ch 9, Ron's end

The day after Ron disappeared with his stolen big screen TV and my little 19", the investor showed up and was ready to get busy on his new acquisition. I followed him as he wandered through the house, and he was a bit perplexed when his feet squished through all the carpeting in the master bedroom. He did a bit of cussing before I told him about the sewer line that had been capped off.
That is when the cussing elevated to levels that I had not heard since I was in the Navy. I think I heard words that were new to me.
The investor was absolutely livid when I told him that he would have to get the utility company out there to re-connect the sewer line that was about 6' deep under the sidewalk out at the street. He spent a few choice words on me, even tho I was not at fault.
We both looked in the back yard and the investor wanted to know where the storage shed was. I had to tell him that I had purchased it and I had a receipt that pre-dated his purchase of the property. What was livid before became blood-red. He told me to get off his property, and not come back. So I left. (With a teeny smile in the corner of my mouth!)
Even though I made out OK, the investor made a killing. He got a 3bdrm, 1&1/2 bath, one car garage, approx. 1400 sq ft of living space for about $47k. He had to pay off the back monthly payments, along with legal fees associated with a foreclosure. He also had to pay the utility company to come out and re-attach the sewer line. And he had already given Ron $2000 cash.
My best guess is that the investor had to shell out somewhere in neighborhood of $60-65K to get his hands on the property. From there he brought in his teams of fixer-uppers. Maybe $15-20K expense. After all was said and done, the new investor put the property up for sale. And within 4 weeks the house sold for $119,000.
Ron, the drug dealer, was sitting on a gold mine, and never knew it. But then, Ron, the drug dealer, was pretty much oblivious to everything. So much for drugs.

To the rest of you -- what is the moral of the story?

I need to become an investor and flip houses?

lol...become a drug dealer and not a user?

That was a great story. Too bad he was hooked on drugs...he must have started sampling his stock.

I work at a minimum security prison as a teacher. Many of the inmates I work with have either made and sold durgs, or have been users. It's interesting that many of them seem like Ron or you and me, with one exception...they find the business of drugs so enticing, profitiable and addicting that they are willing to serve time behind bars again and again. Many of them will say they are willing to be behind bars several more times before they are ready to make a change.

I could write a book :(

Deb

I am so glad Im not Ron. He had it all. I do have to admit the man was ingenious in the ways he would get by while he could but DANG.

Sorry I couldn't get back quicker. My computer went down the other evening and I could not get it fixed til I got my youngest over here to fix it.
As for the moral -- maybe araness came closest-- be a dealer but not a user. In all honesty, though, from my own perspective, unless you are a truly devious SOB, and can sword fight with someone who survives on his wits, don't get into the fight.
Ron surprised me at every turn. (And he darn sure hobbled the utility company for better than 3 months) The only reason I seemed to get a bit of the upper hand was because Ron was desperate for drug money, and I was his only source of cash at the time. You'd think I could have done better, after all, it was a buyer's market.
I can give a couple of "side-lights" prior to his last day in the neighborhood. A few days before the investor was due to show up and sign the papers, Ron invited me over to his house, and asked me if there was anything I saw that I might like to buy.
So we walked thru the house. I noticed a couple of the things on the mantle. One was a 1963 St. Louis Cards baseball with the original signatures of most of the team members. I told him that I could give him $10 for it, because I really didn't know what it was worth. He took it.
Next to the baseball was a porcelain statue of Disney's Prince Charming holding onto princess 'whoever'. It was about 16" tall. I told him I was interested but would have to think about it.
Also, in the living room were a pair of rather large paintings hanging on the wall. They were not actual paintings, but were prints, enclosed in rather ornate carved wood frames that measured 18" x 33". I know that, because I still have them hanging on my wall. I told him that I liked them but would have to think about what I would be willing to pay him for them.
After that visit I went home and consulted eBay. I found that the Disney porcelain statue was selling for about $45. The large frames, I could not find for sale. I did find a smaller version, 12" x 16" that was selling for $25.
Next day I offered Ron $10 for the Disney porcelain. He took it. I offered him $20 for each of the framed prints. He took that, too.
When Ron raided my house and took his big screen, he also grabbed his baseball and the Disney statue off my mantle. He did leave the large prints hanging on the wall. The two frames, alone, are valued at about $100 each. Had he known that, I'm sure he would have taken them also.
So, overall, I have concluded that "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." But, I gotta tell ya, it was one hell of a fun adventure. (Easy to say now, because I don't feel like a loser) :-)

What a ride. That's all I can say....other than I don't think I would care to have Ron living next to me. Don't take that wrong...I'm a 'live and let live' kind of person.....you were much more generous than I would have been. I probably would have turned him in but that's because I have a young one and wouldn't want the 'activity' around here. Who's to say what I would have done if it was only me here to think about? Probably the same as you....heck, if it weren't for the fact that he stole his (most probably hot) items back from your house, I can really see no harm. Poor guy. I hope he gets some rehab.

I'm of the belief that we call a spade a spade. There's always gonna be some misfits in society and, though we may not like what they do, it's really the spice of life. Not everyone can be good all of the time. Sounds like Ron can't be good any of the time. But, yes, he's creative. That's for sure. Don't want him around my child but I don't negate his place in life either. There has to be a little bad to know that there is good. It's like doodle bugs on poop. Gross....but there's a reason.