Page 235 - Trump University Commercial Real Estate 101
P. 235

Use a  Time Multiplier



                     The log should match that level of activity. If there is less activity,
                     you may be seeing deferred maintenance happening. If there is
                     more activity, then a discussion with the manager is in order to
                     discuss why.
                           Handle day - to - day operations.  This includes the supervision
                     of all employees. If they don ’ t perform up to their agreed - upon
                     goals, then employees must be trained, counseled, and possibly
                     fired, depending on the situation. That ’ s the job of your manage-

                     ment company.
                           Monitor utilities.  The management company is the contact for
                     the cable, telephone, gas, and other utility companies. That list
                     will vary, depending on whether  net leases  are in place for tenants
                     to pay utilities. I know it sounds basic, but some managers neglect
                     to pay utility bills in a timely manner. That ’ s why the next item is
                     important . . .

                           Manage accounts payable.  These are the bills that are due but
                     not yet paid on a property. You must see a regular accounts paya-
                     ble report, with logs of these payments happening like clockwork.
                     They will also show up in your profi t - and - loss statement. If a
                     property is underperforming, one of the ways that a management
                     company will hide this is by not reporting accounts payable.
                             Management companies can sometimes be more expert at
                     hiding numbers than at managing the property. I once had a
                     company that did not report accounts payable from vendors that
                     had not submitted a W - 9 tax form. It was their  policy . How con-
                     venient, given that it was the management company that had to
                     send out the W - 9s to be fi lled in.
                             My  policy  was to fire these people, after I discovered this

                     deception, and the tens of thousands of dollars ’  worth of unpaid
                     bills that I had not known existed.
                           Prepare other property reports.  The management company
                     will be responsible for sending you the same reports that you will
                     send to your investors. That includes a profi t - and - loss statement,


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