Re: Shame on you, Mansions at McKinney Ranch

As some of you may remember, I wrote last week about Matt Budge and the incredibly generous (insert tongue in cheek now) people at the Mansions at McKinney Ranch. Well, a fellow blogger that posts by the name The Thinking Man's Princess over at a lively McKinney forum e-mailed me late last night to let me know that, as of last night, nobody's ponied up any money to help with the $9,000 the Mansions say the Budge family owes. The two of us are putting our heads together for a creative way to help the family pay off this debt so they can move on and spend time together - without this hanging over their heads. If anyone has any ideas, let me know. Me? I get a giggle thinking about $9,000 in pennies.

Shame on you, Mansions at McKinney Ranch

I know business is business, and a contract is a contract. But a man is dying of cancer, and his one goal before doing so is to get his family settled with relatives in Utah. I can't imagine having a $9,000 debt hanging over your head, in addition to everything else. So do you think maybe you could cut a guy like Matt Budge a little slack? I'm talking to you, Western Rim Property Services, and you - The Mansions at McKinney Ranch. Such nice humanitarian work as yours has landed you the attentions of CNN as well, who put WFAA's piece on the front page of CNN.com. Nice going. Then this evening comes news that, during Jody Dean's morning show on KLUV, a wealthy woman became so incensed at the news she called in and offered to pay the entire $9,000. But that's really not the point. I know the standard Texas Apartment Association lease - which is what most complexes use - doesn't provide for a hardship arrangement where re-letting fees and such are waived. But it also doesn't say you can't provide it, either. And really, was the now national bad publicity worth the $9,000? Real estate blog Active Rain has more on the problem - including contact information on how to get in touch with Western Rim and management over at The Mansions if you'd like to give them a pat on the back.