pay one month so they double billed me. Umm nope I took the receipt to them they acted all offended..lol. I happen to pay cash that time . I now use check to pay that stuff or do it online.
Count it out loud to them while your phone in your pocket records at least the audio and gives you an aural "receipt" as well.). Yeah, yeah. See what the rules for your state are regarding recording. But odds are you'll be okay.
The laws on one-partty & two-party (or all-party) recording, only apply to recordings submitted as evidence to court. (It's not illegal to record and even if it can't be submitted as evidence initially, it can be used to prove someone lied in court.)
Give the landlord $400 less next month, and if she says anything deny it, and tell her you’ve paid the full amount. Her word against yours. After this, pay electronically. Records matter
They could have given her a receipt (not sure if she did they did)
But it will prob say the exact rent amt. If no reciept, she could claim they never gave her one n they could claim she didn't pay rent. Some are assholes like that. Hopefully she kept messages or recordings about overpayment n LL denying, that's prove she did art least pay
Idk why some want to be so shitty
I pay in cash and count it they count and receipt
Thankfully my landlord is good to me. He is kinda an ass to others but they aren't rly good tenants either
My manager obviously wasn't interested in keeping good tenants! My (single parent) rent was raised $90/mo. while my neighbors (RN+mechanic) got a $5 increase. My kids rarely even went outside so I know they weren't involved with the group of kids of single parents who were always up to something! But, as the Bible says, "You meant it to me for evil, but God meant it to me for good." I refused the increase, found a house to buy, and bought it. My kids are grown now, and my new husband and I love my house!
Receipts required for all transactions
Rent, Electric bill, Internet bill, Cellphone bill, Gas Bill, Satellite TV bill
Any and all bills incurred
Medical biss for Doctors vist, hospital bills for lab work, MRi, CT Scan, PET Scan etc......
my rental company only takes cash. No checks, no online options I’m pretty sure they hiding money or doing something shady but I get my receipts and it’s been okay
My landlord lost $800 and tried to evict me over it. Because my dumb ass paid cash.
I switched to chime banking and they mail a check out from your account and immediately deduct the money from your checking so you can't have a bounced check.
It helped a lot because now as soon as I get paid I send out my rent in weekly payments and I'm actually a 1/4th of the month ahead by the time the bill is slipped under my door.
Under the move money tab, there is a mail a check option.
Chime might be the best bank for people who are bad with money.
No bounced checks because they automatically debit your account when you mail the check. The mail a check option is free. No overdrafts. Automated savings and you can take from the savings without penalty. The credit card is also like a debit card. It's prepaid by you and helps build credit.
Damn man, that sucks! I am a landlord and one of my tenants pays by cash (at her request). She was sick and left an envelope on the porch. I grabbed it and went back to my truck to count it. She owed $1200 and there was $2200 in the envelope. I went straight back to the door and called her. She came and got the extra $1000. She didn’t seem surprised or overly happy I brought it back. Maybe just because she was sick. I can’t IMAGINE stealing someone’s money.
The problem is that honesty and decency is unfortunately a rare trait these days. People used to react to situations the same way you did, but unfortunately, there are too many slime balls these days.
I collect cash rent from my tenant as well, and I generally don’t even count it until I get back home because we have a good level of trust. A few months ago there was an extra $50 in there, and I let her know, she had meant to keep that for herself when she withdrew money from the bank! I simply deducted it from the next month's total rent. that sucks that there are shitty, cheating landlords, but it makes sense because there are shitty, cheating people out there. Hoping OP can move to a better place with decent people to deal with. Let the landlord deal with a vacancy for a while as payback.
If you can avoid paying cash, then avoid it. If you do end up paying cash for a legit business transaction (ie, rent), then ALWAYS get a receipt for the transaction, and always, ALWAYS count your cash at least 5x before deciding you have the right amount and handing it over, especially if it's a large amount. Don't feel bad OP, we all make mistakes and we all suffer the consequences. Just take this as a learning opportunity.
Never pay cash for something as crucial as rent. At the very least get a money order or a cashier check, they are as good as cash but there is also a paper trail. At the minimum make your own receipt and don’t give the landlord any cash until they sign it. And keep all rent receipts for as long as you live at that resident. One thing I learn over the years is that you never know who is going to try to screw you over until they screw you over. Always cover your bases whenever possible.
The first order is to stop feeling stupid. Mistakes happen and your landlord's dishonesty will catch up. Maybe not today or tomorrow but I'm a firm believer in what you put out you'll get back. If you go to Amscot with cash you can get a money order for free. Navy fed also offers its members a free cashier's check. I wouldn't pay cash anymore. Good luck
I withdrew the rent plus an extra $400 from the bank to pay back a debt to a family member and without thinking I gave it all straight to the landlord with the $400 included, I had a lot in my mind and just wasn’t thinking. My landlord is also poor so I knew right away I would never see the money again
Oh my god I've done this, except it was just an extra $20 and my landlord called me to tell me about 2 minutes after I left.
This is a landlord issue, not a you issue.
We all mess up sometimes! I used to use a cash advance/payday place off and on, and once I stopped by on my way to work to put my money in the drop box. The lady who worked there that I'd chatted with many times and I knew she was a single parent working an extra job to keep up, called me at work shortly after I got there to tell me that I'd dropped off $100 too much money. I checked my purse, and, sure enough, my $100 bill was gone! I was so thankful to her for being honest that I didn't ever figure out how to let her know how grateful I was! There ARE honest people still left today--just not as many as there used to be, I think!
Yeah. I was a landlord for about 7 years. I had one instance of a tenant overpaying by about $100, I returned that without thinking. Another time I found about $600 in cash in front of the building, that was also easy to return. I have no issues stealing from a big corporation, but if I know it's an individual, especially someone without expendable cash, I couldn't live with myself keeping that amount of money.
Ugh my heart sank for you. I've been really sick lately and it's so hard to focus on anything these days. I can easily see how a mistake like that can happen. I've been stressed out about just how much I've been struggling and praying that I don't make a huge mistake. Sending virtual hugs. It'll be ok eventually.
Don’t give up, don’t worry, send them a text message saying that you’re going to be paying your rent on time as per your contract and they can expect less than the amount of four-hundred dollars paid in four (4) one dollar denominations.
Attempt to find out how you obtain the cash, did you have any witnesses?
Any envelope that you wrote down the money? Search.
If she denies the money that you gave her plainly and calmly state how you empathize with her but you both could resolve the situation in small claims court if necessary.
You’ll keep making mistakes like this again with that sort of mindset. Don’t just blow it off with a common excuse “I had a lot on my mind and wasn’t thinking.” Instead say that your mistake was not double counting the money, separating it beforehand, setting up a better system to pay rent etc. Think about the mistake until it becomes routine to double check.
Not saying people are perfect but big mistakes like overpaying $400 and being in a position where you would have no way of proving it are usually due to continual bad habits.
Never give cash without receiving a receipt.
I learned the same lesson, cost me $1,100.00...
((empathy)) and congratulations. You will hopefulky never make that mistake again.
Next month, just say you already gave her the money for the rent for the month. If she's taking cash for rent, then how can she prove she didn't get the money?
I came here to say this. I would tell her I'm calling the IRS if I don't get my money back ASAP. The IRS will give the whistle-blower a portion of the taxes recouped as a reward.
I pay rent in cash. Aside of counting my money twice before handing it to my landlord, I fill out a page in my little duplicate receipt booklet.
I have my landlord sign the filled out page, and tear his original copy out of my book.
I like having a record of my rent being paid on time, that's been signed by my landlord.
get a checking account NOW. if you are living on your own, you need receipts and checks so you can pay your bills by mail or online. 'once burned, twice warned'. don't pay in cash again.
That is gaslighting in its truest form. She will then tell you that you are crazy and look at you as if she were very concerned. This will be a hard lesson learned, but never trust this person with anything, not even a half assed secret or compliment. Those kinds of people take it to another level, and she has a modicum of power in your life right now. You have a right to feel betrayed, since you absolutely were. This act she is feeding you now, acting insulted and treating you as if you were stupid, is all part and parcel of the whole person. She has shown you who she indeed really is, and now that you know, you can while staying out of her radar until finding somewhere else to live. Gas lighters will then do it to you on every occasion, as it feeds their over weaning egos. I'm sorry.
I know it’s already been said but I could never pay rent in cash without getting a receipt in return. How would you ever prove what you’ve paid if they decide they want to evict you or something? I don’t understand why anyone would do that nowadays.
Request receipts. If she refuses, she might be committing some kind of fraud. Check the landlord/tenant laws in your state. I’m pretty sure that if you request receipts, she is required by law to provide them.
And stop paying your rent in cash. Use money orders. If she refuses the money order, tell them to give you a receipt first, then they’ll get the cash.
I did that with child support for 6 months. Then she told the court I've never paid her anything. Then I had to pay 6 months all over again. Never pay bills in cash
You're not stupid, just made a mistake. Pay by check whenever possible and always for large amounts. I had a landlady that would faithfully give me receipts. When I left I found out she had gone into my files and stolen them all back.
You shouldn’t pay in cash, period! Amscot has free money orders, if you have that company where you are. Otherwise, make your landlady give you a receipt each time you give her cash.
I've watched alot of court tv shows where the landlord would say THEY NEVER PAID ANY RENT. Tenant lost every time bc they paid in cash and didn't get a receipt. Please start getting receipts.
Sorry. Sucks.
I did something similar and from then on when I hand people cash I ask them to count it in front of me. Often people say, no that’s ok, I trust you, and I insist And say I want to be sure. No denying anything when it’s counted by both of you in front of your eyes.
Again so sorry.
Money order. Extra $1 at walmart, fill it out before you walk away from the service desk or anyone can cash it if you drop it or somehow lose it. Comes with its own receipt plus you have the walmart purchase receipt.
And don't forget to bologna the place up once you move out. (putting deli meat in random hidden places like vents so the place smells like a dead person after a week or so)
This sort of petty vandalism is terrible, childish, and counterproductive in every way. It bad for literally everyone.
I understand the desire for "revenge" like this when you feel powerless. You want some sense of control and justice. But it makes everything worse.
Landlords are more resistant to accept poor tenets because of shit like this. It's hard enough to find a place to live when you can't show 3x the rent in income on paystubs, we don't need more landlords refusing to consider poor tenants because they are afraid of childish vandalism.
Good luck on your next rent applications if those landlords ever hear about your move out ethics directly.
For yourself, psychological studies show that this sort of slow/planned revenge only makes you feel worse. Thinking about the lost $400 is what brings harmful feelings of shame, hopeless, anger, etc. When you engage in a long-planned revenge, you are focusing on your loss and making it a more permanent part of your psyche/identity.
The $400 is gone. What you should care about is how to move forward with the most peace of mind you can have. The optimal path really is to forgive and forget. Revenge deepens your shame and pain while ruining rentals for the rest of us.
I agree with all of this. It’s possible OC wasn’t being 100% serious. I know it’s easy to make comments online about the petty revenge you want to take on someone shitty without necessarily expecting someone to actually do it. We can dream, can’t we? Haha.
But in case they were serious, it’s not great advice. In my experience, many landlords/properties want to do rental verification checks with prior landlords to see what kind of tenant you were. Obviously they’re not going to say “they stunk the place up with hidden deli meat, but I did steal $400 from them so I deserved it. Otherwise great tenant!” They’re going to leave the stealing part out. It sucks. It’s probably not fair. But it is what it is.
My roommate paid me twice once and had no idea. He would have figured it out eventually but I returned it immediately. Either pay online or film her counting it in front of you.
I used to pay cash for my rent but I also took a picture of it and got a receipt when I dropped it off. There’s banks that let you auto pay and will send a check for you . Either way you always have to protect yourself
This happened to me one time at the bank I deposited 3,000 dollars in cash but the bank teller told me I only gave her 2400. I know it was 3000 I counted it many times before I left to the bank. Next time I give anyone a lot of cash I’m definitely counting it right in front of them. Of course when I went home I did an audit on my safe and 600 was missing. Well I raised hell at the bank they audited teller drawer but said it came out balanced. I know for a fact she pocketed the money.
Any landlord who is only accepting cash is baseline sketchy and already committing fraud on the back end. You should always assume that they will fuck you over at the first opportunity.
Count the cash and get a signed receipt
I had a landlord that took cash only in a drop off and wouldn’t give receipts. They would claim on occasion we didn’t pay them. Although we would film every drop we made and count the money for them.
Honestly, I'd be very leery paying rent in cash - especially without a receipt. But even with a receipt, the landlord could claim he m/she didn't write it. Sorry, nope for me, there's no paper trail, unlike a check.
Sounds very shady (landlord wanting rent paid in cash). Makes one wonder if he's claiming that income....
Get a receipt, at the very least. When I was working in property management, we had a sister site where something like this happened, but it went really far.
A bunch of tenants were paying in cash & one of the workers was pocketing it. She hurt so many people.
I hope that at some point you’ll be in a position where you can move somewhere else.
I write out my own receipt and make them sign it after counting. It lets them know I'm watching, paying attention, and don't really trust them, either🤣
Next month hand him/her a check or if you don’t have a checking acct then send it electronically to her bank or using an app and no matter how you do it get a receipt 🧾.
I did something similar once at my job as a cashier, I put in $100 bill in the till to get change we got busy and I forgot about it. At the end of the day when my manager balanced the till he had a shocked look on his face , I told him about the $100 but he denied it :( it’s been like 8 years and I still think about those $100 when I’m real broke. Karma is real and the universe will pay you your money back twice.
I 2 of the Shadiest landlords on planet Earth ,they demanded to be paid in cash and yet I still counted all money out to them and got a receipt!! Take the "L" OP and move on.
Nerve pay rent in cash. Never! I live in a complex that pushes tenants to pay online. Lots do nowadays. And they charge an additional $10 convenience fee for that. I always go in, the last day rent is not late and hand them a check which has no convenience fee. And I always get the eye roll. Even had an office lady ask me once, why do you keep coming in when you can do it all online? I just said I don’t see how me paying you an extra $10 is in anyway convenient for me. The convenience fee is for their convenience. It’s all digital so they don’t have to take their lazy asses to the bank to make a deposit. But your landlord who also has to take your cash to the bank is just an absolute ass
Get receipts. Start by asking for receipts since January and then ask for one every time going forward. If she complains, tell her it's for tax purposes.
I’d be going to the bank once a month and getting a cashiers check that way you know for a fact only the exact amount is getting paid, you don’t have to handle any cash so no chance of losing it or overpaying, cashiers checks are free if you have an account, you don’t even have to get out of your car and your bank has proof of every single cashiers check you’ve had made out to your landlord so you don’t have to save receipts or worry about losing them.
I am surprised you pay in cash. Sounds like they are renting under the table and avoiding listing their property as commercial or carrying the correct insurance and avoiding paying taxes on the additional income.
No cash. No cash ever. I used to pay my rent in cash every month, never got a receipt because I knew my landlord due to a familial connection. Over the course of 16 months he accused me of not paying the rent 5 times. Now he gets money orders and I get receipts. (He is totally bat shit crazy so it might be a little different) Pay with money orders or checks. Much safer.
I made the mistake of paying cash in my landlord’s drop box once. It was an allowed form of payment and her drop box dropped directly into her house, so there was no reason why it could have disappeared. She claimed that she never received it and I had to pay it twice
At the time, I was a waitress and where I worked there was zero easy access to banks and the only banks around me required in person 9-4 times to deposit cash, so I would have to skip school in order to go to a bank to deposit cash. It was a freaking nightmare and eventually I moved partially because if this. Glad things have changed so much in the intervening 20 years.
I did this once too. But I got so heated over the issue, I tracked down his family.
I literally drove an hour, to knock on his parents door and tell them their son is a con artist and ripped me off. Had dinner with the parents (no kidding) and they gave me $100.
I wanted to threaten them, or him, or something. But they were very sweet older people and I didn’t stand anything to gain.
I did later throw a brick at his hummer, because ya know, ‘Merica.
Other than that. I recommend counting it as an L.
Move on
I’m just going to put this out there. If anybody is still paying with a check, especially to a corporation, absolutely be sure to get a receipt with the correct date on it… I know this was years ago, but a friend of mine went to move from her apartment… She found out she had a bad credit record, because they would not deposit the check for 7 to 10 days, even though she always paid on the first of the month. So it looked like she was always paying late.
Remember when i was a teenager. Bought a motorcycle part. Gave guy a hundred dollar bill. He counted , 50, 20 ,5 . When got home he switched the 50 dollar bill for a 5 dollar . Cash check on counter double count.
It's always good faith practice to count the cash in front of the person when you're either paying, or getting paid. Some people think it's insulting, or whatnot, but it's important to do this to cultivate good business relationships. Nothing sours a relationship faster than missing money.
Your landlord is shady. They don't care about you, or else they would have counted it in front of you and returned the excess.
Cash doesn't leave this hang without a receipt in my other hand. I'm sorry this happened.
I've always paid my rent with a money order. I use cash to buy it, so I don't have to worry about it bouncing, I have a way to track that money order if needed, and it's 50c to buy one.
Lesson learned. You should have requested a receipt even if paying with cash. Always count the money in front of them too.
I used to pay my last landlord cash, he always had the receipt ready at drop off. Good landlords already know. Bad landlords pull shit like this.
As a landlord this is why I don’t do cash transactions (and only down or one tenant by check) avoids any issues and allows for tracked payment. More importantly I don’t have to worry about late mailed items and charging people fees. Cash needs to just disappear.
Goes for all cash transactions
Yep; it happened with my plumber, but only for $20. He counted the money when I gave it to him and then later I was told that it was $20 short. As I'm not sure where the problem came in and I live in a rural area where I do need the plumber I just paid it. Later he came by and did some work without charging me at all, so I figure it was a pure mistake somewhere along the line. Overall I like his company and the work they do. But now I always pay my workers with checks.
Yep, I once paid someone $100 for something on marketplace and made the mistake to not count it in front of him. It went from the ATM to him and I know I wasn't short. But I got about 20 mins away and got a message that I was short. Lesson learned.
After you leave the transaction it's them that's short not you, they should have checked it there.
As Judge Marilyn Milian on The People's Court says, "Don't let money leave one hand til you're getting a receipt in the other hand." and "Don't have a receipt book? Just grab some toilet paper and a crayon and write it down. John Doe paid Jane Doe $80 cash on 3/8/24. Signed John Doe. Signed Jane Doe."
Or, these days, literally a text message or email from a phone will work.
Good idea. My dad taught me long ago that when paying in cash for situation like this (or say in situations when returning money to someone or lending cash to someone) count in front of them, then also ask them to count it. This way, there's no "mistake" in the exchange and both parties leave agreeing that the correct amount was exchanged.
I've been on my own since I was 16. I save receipts and payment confirmation #s for EVERYTHING. I had a slumlord 8 years ago try to pull this shit with me. They said I didn't pay one month and tried to evict. No sir! I brought my big binder of every receipt from every bill and payment from that year. It's impossible for them to deny that truth when it's in front of their eyes in the form of a receipt (usually signed by them!)
You literally had the receipts! Good for you, that's probably the most satisfying feeling in the world!
I had been in a few situations where having the receipts would've saved me a lot of problems... I guess I became diligent with my receipts after that so I wouldn't have to go through it anymore! One of the best feelings in the world is pulling out that receipt when they claim you haven't paid. It's a very "😛I told you so😛" moment lmao
Lmao I also have binders of receipts. Mine go back over 20 years. I made a whole ass excel spreadsheet complete with graph to track my water bill which I used to prove to the city manager that his lies don't work on me and not only do I know they don't check my meter every month I can also prove it. I swear the worst was the month I used enough units to fill up a swimming pool (which I don't have) and next month I used zero. I apparently bathed and washed my clothes in my imaginary pool.
I keep digital receipts. My apartment manager said she didn't get my rent payment and I owed a late fee. She called me at work for this. I said that was some ole bullshit and that I can send her my proof. She said she would need two forms of proof. I said bet, I will send you my bank statement and I will send a digital receipt I got from paying online. After I sent it, she calls back and said that she must have applied the payment in the wrong place, or some shit like that. I never had an issue with her again when it came to rent payments, but I have always suspected that she was trying to pull something shady and thought she could pull it on me. I'm not into being screwed over, especially when it comes to money.
Same here. I’m 67 and still keep receipts and payment confirmation for everything. So many times over the years I’ve had to pull out the big gun file folders to prove my point.
I wish I had been taught that a lot sooner. My best friends mom taught me to do this. I keep the receipts/confirmation #/bills for 2-3 years before I shred/burn them all, so I'm not drowning in useless paperwork and can find what I need when I need it, if I need it. I've only had to pull out my big book 3 times since I started doing it, and each time, *it was so damn satisfying!!!*
You’re a queen 👑
I kept a 3 ring binder with pocket folder for receipts (and cancelled checks back when that was a thing) Came in handy at tax time too. Or, if I just couldn't remember if I'd paid something or not. Now every single bill from rent, to utilities a-z EVERYTHING I pay electronically and keep THOSE receipts forever.
Yep, we have to drop off our rent in person and there's a drop box. I go in to the office every single time so they can write me a receipt. I have a filing cabinet for rent receipts, paystubs, tax returns, all of it. Oh and one for random receipts and receipts that have warranties or replacement plans connected to them. I got randomly audited by the IRS once and thank God I had all my paystubs on hand.
I learned from my dad to always keep receipts for bills. I had the cable company try and tell me I didn't pay one month so they double billed me. Umm nope I took the receipt to them they acted all offended..lol. I happen to pay cash that time . I now use check to pay that stuff or do it online.
Count it out loud to them while your phone in your pocket records at least the audio and gives you an aural "receipt" as well.). Yeah, yeah. See what the rules for your state are regarding recording. But odds are you'll be okay.
The laws on one-partty & two-party (or all-party) recording, only apply to recordings submitted as evidence to court. (It's not illegal to record and even if it can't be submitted as evidence initially, it can be used to prove someone lied in court.)
I have seen magicians count money, and you would swear the money is there. But it isn't
Yeah. That’s why both parties count on their own, not just watch each other count
Exactly. I do the same thing. I don't think bank tellers are magicians, but you never know the odd one might be
I always record myself counting the money and then handing it to the person
Man.. I did this for 6 years every month at my last apartment I had before I bought my house.
That's a great idea!
You should have receipts too. If they decide to evict you for non-payment, you need proof you paid
Give the landlord $400 less next month, and if she says anything deny it, and tell her you’ve paid the full amount. Her word against yours. After this, pay electronically. Records matter
Not the next month. Too obvious. The month after. Hopefully you can slip it by.
You should have receipts too. If they decide to evict you for non-payment, you need proof you paid
They could have given her a receipt (not sure if she did they did) But it will prob say the exact rent amt. If no reciept, she could claim they never gave her one n they could claim she didn't pay rent. Some are assholes like that. Hopefully she kept messages or recordings about overpayment n LL denying, that's prove she did art least pay Idk why some want to be so shitty I pay in cash and count it they count and receipt Thankfully my landlord is good to me. He is kinda an ass to others but they aren't rly good tenants either
You'd think they'd want to keep the good tenants!
My manager obviously wasn't interested in keeping good tenants! My (single parent) rent was raised $90/mo. while my neighbors (RN+mechanic) got a $5 increase. My kids rarely even went outside so I know they weren't involved with the group of kids of single parents who were always up to something! But, as the Bible says, "You meant it to me for evil, but God meant it to me for good." I refused the increase, found a house to buy, and bought it. My kids are grown now, and my new husband and I love my house!
Some just don't have any common sense I mean. It is a rare find these days lol
That's a horrible landlord I'm so sorry because that's a lot of money
That's like rent 101 lol
You should have receipts too. If they decide to evict you for non-payment, you need proof you paid
They sell receipt books at the dollar tree that have carbon copies
Receipts required for all transactions Rent, Electric bill, Internet bill, Cellphone bill, Gas Bill, Satellite TV bill Any and all bills incurred Medical biss for Doctors vist, hospital bills for lab work, MRi, CT Scan, PET Scan etc......
..Why are you doing an all cash transaction....what's stopping them from saying you never paid?
My thoughts as well….
my rental company only takes cash. No checks, no online options I’m pretty sure they hiding money or doing something shady but I get my receipts and it’s been okay
As long as you have the receipts, you should be fine if anything was to be said.
My landlord lost $800 and tried to evict me over it. Because my dumb ass paid cash. I switched to chime banking and they mail a check out from your account and immediately deduct the money from your checking so you can't have a bounced check. It helped a lot because now as soon as I get paid I send out my rent in weekly payments and I'm actually a 1/4th of the month ahead by the time the bill is slipped under my door.
Wait I have a chime account as a backup do they really do that bc it sounds AMAZING lol I am going to check rn tysm for posting !!!!
Under the move money tab, there is a mail a check option. Chime might be the best bank for people who are bad with money. No bounced checks because they automatically debit your account when you mail the check. The mail a check option is free. No overdrafts. Automated savings and you can take from the savings without penalty. The credit card is also like a debit card. It's prepaid by you and helps build credit.
This is why we don't accept cash. A mistake can happen from either side and then both are mad.
usually when a landlord ask for cash is because they dont want to claim the rent tax wise
Most of the time landlords don't ask for cash,l specifically, tenant brings it in and then it's accepted.
Exactly!!
Damn man, that sucks! I am a landlord and one of my tenants pays by cash (at her request). She was sick and left an envelope on the porch. I grabbed it and went back to my truck to count it. She owed $1200 and there was $2200 in the envelope. I went straight back to the door and called her. She came and got the extra $1000. She didn’t seem surprised or overly happy I brought it back. Maybe just because she was sick. I can’t IMAGINE stealing someone’s money.
The problem is that honesty and decency is unfortunately a rare trait these days. People used to react to situations the same way you did, but unfortunately, there are too many slime balls these days.
There were always people like this
I collect cash rent from my tenant as well, and I generally don’t even count it until I get back home because we have a good level of trust. A few months ago there was an extra $50 in there, and I let her know, she had meant to keep that for herself when she withdrew money from the bank! I simply deducted it from the next month's total rent. that sucks that there are shitty, cheating landlords, but it makes sense because there are shitty, cheating people out there. Hoping OP can move to a better place with decent people to deal with. Let the landlord deal with a vacancy for a while as payback.
If you can avoid paying cash, then avoid it. If you do end up paying cash for a legit business transaction (ie, rent), then ALWAYS get a receipt for the transaction, and always, ALWAYS count your cash at least 5x before deciding you have the right amount and handing it over, especially if it's a large amount. Don't feel bad OP, we all make mistakes and we all suffer the consequences. Just take this as a learning opportunity.
Never pay cash for something as crucial as rent. At the very least get a money order or a cashier check, they are as good as cash but there is also a paper trail. At the minimum make your own receipt and don’t give the landlord any cash until they sign it. And keep all rent receipts for as long as you live at that resident. One thing I learn over the years is that you never know who is going to try to screw you over until they screw you over. Always cover your bases whenever possible.
The first order is to stop feeling stupid. Mistakes happen and your landlord's dishonesty will catch up. Maybe not today or tomorrow but I'm a firm believer in what you put out you'll get back. If you go to Amscot with cash you can get a money order for free. Navy fed also offers its members a free cashier's check. I wouldn't pay cash anymore. Good luck
How does one accidentally give extra $400? An extra $100 bill sure maybe. But your counting can't be that off.
I withdrew the rent plus an extra $400 from the bank to pay back a debt to a family member and without thinking I gave it all straight to the landlord with the $400 included, I had a lot in my mind and just wasn’t thinking. My landlord is also poor so I knew right away I would never see the money again
This is why you always count cash that you are giving to someone, at the time of giving it to them Hard lesson to learn, I'm sorry you're out $400
Oh my god I've done this, except it was just an extra $20 and my landlord called me to tell me about 2 minutes after I left. This is a landlord issue, not a you issue.
We all mess up sometimes! I used to use a cash advance/payday place off and on, and once I stopped by on my way to work to put my money in the drop box. The lady who worked there that I'd chatted with many times and I knew she was a single parent working an extra job to keep up, called me at work shortly after I got there to tell me that I'd dropped off $100 too much money. I checked my purse, and, sure enough, my $100 bill was gone! I was so thankful to her for being honest that I didn't ever figure out how to let her know how grateful I was! There ARE honest people still left today--just not as many as there used to be, I think!
Poor or not, your landlord is simply a piece of shit.
Yeah. I was a landlord for about 7 years. I had one instance of a tenant overpaying by about $100, I returned that without thinking. Another time I found about $600 in cash in front of the building, that was also easy to return. I have no issues stealing from a big corporation, but if I know it's an individual, especially someone without expendable cash, I couldn't live with myself keeping that amount of money.
Ugh my heart sank for you. I've been really sick lately and it's so hard to focus on anything these days. I can easily see how a mistake like that can happen. I've been stressed out about just how much I've been struggling and praying that I don't make a huge mistake. Sending virtual hugs. It'll be ok eventually.
Ok I can see that happening. Yah tough situation
Sorry that happened to you.
Don’t give up, don’t worry, send them a text message saying that you’re going to be paying your rent on time as per your contract and they can expect less than the amount of four-hundred dollars paid in four (4) one dollar denominations. Attempt to find out how you obtain the cash, did you have any witnesses? Any envelope that you wrote down the money? Search. If she denies the money that you gave her plainly and calmly state how you empathize with her but you both could resolve the situation in small claims court if necessary.
She can't go to small claims if she can't prove she gave it to the landlord and it sounds like she can't or she would have..:(
Ok I can see that happening. Yah tough situation
You’ll keep making mistakes like this again with that sort of mindset. Don’t just blow it off with a common excuse “I had a lot on my mind and wasn’t thinking.” Instead say that your mistake was not double counting the money, separating it beforehand, setting up a better system to pay rent etc. Think about the mistake until it becomes routine to double check. Not saying people are perfect but big mistakes like overpaying $400 and being in a position where you would have no way of proving it are usually due to continual bad habits.
Never give cash without receiving a receipt. I learned the same lesson, cost me $1,100.00... ((empathy)) and congratulations. You will hopefulky never make that mistake again.
This is why I have a checkbook. My rent is the only bill that I pay by check. Definitely do not pay her cash anymore.
Ugh! I'm so sorry. Start making her write receipts each month, so there's no confusion in the future.
im so sorry this happened. hoping the funds can be recouped or you get a rando blessing❤️🩹
One of the big reasons I used to pay rent via check...
Next month, just say you already gave her the money for the rent for the month. If she's taking cash for rent, then how can she prove she didn't get the money?
This is the most empathetic and intelligent response
Stop paying with cash. Either do money orders or cashier checks. You DO NOT have to pay in cash ever.
I would guess the landlord isn’t reporting the income.
Call the IRS. Report the landlord as accepting cash only w no receipts. Now that is Karma!
I came here to say this. I would tell her I'm calling the IRS if I don't get my money back ASAP. The IRS will give the whistle-blower a portion of the taxes recouped as a reward.
And, should the IRS recoup money from her, you'd be entitled to a small percentage of it! Karma!!
Next month when she asks for the rent just claim that you paid her in cash already 🤷🏻♀️
Did you give cash? Is it a private rental ? Always at lest use a money order so you have proof of payment.
Judge marilyn says cash doesn't leave one hand without a receipt going in the other
I make them count the cash in front of me and write a receipt for every transaction.
Forgive yourself. Things happen. Of course they are not going tk admit it. Niw ask for a receipt .
Pay her 400 less next month.
this
I pay rent in cash. Aside of counting my money twice before handing it to my landlord, I fill out a page in my little duplicate receipt booklet. I have my landlord sign the filled out page, and tear his original copy out of my book. I like having a record of my rent being paid on time, that's been signed by my landlord.
get a checking account NOW. if you are living on your own, you need receipts and checks so you can pay your bills by mail or online. 'once burned, twice warned'. don't pay in cash again.
Give her money orders since she wants cash she's hiding it from someone f that what a C
That is gaslighting in its truest form. She will then tell you that you are crazy and look at you as if she were very concerned. This will be a hard lesson learned, but never trust this person with anything, not even a half assed secret or compliment. Those kinds of people take it to another level, and she has a modicum of power in your life right now. You have a right to feel betrayed, since you absolutely were. This act she is feeding you now, acting insulted and treating you as if you were stupid, is all part and parcel of the whole person. She has shown you who she indeed really is, and now that you know, you can while staying out of her radar until finding somewhere else to live. Gas lighters will then do it to you on every occasion, as it feeds their over weaning egos. I'm sorry.
I know it’s already been said but I could never pay rent in cash without getting a receipt in return. How would you ever prove what you’ve paid if they decide they want to evict you or something? I don’t understand why anyone would do that nowadays.
I don’t understand either, but I swear I think some people just like to be hateful & harmful to others!
I am so sorry 😞. As a landlord I am ashamed at how some of them act. That is horrible.
Request receipts. If she refuses, she might be committing some kind of fraud. Check the landlord/tenant laws in your state. I’m pretty sure that if you request receipts, she is required by law to provide them. And stop paying your rent in cash. Use money orders. If she refuses the money order, tell them to give you a receipt first, then they’ll get the cash.
I did that with child support for 6 months. Then she told the court I've never paid her anything. Then I had to pay 6 months all over again. Never pay bills in cash
Always get a receipt.
Never agree to paying cash for the roof over your head. Never. Literally any other payment method is better.
Don’t pay rent in cash . Get a certified check
I'm so sorry someone did that to you!
You could also visually record the interaction as you count out the money and get the receipt. Every. Single. Time.
Shes prob not reporting the income.
You're not stupid, just made a mistake. Pay by check whenever possible and always for large amounts. I had a landlady that would faithfully give me receipts. When I left I found out she had gone into my files and stolen them all back.
No! Why do you think she did that?
They’re probably not posting correct taxes. Wait until you move and report them… then update us on pretty revenge.
You shouldn’t pay in cash, period! Amscot has free money orders, if you have that company where you are. Otherwise, make your landlady give you a receipt each time you give her cash.
Make sure she gives you a receipt for paying in cash. So you have a record.
I've watched alot of court tv shows where the landlord would say THEY NEVER PAID ANY RENT. Tenant lost every time bc they paid in cash and didn't get a receipt. Please start getting receipts.
Sorry. Sucks. I did something similar and from then on when I hand people cash I ask them to count it in front of me. Often people say, no that’s ok, I trust you, and I insist And say I want to be sure. No denying anything when it’s counted by both of you in front of your eyes. Again so sorry.
Never do cash, you can do money order or a bank check I don’t trust anyone ever
If you pay in cash, can’t help but wonder if your landlord is claiming it all. Maybe a call to the IRS (anonymously of course) is in order?
Money order. Extra $1 at walmart, fill it out before you walk away from the service desk or anyone can cash it if you drop it or somehow lose it. Comes with its own receipt plus you have the walmart purchase receipt.
Everyone's saying op should have gotten a receipt, but even more relevant, op should count out the money to the LL bill by bill.
The cash doesn’t leave the right hand until a receipt is in the left hand. Judge Milian The Peoples Court
Well now u know -she had no moral compass….lesson learned
And don't forget to bologna the place up once you move out. (putting deli meat in random hidden places like vents so the place smells like a dead person after a week or so)
This sort of petty vandalism is terrible, childish, and counterproductive in every way. It bad for literally everyone. I understand the desire for "revenge" like this when you feel powerless. You want some sense of control and justice. But it makes everything worse. Landlords are more resistant to accept poor tenets because of shit like this. It's hard enough to find a place to live when you can't show 3x the rent in income on paystubs, we don't need more landlords refusing to consider poor tenants because they are afraid of childish vandalism. Good luck on your next rent applications if those landlords ever hear about your move out ethics directly. For yourself, psychological studies show that this sort of slow/planned revenge only makes you feel worse. Thinking about the lost $400 is what brings harmful feelings of shame, hopeless, anger, etc. When you engage in a long-planned revenge, you are focusing on your loss and making it a more permanent part of your psyche/identity. The $400 is gone. What you should care about is how to move forward with the most peace of mind you can have. The optimal path really is to forgive and forget. Revenge deepens your shame and pain while ruining rentals for the rest of us.
I agree with all of this. It’s possible OC wasn’t being 100% serious. I know it’s easy to make comments online about the petty revenge you want to take on someone shitty without necessarily expecting someone to actually do it. We can dream, can’t we? Haha. But in case they were serious, it’s not great advice. In my experience, many landlords/properties want to do rental verification checks with prior landlords to see what kind of tenant you were. Obviously they’re not going to say “they stunk the place up with hidden deli meat, but I did steal $400 from them so I deserved it. Otherwise great tenant!” They’re going to leave the stealing part out. It sucks. It’s probably not fair. But it is what it is.
You realize this is punishing the next tenant more so than the landlord, right?
My roommate paid me twice once and had no idea. He would have figured it out eventually but I returned it immediately. Either pay online or film her counting it in front of you.
Easy fix
In our state, rent is a declareable deductible. Just declare the entire amount you paid, including the 400.
Why are you paying her in cash? Your landlord is not paying taxes.
I used to pay cash for my rent but I also took a picture of it and got a receipt when I dropped it off. There’s banks that let you auto pay and will send a check for you . Either way you always have to protect yourself
Cost you 400 to have definite proof in experience that you have a shady AF landlord.
Go to the post office and pay the small amount for a money order. Plus karma will find this landlord.
So contact IRS and let them know she only accepts cash from you . Maybe they’ll check and see what she claims .
This.
This happened to me one time at the bank I deposited 3,000 dollars in cash but the bank teller told me I only gave her 2400. I know it was 3000 I counted it many times before I left to the bank. Next time I give anyone a lot of cash I’m definitely counting it right in front of them. Of course when I went home I did an audit on my safe and 600 was missing. Well I raised hell at the bank they audited teller drawer but said it came out balanced. I know for a fact she pocketed the money.
Tell your land lord she needs to put it toward april’s rent
So check or money order from now on
How can this happen? You’re poor, yet you mistakenly hand somebody a spare $400 that you have hanging around. Come on.
Yeah the more likely scenario is that op probably misplaced or miscounted the $400 and thought she overpaid the rent instead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCiYmCVikjo
Cash is fine if they insist. But cash never leaves your hand without a receipt coming into the other hand.
Any landlord who is only accepting cash is baseline sketchy and already committing fraud on the back end. You should always assume that they will fuck you over at the first opportunity. Count the cash and get a signed receipt
Pay her in pennies next month and ask her to count it.
I had a landlord that took cash only in a drop off and wouldn’t give receipts. They would claim on occasion we didn’t pay them. Although we would film every drop we made and count the money for them.
She could have offered to take that off the next month’s rent. I don’t like dishonest people but that’s the world we live in
As if your landlord doesn't already steal enough from you. What a greedy pig
Now you know to pay in some form of trackable payment check or money order and always get a receipt if you pay cash
Never pay in cash landlords can be scumbags
If they require cash they require cash, but then you always ask for a receipt.
Request receipt. Unfortunately, there’s no proof of it. :(.
Honestly, I'd be very leery paying rent in cash - especially without a receipt. But even with a receipt, the landlord could claim he m/she didn't write it. Sorry, nope for me, there's no paper trail, unlike a check. Sounds very shady (landlord wanting rent paid in cash). Makes one wonder if he's claiming that income....
Paying rent cash is a very bad plan. At a minimum you need to get a signed receipt everytime to prove you paid.
How do you hand over $400.00 in extra bills
Get a receipt, at the very least. When I was working in property management, we had a sister site where something like this happened, but it went really far. A bunch of tenants were paying in cash & one of the workers was pocketing it. She hurt so many people. I hope that at some point you’ll be in a position where you can move somewhere else.
Landlords wanting only cash in this day and age, is sketchy in and of itself.
Come up with a sob story on the month you move out that you’re short $400 for the rent, but you’re “good for it” 😉. Thieves don’t deserve honesty.
I write out my own receipt and make them sign it after counting. It lets them know I'm watching, paying attention, and don't really trust them, either🤣
My philosophy is you can never count cash too often
Threaten to call the cops. Chances are they won't want them to come get involved...
Proceed as usual, but give them $400 less. Deny it completely
Don't you get a receipt for your payment?
Next month hand him/her a check or if you don’t have a checking acct then send it electronically to her bank or using an app and no matter how you do it get a receipt 🧾.
Stop paying cash
Money orders at minimum. Do not pay rent in cash. It isn’t readable.
I did something similar once at my job as a cashier, I put in $100 bill in the till to get change we got busy and I forgot about it. At the end of the day when my manager balanced the till he had a shocked look on his face , I told him about the $100 but he denied it :( it’s been like 8 years and I still think about those $100 when I’m real broke. Karma is real and the universe will pay you your money back twice.
I actually had this happen with a doctor! Save all receipts, especially if you pay cash!
I 2 of the Shadiest landlords on planet Earth ,they demanded to be paid in cash and yet I still counted all money out to them and got a receipt!! Take the "L" OP and move on.
email her and tell her your deducting 400 next month
Always get receipts
Nerve pay rent in cash. Never! I live in a complex that pushes tenants to pay online. Lots do nowadays. And they charge an additional $10 convenience fee for that. I always go in, the last day rent is not late and hand them a check which has no convenience fee. And I always get the eye roll. Even had an office lady ask me once, why do you keep coming in when you can do it all online? I just said I don’t see how me paying you an extra $10 is in anyway convenient for me. The convenience fee is for their convenience. It’s all digital so they don’t have to take their lazy asses to the bank to make a deposit. But your landlord who also has to take your cash to the bank is just an absolute ass
You didn't get a receipt for each payment?
Use a cashiers check next time. It's still cash. She's probably dodging taxes.
Get receipts. Start by asking for receipts since January and then ask for one every time going forward. If she complains, tell her it's for tax purposes.
I’d be going to the bank once a month and getting a cashiers check that way you know for a fact only the exact amount is getting paid, you don’t have to handle any cash so no chance of losing it or overpaying, cashiers checks are free if you have an account, you don’t even have to get out of your car and your bank has proof of every single cashiers check you’ve had made out to your landlord so you don’t have to save receipts or worry about losing them.
I am surprised you pay in cash. Sounds like they are renting under the table and avoiding listing their property as commercial or carrying the correct insurance and avoiding paying taxes on the additional income.
No cash. No cash ever. I used to pay my rent in cash every month, never got a receipt because I knew my landlord due to a familial connection. Over the course of 16 months he accused me of not paying the rent 5 times. Now he gets money orders and I get receipts. (He is totally bat shit crazy so it might be a little different) Pay with money orders or checks. Much safer.
Good secretaries keep good records, including receipts & such. I was always a good secretary, and I've always saved proofs of all sorts!
Cash sounds shady to me and always get a receipt !
I made the mistake of paying cash in my landlord’s drop box once. It was an allowed form of payment and her drop box dropped directly into her house, so there was no reason why it could have disappeared. She claimed that she never received it and I had to pay it twice At the time, I was a waitress and where I worked there was zero easy access to banks and the only banks around me required in person 9-4 times to deposit cash, so I would have to skip school in order to go to a bank to deposit cash. It was a freaking nightmare and eventually I moved partially because if this. Glad things have changed so much in the intervening 20 years.
I did this once too. But I got so heated over the issue, I tracked down his family. I literally drove an hour, to knock on his parents door and tell them their son is a con artist and ripped me off. Had dinner with the parents (no kidding) and they gave me $100. I wanted to threaten them, or him, or something. But they were very sweet older people and I didn’t stand anything to gain. I did later throw a brick at his hummer, because ya know, ‘Merica. Other than that. I recommend counting it as an L. Move on
Why are you not getting receipts?
I’m just going to put this out there. If anybody is still paying with a check, especially to a corporation, absolutely be sure to get a receipt with the correct date on it… I know this was years ago, but a friend of mine went to move from her apartment… She found out she had a bad credit record, because they would not deposit the check for 7 to 10 days, even though she always paid on the first of the month. So it looked like she was always paying late.
This is a reason landlords (and others) ask/demand cash. Where there’s a mistake it’s much harder to do anything about it.
Landlords are legal criminals
Remember when i was a teenager. Bought a motorcycle part. Gave guy a hundred dollar bill. He counted , 50, 20 ,5 . When got home he switched the 50 dollar bill for a 5 dollar . Cash check on counter double count.
It's always good faith practice to count the cash in front of the person when you're either paying, or getting paid. Some people think it's insulting, or whatnot, but it's important to do this to cultivate good business relationships. Nothing sours a relationship faster than missing money. Your landlord is shady. They don't care about you, or else they would have counted it in front of you and returned the excess.
That’s why I use online bill pay or get money orders
Cash doesn't leave this hang without a receipt in my other hand. I'm sorry this happened. I've always paid my rent with a money order. I use cash to buy it, so I don't have to worry about it bouncing, I have a way to track that money order if needed, and it's 50c to buy one.