That too, but why does the knock have to be a TKO? Why not a knot on the head but the OP is left still “standing”? What I mean is, I think the lesson can be learned without the OP suffering the fullest consequences possible for their mistake. They may already be eating beans and the like for a time until the catch back up. 
There is no “why” about it. Life simply ain’t fair. Sometimes a little mistake gets you dead. Sometimes a big mistake gets you rich. Sometimes doing the right thing gets you punished. Sometimes doing the wrong thing gets you praised.
My thought exactly.
To the OP: **Liberal ** et al. are right–this is a life lesson (a damn sucky one, for sure), but if you take heed, it’ll sure as holy hell stand you in stead going forward and later in life when you’ll potentially have much more money than this rent payment to lose.
I’m sorry that you had to learn it this way, though. I hope this doesn’t jam you up.
Do you have renters insurance? If so, call them up and see if you can file a claim to have this applied toward your deductible. Probably not, but if you can, you might be glad you did.
If you can come up with a way to work out of this without losing the money we’re all ears. I just don’t think that it is possible based on what we know. It sucks, and certainly talking to the landlord can help for setting up a revised payment plan, but I really think that money is gone. Think Uncle Billy in “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
Sorry about your really bad luck. How much we talking here?
As speaking of meth addicts, I once witnessed some really odd and disturbing behavior in a subway station. A 20ish man, who was clearly strung out, shoved something down the coin slot of the turnstile machine so that the token would drop down just out of reach, but not far enough to release the turnstile lock. After the commuter left, (having either paid again or hopped over the turnstile), the addict would walk over and suck the coin out of the slot. With his mouth. On the filthy turnstile.
:eek:
If a guy would suck coins out of a turnstile for drug money, he’d steal rent money from his neighbor.
I agree with the life-lesson angle…the buy-a-money-order angle…
But not with the blanket assumption that MethNeighbor did it.
Likely suspect, sure.
Any evidence that he did it…not a shred as far as I can tell.
Sometimes likely suspects are innocent.
It has been a long time since I’ve read the Ox Bow Incident, but I think I might pick it up again.
In addition to echoing the “never pay with cash” advice, I must also wonder why anyone would put even a check in a “drop box”. It is just asking for trouble. Call the landlord, make an appointment, and give it to him in person. Yeah, you’re busy, he’s busy, but unless you want to replay this scene, even if it only writing a new check, or getting a refund on a lost money order, you would be better off to take the time and do it in person.
OP never paid the rent. Blew it on dope and hookers*. Posted this to cast suspision on Tweeky McMethhead, so he can point it out to landlord later and cry, “Oh, I’m such a stupid-head! See? Everyone knows it! But it was that Theiving bastard neighbor! See? Everyone agrees!”
Why would he call the landlord and tell him he was dropping cash in the box? You do that every month?
God, I’m such a dick. 
This landlord doesn’t have an address? There’s an entire nationwide network dedicated to the task of getting written material–like checks–from one place to another with astonishing accuracy.
That isn’t’ what I’m saying. I know the money is gone. Still, I hope they can work it out with their landlord, and not get more trouble then just the money being missing. (Along with the having to eat beans, and maybe give up any other small extras they could get until they are caught up.) Does that make sense?
Sorry this happened to you. I don’t have a meth-addicted neighbor, but otherwise my apartment setup is identical to yours: secured apartment, rent drop box, nice neighbors and landlord. My landlord wouldn’t accept cash, though, and I would never give him cash. Too inconvenient and risky.
I recall a previous Pit thread where your bike was stolen outside your apartment. Was this the same apartment? I don’t mean to be a dick by bringing this up, but a druggie neighbor and prior incidents of theft would make me paranoid about leaving valuable things outside and out of my sight. I echo the advice to use money orders instead of cash and make transactions in person.
Not sure what advice to give for the immediate situation…it totally sucks…I remember well those days of being a student and being completely broke. But for the future…please heed Liberal’s advice to always always always get a receipt when you pay cash. For all you know, the landlord DID receive it, and is just telling you he didn’t.
I have to chime in on this. I had a landlord that would ONLY accept cash. A time was arranged (Easy as the landlord was retired and lived in the building) and a receipt was issued on the spot. Best business practices say CYA, you clearly did not. I feel for your situation and it sucks, but you did leave yourself very vulnerable. The meth addict is a good suspect, but so is the landlord. Not getting any income from the meth addict apartment, and incurring legal fees for the eviction might have put him into financial duress. It also occurred to me you are a suspect as a person under admitted finacial duress claiming theft of a payment with no tangible proof such payment was ever made.
Not accusing anyone of anything, but based on motive for lack of physical evidence, I would say it is a flip of the coin. If it lands on the edge it was someone else.