Landlords boiler blues

Anybody who has read my previous posts may well just remember an exasperated post by me several weeks ago expressing my frustrations on trying to get my plumber to a property, with his van and in a psychological state which meant he was able to start and finish a plumbing job.

Where can I get full boiler cover for less than a tenner a month?

Well it all came to a head last week.

The boiler which had been cutting out intermittently for months finally gave up the ghost. Apparently the intermittent fault had been causing my tenant some inconvenience as it tended to do it half way through a bath or shower. This required the said tenant to clamber out from his ablutions to go and thump the boiler to get it going again. I was tempted to point out to him that I've been lovingly thumbing my TV for years and it hasn't done it any harm. To me it's part of the uneasy relationship between man technology and inanimate objects. Anyway I still don't get a decent picture, but the TV refuses to die and I refuse to buy a replacement until it does. The result an uneasy stand off!

The thought of my poor tenant having to boil several kettles full of water just to keep his bits clean made me see red. I was straight on the phone giving the plumber a piece of my mind and reminding him of the impact his complacent approach was having on the marriage prospects of my single tenant. Clearly, no woman is going to be interested in a man who is unable to attain a basic level of hygiene, I know this from my experiences with Miss Jones. She is very particular in that department.

Anyway, after a tongue lashing and a clear acceptance that it was his the plumbers fault, he arranged for me to pick up the part from the plumbers merchant. I wasn't keen as the exhaust pipe has fallen off my Reliant and I wasn't sure that it would be able to carry the extra weight. Anyway I reluctantly agreed and delivered the part last week. Finally, resolution and me being able to sleep at night.

At the weekend I had an e-mail from the tenant expressing his thanks that he can now have a bath or shower uninterrupted by a boxing match with the boiler. However, he was a little concerned that the central heating had stopped working. I don't know there is no pleasing some people. Wheres the phone?

to be continued...........