» Ben Franklin - optimist?

in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

Benjamin Franklin’s quote is ironic, especially given this is the time of the year when everyone in the United States is busy preparing their taxes. I’m not sure he realized that one would be no bar to the other in the 21st century though.

Unfortunately, it seems that for some, death is no bar to their quest to get every penny they think they can from people.

In the course of the past week, two stories of miserly attitudes have come to light, showing just how far down the moral well society is sinking.

In Northern Ireland, the family of a student who died whilst attending University in Liverpool, England, have been told by the agency who rented the girl her accommodations that they are liable for the balance of the girl’s rent for the rest of the rental contract.

Brownlow Property Management (BPM) have stated they’re prepared to take the parents of Shauna McCann to court if they have to, to recover the £866 currently outstanding. In a statement, the firm said it “did not feel we are being callous or unsympathetic” towards the family¹.

Actually, I can believe this - I don’t see how any company that could come up with this idea in the first place can feel anything to begin with!

More recently, a man in McKinney, Texas with terminal cancer has been told that he would have to pay over $9000 in fees for breaking his lease if he tries to move his family back to Utah before he dies.

No doubt the leasing company, if he dies tomorrow, would then just go after the bereaved family instead? After all, they want to claw back the $75 credit they once gave the family for damage caused by a water leak if they break the lease!

Have morality and compassion really sunk this low, people so desperate to eke out every penny from others they can regardless of the circumstances?

This repugnant “jobsworth” approach to others is symptomatic of the “Screw you, Jack” attitude becoming so prevalent in modern times. Once upon a time, there was a concept known as “community”, but it seems that concept has become too outmoded - everyone’s looking out for number one, regardless.

When companies are so desperate that they’ll do things like this even to people facing the very worst times of their lives, then those companies do not deserve our money, do not deserve our consideration, and do not deserve to be included in the community - they don’t seem interested in being part of one outside of how they can fill their pockets.

Yes, times are tough right now. But is that any excuse to nickle and dime people, not only to death, but beyond it?

1. icLiverpool.co.uk - Grieving parents told to pay dead student daughter’s rent [back]