Landlord Issues - lost rent check (credit card, tenant, living in)

[socialthinker]

I've been living in the same place for 7+ years. For the past 4 years I've used automatic bill pay to send my rent checks because my landlord used to sandbag them and screw up my money mojo. Every once in a while, she'd call and say she hasn't received the check or they misplaced it. I've always been quick to send the proof of payment from Chase via e-mail. In April, she asked for proof of January and March (which I sent).

Then in September she said she didn't have records of March or May. When I look at my bank account, I saw all of them had been cashed as usual... except May. May was cancelled by Chase after the check wasn't cashed in 90 days. At the end of October I sent her another check for May. Then this month she told me that she lost my replacement check!!!

I'm so annoyed by her poor accounting, I don't know what to do. I see us living here another year at least. I certainly don't want to send her confirmation every month (multiple times) and I don't know how to politely explain what her responsibilities are. And what to do about May? Send a second replacement check? That would be the third check for the same month. How many times is reasonable? What about tenant rights?

[ChicagoMeO]

Why dont you just write her a check and give it to her personally, and make her give you a receipt.

[emathias]

Ask her to set up a savings account at her primary bank, give you the number and ACH it directly into the account each month. Saves her time, saves you headaches, and shouldn't cost either of you anything.

[gomexico]

Originally Posted by socialthinker

For the past 4 years I've used automatic bill pay to send my rent checks because my landlord used to sandbag them and screw up my money mojo.

You lost me, when you made the statement quoted above.

Automatic bill pay is electronic and not accomplished with a paper check ... or atleast that's how my automatic bill pay works.

[Me007gold]

Originally Posted by gomexico

You lost me, when you made the statement quoted above.

Automatic bill pay is electronic and not accomplished with a paper check ... or atleast that's how my automatic bill pay works.

It sounds like he is just using the word "check" as a blanket statement, He pays his rent bill by EFT

[gomexico]

Originally Posted by Me007gold

It sounds like he is just using the word "check" as a blanket statement, He pays his rent bill by EFT

Maybe.

If so, then what's the problem providing a photocopy of the transaction? Doing so takes maybe 30 seconds. There are more important/significant things to stress-out over.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by Me007gold

It sounds like he is just using the word "check" as a blanket statement, He pays his rent bill by EFT

But he also said that the check for May was canceled b/c it hadn't been cashed within 90 days. Definitely sounds like paper checks are involved here or the OP isn't explaining the situation that well.

[hnsq]

Originally Posted by eevee

But he also said that the check for May was canceled b/c it hadn't been cashed within 90 days. Definitely sounds like paper checks are involved here or the OP isn't explaining the situation that well.

The OP is using a system that I use where you can schedule your bank to automatically mail a check on your behalf every month. The problem typically is that the envelopes the checks come in look a lot like junk mail that a bank would send you to open a credit card/etc.

I would recommend trying to use paypal, getting your landlord's account/routing number and doing EFT, or something that removes paper completely from the equation.

[rparz]

I have it setup the same, have the landlord give you her account number and have bill pay mail the check to her bank and deposit it in her name. That's how I have my Chase Bill pay setup.

[ChiGuy2.5]

The OP has chase automatic check bill pay setup. As the other user mentioned it sends a check on a certain day each month automatically.

Here is a list of tenant laws for Illinois:
Tenant Rights, Laws and Protections: Illinois - HUD

Look through there and if you have any other questions you may want to ask the people in the Renting Forum. They are very knowledgeable over there.