A cautionary tale, especially for returners

[Shaggy]

Me too maybe we should start a new thread addressed to Rondel with helpful , well thought out recommendations for the site or any others that will listen
We wish only the best for them. They have a great reputation so Its got to hurt them knowing so many ppl are upset. . I still want to see their own staff get licnced for security work. They have been there a long time and trusted. It would be worth the cost for them to do that if its possible. I have no idea what the regulations are and maybe there is some rule about using their own now, I don't know. What we do know is the staff is well trusted by us and many others. They are like family after so many years. We always felt safe when they were on duty.

[Beebeluv]

i think this thread is done...

[Beebeluv]

rondel probably doesnt want to get vitually "beaten to death" on the site... Im sure they are concerned, its how they make money.... If they intend to respond its probably going to take time to word it right and get the plan in place... if there is going to be one.... if...

[Shaggy]

This may sound a bit crazy but another recommendation is dogs. The reason I say this is that the first reach on our trip in Feb. we stayed at catcha gardens for the first week. They had these 2 wonderful dogs that not only were very friendly but excellent gaurd dogs. They would make thier rounds every day and all thru the night. They let you know imiadiatly when someone was on the property that did not belong there. I was quite impresed with them. I loved looking out the window and seeing 1 or both sleeping on our terrace. Un like a human gaurd, dogs seem to have 6th sense about their surroundings. These dog intruduced themself right away to any new ppl staying there so they knew who belonged and didn't. when they had to they sounded vicious . We loved them and we did not even feed them. They seemed to sense what their job was there.

[Shaggy]

plus the dogs would alert the gaurds with their barking I'm sure

[Lola]

Lola, you're the one who recommended the place thay Guirigay and Sweetie Pie went to, right?

So you continue to recommend that place even after the $500 was stolen?

Why not, it was THERE fault for stashing their money in a cup. What were they thinking??? They should expect thieves would hit their room.

You seem to really want this on the board so I'm going to give it to you.

Gerry, plenty people are finding the place and I see people returning each year and multiple times a year. It’s a spacious apartment in a convenient location in a decent yard with a good landlord on site. If someone asks me about it, I am happy to discuss and I give them the landlord's number.

ONE strange experience has not changed all the good of the place and I have lived here more than 3 years and anticipate staying several more. From what I have heard and observed, some long-term visitors/expats have had to move (some more than a few times) due to problems with their apartment or their landlord or the rent or the water or …. But here I am, still in the same place and liking it. Hmmmm, what does that say about the place?

I do not know what happened with their money. Here is the gist of my conversation with the landlord the next day, after I told him they had left in the night (they could not wake him so they came to me, then packed their stuff and left), that they told me they put $500 in a coffee cup in the kitchen cupboard in the morning and it was missing when they got home at 10:30pm:

LL: I went in there yesterday morning with…

I immediately interrupted and said “You can’t go in there when the guests are not there, it is their security. To cover your own *ss you can't go in there without them” He looked at me like it had never crossed his mind, and said it had never been a problem before.

He continued…

LL: Every morning I see them carry their coffee cups up to the roof deck. One mug is a metal travel mug, the other is a regular mug. They were so happy here. In my apartment I found a mug similar to the metal one, I thought they would like it. This morning I looked for them to give them the mug but I did not see them, they must have they left early. I went into the apt to leave the mug I found. I took the metal travel mug out of the kitchen cabinet and put it on the ledge next to the cup I brought in, so they would see both of them right away and understand.

He said he never saw any money (I think GG&SP said the mug was upside down so it should have dropped if it wasn’t seen in the cup), and he locked the door when he left. He said no one else had been around while he was there that day. (his apartment is adjacent and he is usually home). I was in town a couple hours but otherwise home all day and only noted the arrival of a visitor for one of the residents. (I hear and see a LOT from my apt)

GG & SP had left the door unlocked when they departed in the night (leaving the apartment unsecured) so we walked in and looked through and outside the apartment and there was no sign of break-in. We talked about the situation, trying to make sense of things and I reiterated that once the apt is occupied he should not enter without them being present unless there is an emergency. He arranged to get the locks changed.

I was extremely upset and thinking how to make contact with GG & SP when they returned to the property. I stayed near, asked a few questions and tried to be helpful while they talked with the landlord. GG & SP said they would come back to talk again in a couple days but they never did.

So there I was, facing the reality of the situation. Was my landlord a thief? (and if I really thought he was then I have to think about moving) Did someone else have a key? How else could someone have gotten in? How could anyone have known to go directly to that coffee cup? (nothing else was out of place) Were GG & SP lying? If the landlord took the money why would he leave the new cup out with the old cup calling attention to his action? Both parties seemed like really decent people and yet you can never know really know about people. Nothing made sense, nothing fit together.

A couple days later I bumped into a mutual friend of GG&SP and we discussed the situation. In the end we could come up with nothing more than to commiserate that it seemed likely both parties were good people, the situation unfortunate, and we’d probably never know what really happened.

To be clear, I have NO financial benefit in this property, I pay rent and the landlord is ONLY my landlord. And I would allow him into my apartment if I couldn't be here at the same time.

I will probably get at least one inquiry about the place from this post, LOL.

[Fred Stripe]

One good thing about those thieves,,they work late hours,,never call in sick and work in the rain too.

[M&G Montreal]

I don't know if Rambo is back but I hope so. Anyone have an update on this???

Asked about him last trip, and he has moved to Florida. Went back to his wife (no comment). Left a few weeks after his accident. It was a buddy of his - Junior the driver, I think. who told us, so he's a pretty reliable source.

Many women will be in mourning after reading this!

[Oncedeported]

It does seem suspicious that on the day a coffee cup of money was stolen the landlord happened to go in and drop off a new coffee cup for them.

[Piggymon]

Jesus Christ. This is getting ridiculous. Never seen such a rash of thievery in my life. This is very upsetting. A big turnoff.

Why do these people always steal from tourists???

As Willie Sutton was said to say about why he robbed banks, "Because that is where the money is."