The check is...in the mail? Maybe?
The other day, my parents got a letter in the mail saying their mortgage payment was late and they'd been assessed a late charge. Mom was confused, because she knew she'd paid it--and she even went or sent my dad on a special errand to mail it. I think she did it, because she said she'd put it in the first mailbox at the post office. I happened to have to mail a few things this morning, and that first mailbox in the row of drive-up boxes? Is for Priority Mail. The normal mailbox is the last one in the row of three. Hmm.
Anyway, mom sent off another check, paying the late fee, and will pay the October payment on its regular due date. They're still debating if they want to stop payment on the first check, since not only will that cost money, but if it makes it there, they'll just be a payment ahead since the bank will still be able to cash it.
It turns out the mortgage company called and left a message today, and just before I got home dad called them back. He was the last person to touch the phone. About an hour later, after talking to mom, she decided to see if the bank was still open so she could check her balance and see if the first check was cashed. However, as soon as she picked up the phone, she went, "Hello? Hello?" She hung up, picked up the receiver again, and did the same thing. There was no dial tone. We checked the other phones in the house; nothing there either. I thought to call the house with my cell and got a busy signal, which we shouldn't get at all since we have call waiting, which I hate, but there you go. For the past hour or so, dad's been fiddling with the phones trying to figure out what's wrong. He must have called the phone company on his cell to see what was going on and was told the problem must be on our end. Mom had a moment of panic, wondering if she'd mailed the phone bill along with the mortgage and perhaps it got lost too. She was like, wouldn't they give us warning that they would shut off the phones? Not necessarily. This happens sometimes at work--truly fun at a business--where we only find out my boss was late with the payment because the phones won't work. Personally, I don't mind, because I get to play catch-up with stuff, but it annoys everyone else. So, anyway, we're still not sure what's going on, but mom and I are suspicious of dad's involvement, as it's not the first time he's touched something and then it's stopped working. Exhibit #1: Mom's car last year on the weekend of my birthday, when it snowed for about the only time last winter. He moved her car to snowblow; the next time mom went to start it, it didn't start, meaning she missed her last chance to see her father alive. So, yeah, dad doesn't have a good track record.
Anyway, mom sent off another check, paying the late fee, and will pay the October payment on its regular due date. They're still debating if they want to stop payment on the first check, since not only will that cost money, but if it makes it there, they'll just be a payment ahead since the bank will still be able to cash it.
It turns out the mortgage company called and left a message today, and just before I got home dad called them back. He was the last person to touch the phone. About an hour later, after talking to mom, she decided to see if the bank was still open so she could check her balance and see if the first check was cashed. However, as soon as she picked up the phone, she went, "Hello? Hello?" She hung up, picked up the receiver again, and did the same thing. There was no dial tone. We checked the other phones in the house; nothing there either. I thought to call the house with my cell and got a busy signal, which we shouldn't get at all since we have call waiting, which I hate, but there you go. For the past hour or so, dad's been fiddling with the phones trying to figure out what's wrong. He must have called the phone company on his cell to see what was going on and was told the problem must be on our end. Mom had a moment of panic, wondering if she'd mailed the phone bill along with the mortgage and perhaps it got lost too. She was like, wouldn't they give us warning that they would shut off the phones? Not necessarily. This happens sometimes at work--truly fun at a business--where we only find out my boss was late with the payment because the phones won't work. Personally, I don't mind, because I get to play catch-up with stuff, but it annoys everyone else. So, anyway, we're still not sure what's going on, but mom and I are suspicious of dad's involvement, as it's not the first time he's touched something and then it's stopped working. Exhibit #1: Mom's car last year on the weekend of my birthday, when it snowed for about the only time last winter. He moved her car to snowblow; the next time mom went to start it, it didn't start, meaning she missed her last chance to see her father alive. So, yeah, dad doesn't have a good track record.