Inform about possible dishonesty or MYOB (wife, husband, person, member)
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In a nutshell. We had neighbors next door about who moved about 3 years ago when the husband took a new job. While they lived here, the wife was lonely and knowing I worked from home often appeared at my door for coffee, questions, etc. I was always cordial and we went to dinner a few times with these neighbors. We didn't especially click with them. They couldn't sell their house so they leased it to a family....the tenant wife is an executive in the same business community I was in before I retired, the husband works an IT job from home, and both kids attend an elite private girls school in Dallas (Hockaday).
Occasionally my former neighbor contacts me for referrals of service people to do work on their house. I am a landlord and have properties that regularly need work so I don't mind sharing contractor info. Today my regular handyman told me that he has recently done a $700 repair at my neighbor's house but the tenant requested he give him a $1100 invoice "for tax purposes." My handyman wasn't aware the guy was a tenant until I mentioned it to him and now he wonders if my "friend" the actual landlord is being stiffed by the tenant who paid him by check. Do you think I should say anything to my former neighbor, the owner of the house, that his tenant might be submitting a fraudulent invoice?
In a nutshell. We had neighbors next door about who moved about 3 years ago when the husband took a new job. While they lived here, the wife was lonely and knowing I worked from home often appeared at my door for coffee, questions, etc. I was always cordial and we went to dinner a few times with these neighbors. We didn't especially click with them. They couldn't sell their house so they leased it to a family....the tenant wife is an executive in the same business community I was in before I retired, the husband works an IT job from home, and both kids attend an elite private girls school in Dallas (Hockaday).
Occasionally my former neighbor contacts me for referrals of service people to do work on their house. I am a landlord and have properties that regularly need work so I don't mind sharing contractor info. Today my regular handyman told me that he has recently done a $700 repair at my neighbor's house but the tenant requested he give him a $1100 invoice "for tax purposes." My handyman wasn't aware the guy was a tenant until I mentioned it to him and now he wonders if my "friend" the actual landlord is being stiffed by the tenant who paid him by check. Do you think I should say anything to my former neighbor, the owner of the house, that his tenant might be submitting a fraudulent invoice?
I get a "bad vibe" from these people. They seem to live a very "false life" and things don't add up. I am not even from Texas and I have heard of the Hockaday school. I don't know how many renters send their children there. The wife is an executive but the husband works from hone in IT. Or so he says.
Even if she did own the home, asking the handy man to inflate the bill on the renovations, is dishonest. There is something going on here.
Your relationship with the owners of the next door property is not close. I'd tend to advice you to keep out of it right now. I can't put my finger on what's going on.
But something is. Keep you distance from these neighbors and be cautious with the people who own the property next door. Remember how you said that you never "clicked" with them?
There could be a good reason for that.
I get a "bad vibe" from these people. They seem to live a very "false life" and things don't add up. I am not even from Texas and I have heard of the Hockaday school. I don't know how many renters send their children there. The wife is an executive but the husband works from hone in IT. Or so he says.
Our gated community actually has many renters who pay between $3500 - $10,000 per month. We have NFL and NBA players and executives who are new to the area. In the neighbors' case, they hadn't sold their prior home and this was a new job when they came here so makes sense they rented....its becoming a norm it seems for newbies to rent in such a hard market for resale.(that is changing)
My DH agrees with you and says maybe the owner asked the tenant to get an inflated invoice. But, I really did get to know those people and that doesn't wash for me. My gut tells me the owner is being fleeced. But of course my conflict is looking the other way or causing bad will between the owner and the tenants.
Let your friends know. Would you expect inform you if the shoe was on the other foot? The fact of the matter is that these people are scamming someone else, they are stealing their money either by direct payment or a discount in rent. The landlord can easily find out about the work by asking for a detailed or line by line invoice. In addition, he can ask for receipts to prove how much was spent on materials. This doesn't have to come back on you at all. The fraud will reveal itself, you are just giving a heads up!
In a nutshell. We had neighbors next door about who moved about 3 years ago when the husband took a new job. While they lived here, the wife was lonely and knowing I worked from home often appeared at my door for coffee, questions, etc. I was always cordial and we went to dinner a few times with these neighbors. We didn't especially click with them. They couldn't sell their house so they leased it to a family....the tenant wife is an executive in the same business community I was in before I retired, the husband works an IT job from home, and both kids attend an elite private girls school in Dallas (Hockaday).
Occasionally my former neighbor contacts me for referrals of service people to do work on their house. I am a landlord and have properties that regularly need work so I don't mind sharing contractor info. Today my regular handyman told me that he has recently done a $700 repair at my neighbor's house but the tenant requested he give him a $1100 invoice "for tax purposes." My handyman wasn't aware the guy was a tenant until I mentioned it to him and now he wonders if my "friend" the actual landlord is being stiffed by the tenant who paid him by check. Do you think I should say anything to my former neighbor, the owner of the house, that his tenant might be submitting a fraudulent invoice?
Yes. It would be no different than if you saw the tenant taking $400 from a vending machine. What's more, since the former neighbor did indeed ask your advice, you are peripherally involved. I mean, just because you didn't click with the guy over dinner doesn't mean you should stand by and watch the guy get fleeced.
I personally do not understand the posters here who think the guy shouldn't inform that poor guy who is getting defrauded. Do you not have any scruples?
Stay out of it. I see trouble all over that, and you'll probably end up making both mad at you. Have the handiman call her.
Handyman has no motivation to phone an unknown customer and rat out the guy who paid him ; he risks no longer getting called back for work at that house. His conscience took him to tell me but he's off the hook now and I have that monkey on my back . The no good deed goes unpunished thing....
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; he risks no longer getting called back for work at that house. His conscience took him to tell me but he's off the hook now and I have that monkey on my back 
. The no good deed goes unpunished thing....
