# Gotta love being told to cut dead grass.......



## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

Still can't believe the banks pay for this crap. I'm just not cut out to do something for nothing and collect money for it. Dad didn't raise me that way............


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## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

LOL! I see my guys already date stamped them and i dated over them when i saved them on my HD. The siblings will have a fit about that.........................


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## probog (Oct 2, 2012)

Out here on the Calif coast we don't have rain from the end of May until maybe late Oct. I have spent the summer seeing exactly what you show in your pics. 5 Brothers requires Pics of equipment on lawn...oh well. 
I have been at this for 1 3/4 years and just went inactive with my regionals, all who provided enough BofA work to be profitable. SafeGuard pay matrix is undoable trying to cover 2 counties 175 miles from end to end. I am fortunate to say that I pulled out money ahead...I'm current with my payables and am owed about 6 grand. I will watch warily to see if these regionals (whom I happen to enjoy working for, and likewise) will be square with me. Not holding my breath though. I told one Op Manager he'd better double the size of his vendor recruiter staff, which didn't go over well. 5Brothers gets a lot of flak here and I can believe it is well deserved, it's just they've not pulled anything on me yet like I've read about here. They moved me up to priority (rather than Trainee statis) and the 50+ dollar mows, FHA secures and bid approvals have been coming in. Pay every other week (I do inspections for them also at $20.00 a pop) and NEVER had to dispute. One of the reasons I pulled back from the regionals is I have to watch the check details like a HAWK. Constantly having to dispute just grates on me. Stuff like a flat fee invoiced for $440.00 that pays 70 days later for $186.00 "Opps, I guess I looked at your invoice then billed the client per item instead" blah blah blah.
Bottom line is that I made money to this point, but lost plenty along the way, not to mention so many back to back 14 hr days that I forgot what it was like to be rested.
I am now retooling my marketing to local brokers and REO realtors who have come to admire my product. If you are a newbe at this juncture and working for Nats and Regionals exclusively you had better pay close attention: they will find a new set of contractors who think $20 recuts, no trip charges, $200 initials/CFK/evictions is good $$. Unless it is in your back yard it is not sustainable, as most of our work is not "local". I have learned sooo much from the likes of MtMtnMan , Linda, etc and feel like much of my success is due to using their sage advice to advantage. Gotta give you guys props where props are due.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

probog said:


> One of the reasons I pulled back from the regionals is I have to watch the check details like a HAWK. Constantly having to dispute just grates on me. Stuff like a flat fee invoiced for $440.00 that pays 70 days later for $186.00 "Opps, I guess I looked at your invoice then billed the client per item instead" blah blah blah.


Also one of the reasons we fired most of them. $57 grass cuts come back as $42.50, $85 gutter cleanout comes back as $66, etc. You invoice for 15k that month and even after their 25% discount you have to pay staff or spend the time yourself chasing down a couple bucks here and a couple bucks there. "Sorry, we'll resubmit to accounting for next month." :wallbash:


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

mtmtnman said:


> Still can't believe the banks pay for this crap. I'm just not cut out to do something for nothing and collect money for it. Dad didn't raise me that way............


I understand what your saying. Due to the drought this year we could have stopped mowing by the end of July. We still sent crews out. Sprayed and cut the weeds, pruned the shrubs and striped the yards to keep up the appearance that they were occupied, and the lenders know someone has been by to confirm if anything is broken, burning, stolen or vandalized.


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## BPWY (Apr 12, 2012)

mtmtnman said:


> I'm just not cut out to do something for nothing and collect money for it. Dad didn't raise me that way............




Your other daddy didn't have a problem with it. :lol: :lol:


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## RichR (Sep 22, 2012)

I used to feel the same way but I'm over it now, if that's what they want then that's what I'll give them. The part I can't stand is looking like the FOOL doing it. You know damn well every person, contractor or landscaper driving by is shaking their head and laughing their azzes off at you for cutting lawns that look like that.:lol:


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

I doubt you look like a fool. If your like us then you look like the answer man. Every grass cut it seems a neighbor has to come over and start barking about "Who owns this place?" "When are they ever going to sell it?" "How much?" "When are you going to fix the roof, the sprung storm door, the trash, the fence, bla, bla, bla.?"
They can squawk at you but they can't call the number on the door. :no:


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## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

GTX63 said:


> I doubt you look like a fool. If your like us then you look like the answer man. Every grass cut it seems a neighbor has to come over and start barking about "Who owns this place?" "When are they ever going to sell it?" "How much?" "When are you going to fix the roof, the sprung storm door, the trash, the fence, bla, bla, bla.?"
> They can squawk at you but they can't call the number on the door. :no:



I would say MAYBE one out of 30 neighbors ever even acknowledge us out here.............


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## STARBABY (Apr 12, 2012)

mtmtnman said:


> I would say MAYBE one out of 30 neighbors ever even acknowledge us out here.............


 
Same here


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## JDRM (Apr 16, 2012)

GTX63 said:


> I doubt you look like a fool. If your like us then you look like the answer man. Every grass cut it seems a neighbor has to come over and start barking about "Who owns this place?" "When are they ever going to sell it?" "How much?" "When are you going to fix the roof, the sprung storm door, the trash, the fence, bla, bla, bla.?"
> They can squawk at you but they can't call the number on the door. :no:


Same here! My favorite thing to tell them, if it bothers you that much pick it up yourself! I would if I lived next door to it, that usually shuts them up!:thumbsup:


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

No, your right, it isn't every neighbor. But they wait to come over on days your way behind, its 100 degrees or about to rain.
Yes, the response my guys usually give is they are welcome to jump in and help anytime. There was a time when people had a little more pride in their neighborhoods that they would be willing to keep the vacant house next door picked up or mowed. Now, most just come out during the commercial and bang on you about property values. Well, duh!


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## JDRM (Apr 16, 2012)

GTX63 said:


> No, your right, it isn't every neighbor. But they wait to come over on days your way behind, its 100 degrees or about to rain.
> Yes, the response my guys usually give is they are welcome to jump in and help anytime. There was a time when people had a little more pride in their neighborhoods that they would be willing to keep the vacant house next door picked up or mowed. Now, most just come out during the commercial and bang on you about property values. Well, duh!


Another one, me: That is personal property of the homeowner.:innocent:
Them: Thats garbage.
me: Well if you want to steal it go ahead, im not allowed to touch it! :thumbup:
Them: 

This should be a new thread. LMAO. I could go on all day!


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## thanohano44 (Aug 5, 2012)

JDRM said:


> Another one, me: That is personal property of the homeowner.:innocent:
> Them: Thats garbage.
> me: Well if you want to steal it go ahead, im not allowed to touch it! :thumbup:
> Them:
> ...


I've had and continue to have many conversations like those.


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## Gypsos (Apr 30, 2012)

I have a duplex with one side occupied and one side empty. The tenant is crazier than a sprayed cockroach. 

She will come out screaming and complaining every time you show up and she will stand in front of the mower until you listen to her life story and how miserable she is because she has lived in the house rent free for the last two years and now that she is paying rent she wants to know when you are going to fix X, Y and Z. 

I finally just told her I MOW GRASS!! and what word is she having trouble with so I can elaborate on it.

On one visit she tried to jump my wife for taking pics of the back yard. She almost got her ass beat for that one. I had to get off the mower to save her. 

The deal I have with my coordinator is if she is home I do not even stop to take pics. I told them if they had issues with that arrangement then they could reassign the property.


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## kat (Oct 29, 2012)

*grass cut*

I know what you mean. I'm in the west and almost no rain thru the summer so all the grass goes dormant or basically dies until the rain recoops it. I cust the tops of the weeds because there isn't grass -- but the weeds always seem to grow and edge so it looks really manicured.


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## FearlessTeapot (Oct 12, 2012)

Corelogic requires that we cut the grass only if it is above 2 inches, but a significant portion of the lawn must be. If we cut it without being able to prove that 75% of the lawn was over 2 inches,we can be be backcharged.

MCS, on the other hand, will complain about the opposite. We just got a chargeback for a property from more than a year ago that we submitted as limited growth. The entire lot was 1 inch, except for a tiny strip, maybe 6 inches by 12 inches, that had some weeds around 4 inches high. They charged us back, saying we should have cut the lawn. We appealed it, and got denied. 

Now, every single time they try to demand more photos for a grasscut we do, I point out the ruler shot for the property which shows a piece of grass above 2 inches, and I reference that previous chargeback.


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