Right on the car payments. The lender isn't even supposed to leave a detailed voicemail message (just a request to call but not why) due to privacy.

Good grief providing a contact name is not illegal! Making one call is not illegal! Do you people live in some alternate landlord-tenant police state?

Anonymous wrote:My 40 year old sister missed a few car payments and the bank is calling my entire family.

This is illegal unless your family members cosigned. Be sure to tell the bank that, instruct them not to call again, and write a cease & desist letter reminding them that they are breaking federal laws and are subject to financial penalties if they keep calling.

I can't see how this would be at all appropriate and possibly even illegal unless the parent was a guaranteer on the lease.

Anonymous wrote:
I would call the father, since he is listed as the go-to person for rent problems.
Many posters seem to have trouble with basic reading comprehension. Others don't seem to know the difference between a 40 year old and a 20 year old. Incredible.

As a landlord, even if the father wasn't listed as a contact for the rent, I would still call him if I had the number somewhere - whatever it takes to get the rent!

As a parent, I would like to know whether my children had trouble with the rent. Depending on circumstances, I might pay... or not.

"Children" don't pay rent. They live with their parents. Adults pay rent. Or deal with the consequences when they don't.

Seriously. Land the helicopter.

Who cares if OP's application has that language? Maybe he included it because the tenant was young? It doesn't seem inconceivable and as described it does not sound legally binding. OP, please update us if you're so inclined.

Anonymous wrote:I've been a renter for 20 years and I have never seen an application where it asked for the name of a person to call if I had trouble paying the rent. I'm familiar with leases that say they may require a parent to cosign, but I don't think I'd sign a lease that asked for permission to call my mother or father if I was behind on rent.

Seriously. Who does that?

My kid is 17. I would appreciate the call. No clue if it's legal.

But, I'd appreciate the call more if it was "hey I'm calling to let you know, hoping you can help me get in touch with him- I know he's young so thought perhaps a call from dad might work to help him figure out how he might work this out. I think he's avoiding me because he can't pay". rather than a business like threatening phone call with dates and amounts of bad checks and threats to go to the court.

The threat is unnecessary to the parent. You are trying to make the parent your ally here. Just think a kinder gentler message will be more welcomed. You're asking for a favor, so act like you're asking for a favor, you know?

I feel for the kid. I remember those days of being 20 and having to scrape together rent. I missed my rent payment once and I avoided my landlord like crazy. But I wasn't out partying and being carefree, I was seriously stressing out and trying to scrape the rent together. Just tell you that because you don't really know what's going on with the kid. 20 is just so darn young. Kid isn't even legal yet lol.

I say that not saying what the kid is doing is right. But at that age, who acted appropriately in every situation?

There is a big difference between being listed as an emergency contact and being listed as someone to call in the event of rent issues. If the latter is the case, absolutely call. I would think if you didn't and moved right ahead with collections, the father could have reason to gripe because the agreement says to contact him in the event of financial issues. I would think he'd have an argument that you ignored that step and went right to collections without giving him the ability to make it right first.

Missed car payments and the entire family got a call? Were their names on the loan? That sounds farfetched!

My father was a landlord, rented out his childhood home. He never rented to anyone this young but I am certain he would have called and asked the father. There's no way to predict how the father will react. I'd call. (Separately, I know someone in his 50s who was having trouble with rent due to illness and ended up speaking with the landlord, another friend contacted the landlord to discuss options. People can do thinks outside go to court.)

Good luck.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes, the father is listed on the rental application -- but not the lease --as someone to contact in case the tenant has difficulty meeting the rent. I have been in very limited touch with the tenant. I call; he ignores me. He has bounced several checks, so I have asked him to send me certified checks only from now on. Despite this, he sent me a personal check yesterday, but when I went to cash it at the bank I was told that the funds were not there. I'm posting on this forum because I'm curious to hear from parents of older children: How would you react to a call from the landlord? I am not planning to ask the father for money (I agree that I can't do that since he is not on the lease). But he is listed on the rental application as someone to call about rent, and I am hoping vaguely that he might lean on his son.

There's no reason not to call since this person is blowing you off.

If my kid were acting like this boy, I probably would be grateful you told me (especially since you aren't asking for the funds).

"Hi, Mr. Smith, this is Mary Jones. I am your son John's landlord. The reason for the call is that John is two month behind on rent and you are listed on the rental application as someone to call in the event that John is not paying rent. I have been trying to get in touch with John and he has not been answering my calls or emails. He has bounced two checks in the amount of $xyz each. As I am sure you are aware, uttering a bad check in the amount of $xyz is a felony/misdemeanor (look it up). Before I take any action against your son, I am making this courtesy call to you to see if you can put me in touch with him."

My 40 year old sister missed a few car payments and the bank is calling my entire family.

It may or may not help you get the rent due , depends if the parents are willing to help out, but you would be doing a huge favor to the parent to let them know about the situation. The child could be in some type of trouble, if he is unable to pay his rent. As a parent, I would want to know this.