Chronicles of an Underpaid Property Manager

Posted byFloyd HarrisPosted inUncategorized

There are some incidents that I can recall during my tenure as property manager at the Angels Plaza, Spanish Town, Jamaica. One particular incident which stood out was when the security officer Ms. Ervin informed me that a foul stench was emanating from the vicinity of the Plaza’s entrance gate. I went to investigate and low and behold, there was a dog carcass right at the entrance. It must have been dumped there because it was already in an advance state of decomposition when we saw it. At that time I was probably three weeks into the job and had never encountered anything like this and so had no idea how to deal with it.

I used my phone to call Ricky, the groundsman on duty, to have the matter rectified but he never answered his phone or couldn’t be found anywhere on the compound. I called him several times until he finally answered, I told him about the decomposing carcass at the plaza’s entrance and that it needs to be moved promptly. He told me in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t on the compound and he wasn’t sure what time he was coming back. I threatened him and told him that it was either the dog or his job if it wasn’t dealt with promptly.

After waiting a short while without him showing up I decided to call Mark, a batch-mate from my Land Economy & Valuation Surveying (LEVS) Program (Property Administration). While speaking to Mark on the phone and informing him of my predicament he started laughing hysterically and saying he can’t recall any solution for this matter in our property management notes!!! Before he could start telling me of a possible solution he started another bout of laughing while asking me if Mr. Cunningham, our Property Management lecturer had ever lectured on this topic!!!

Property Manager at Work

All this time Ms. Ervin was shadowing me and probably wondering why I’m on the phone chatting and laughing and still had such a crucial task to rectify. Finally, Mark was able to compose himself and offer his advice. He told me to try and find a vagrant and offer him some money to dispose of the carcass for me. I briefly walked the perimeter fencing to see if Mark’s genius idea would bear any fruit, but alas it was a dead end.

With Ms. Ervin shadowing me and keep reminding me how serious the matter was I decided to take the bull by the horns or better yet take the dog by its tail. I asked Ms. Ervin to get me two shovels and a large garbage bag from the equipment room while I visited the pharmacy to get gloves and mask to rid the area of the dead dog. After donning my Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and arming myself with my tools plus Security Officer Ervin standing by to protect me, I timidly approached the dog as if it was still alive. Then, out of no where Ricky arrived to save the day!!

Floyd Harris is a service oriented individual whose passion to serve is mirrored from his Heavenly Father. He spent some time in banking and property administration before migrating to the United States where he now works in the healthcare industry.

 

Published by Floyd Harris

Greetings readers, my name is Floyd Harris and I have decided to start a blog called The Chronicles of floydie2shoes. Floydie2shoes' blog is a collection of interesting events in my life. It ranges from childhood memories to work related issues. It will also touch on my ordained and ordered encounter with the love of my life, my snukm, snukm. I am a service oriented individual whose passion to serve is mirrored from my Heavenly Father. My service motto is Colossians 3:23 NIV "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." I spent some time in banking and property administration before migrating to the United States where I now work in the healthcare industry. I trust that the stories will pique your interest and give you an insight into my somewhat introverted life.

45 thoughts on “Chronicles of an Underpaid Property Manager”

  3. Floyd you had me in stitches. I am not sure who laughed the hardest, if it’s your batch-mate or is it me. I am looking forward to reading more. How do I find your previous post? I am anxious to read it. Thanks for sharing, I needed that. 💘 Auntie Vero.

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  5. Funny! And yet another circumstance that, though uncomfortable, had you determine that going above and beyond was the course you were prepared to undertake…

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    1. Floyd I honestly thought you were going to have to take matters into your own hands, especially with Ms Ervin hovering over you😂

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    1. Someone once said that property management is more than collecting rent & fixing leaky roof, and this incident is one of many that I faced and had to resort to unconventional methods to come up with a solution.

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  16. My my my, this is truly refreshing. May Almighty God continue to inspire as you humbly apply yourself to His ways. You are an amazing man of God. Blessings and favors be your portion

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words. I truly appreciate your encouragement and it means a lot. Life unfolds in unexpected ways, and I’m trusting God to lead the way. I’m excited for what’s ahead.

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