How Much?

A tenant contacted my management agent to report something nasty happened to the washing machine in his flat and when he opened it after his laundry had finished raw sewage poured out - all over the floor of the galley kitchen and then soaking the carpet. Management told me he'd made a list of what was in the machine plus all the bath towels and tea clothes he'd used to mop up and wanted the cost deducted from his rent.

Fair enough. Then I got a copy of the list. I'm not as green as I look!

• Ten pairs of Calvin Klein knickers at £30 a pair.
• Two pairs of the most expensive jeans in the world=£300
• Six white designer label T/Shirts at £40 each.
• Four bath sheets at £40 each.
• Ten linen tea clothes at £10 each.

Now, I've been on the web and I can't find any Calvin Klein knickers that cost that much anywhere. I've been to department stores and I'm having problems finding linen tea clothes costing more than £3.00 and anyway I bought the washing machine and you can't load it with that much stuff as its too small.

Not only that, I'm betting he has contents insurance anyway so he'll claim on that and expect over £1000.00 off his rent too! The agents asked him where the ruined items are and he said he'd binned them. He also had a receipt for every item but I reckon he knows somebody who works in this particular department store and they did him a favour. Cheeky eh?

Plumber and carpet shampoo firms have already been in and sorted things but I shall feel sick if I really have to replace all that gear. Specially as I shop in the local street market ;-)