ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

Tenant taken by surprise after old landlord sent him a $2,500 check as a 'share' from selling home

Chris Robarge went viral for sharing a heartwarming story of his anonymous landlord.
PUBLISHED SEP 8, 2024
Getty Images Credits: Prostock-Studio (Representative)
Getty Images Credits: Prostock-Studio (Representative)

While many of us struggle with rude and exploitative landlords who try to get extract every cent out of our pockets, things turned out to be vastly different for one lucky tenant. Back in 2021, Chris Robarge went viral for sharing a heartwarming story of his anonymous landlord who was the "best ever". One day, Robrage who is from Worcester, Massachusetts, received a heartwarming letter from his landlord and a gift that melted everyone's hearts. The story shared on Facebook went viral with people lauding the person and wishing they had a landlord like him. 

Representative image | Unsplash | Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki
Representative image | Unsplash | Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki

In his Facebook post, Robarge shared that he was contacted by his former landlord, who asked for his current address out of the blue. He said that he rented a place from the person for quite some time after his divorce and was always charged a fair rent. He said that he also enjoyed his time there. 

Then he received a letter in his mail. The letter said that the landlord had sold the house and wanted to share the profit with the long-time tenant, out of fairness. The envelope had a check for $2,500.

"I am still completely beyond an actual way to describe what this act means to me. All that I can say is that there are people who talk about their values and there are people who actually live them, and the reason I wanted to share this is that I want to encourage us all to actually live our values," Robarge wrote.

Screenshot from the post | Facebook | @Chris Robarge
Screenshot from the post | Facebook | @Chris Robarge

The landlord explained in the letter that keeping all the proceeds from the sale felt “exploitative and antithetical to a just society." He went on to break down why Robarge deserved a share and how he had always tried to be fair. He wrote that he always tried to keep the rent equal to what it cost for the upkeep of the apartment, including mortgage principal, and interest. Since a part of Robarge's rent went toward the mortgage payments, the landlord wanted to return that portion of the rent. 

Screenshot from the Facebook post | Facebook | @Chirs Robarge
Screenshot from the Facebook post | Facebook | @Chirs Robarge

He also mentioned that he calculated the principal amount paid each month in the rent, and then split them between the tenants who were living in the house. He also added 40% more accounting for an increase in the house cost. “While it’s not much, it’s yours! It was a great house and I’m glad that I was able to share it with you,” the landlord wrote. 



 

As the post went viral, hundreds of users lauded the landlord's actions in the comments. "If this is who I think it is they are a gem of our community and one of my personal heroes (if Im wrong...well they are obviously all of those things anyways)," wrote @CaseyBurns. "'Not all landlords' - this is what I’ll do if I ever own a rental property. Thanks for the inspiration, added another user @VirginiaBechtold. 

Screenshots from the comments | Facebook | @Kalo Rohr Blakeslee
Screenshots from the comments | Facebook | @Kalo Rohr Blakeslee

Robarge later shared an update where he explained what he planned to do with the money. For more updates, follow Chris Robarge on Facebook.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
A report from UCLA's Karissa Tang says entry level jobs of teens are first in line to be eliminated
1 day ago
Representatives of the SSA have strongly denied these claims with aggressive remarks.
1 day ago
The retailer might offer cheap prices but products need to be of decent quality as well.
1 day ago
More than 8.3 million workers will be paid more starting January 1, 2026, thanks to the rise in minimum wage.
1 day ago
The bacteria can prove harmful not just to the animals but to humans as well.
1 day ago
Millions of Americans have turned to the retailer who seems to offer the most affordable prices.
1 day ago
This will be a huge boost for the residents of the states, who have been craving for some relief.
1 day ago
"Contestants need to stop choosing CDM as their consonants. Think outside the box," a fan reacted.
1 day ago
This will not be good news for the Republicans ahead of the Midterm elections.
2 days ago
The situation might help Donald Trump who is hoping to reduce trade deficit.
2 days ago
America has a shortage of skilled labor and Walmart is taking things into its own hands.
2 days ago
Goldman Sachs has projected a 2.6% GDP growth rate for 2026, higher than the 2% consensus.
2 days ago
Notably, the first half of the year saw 17 significant bankruptcies involving businesses with assets worth more than $1 billion.
2 days ago
CEO Sam Altman admitted the role will be tough, but it will help mitigate the dangers of AI.
2 days ago
"Don't beat yourself up, Jeff. That one stumped pretty much everybody watching tonight, including yours truly," a fan reacted.
2 days ago
In an interview on Fox News' The Big Picture, The Shark Tank star expressed optimism for the economy.
3 days ago
New members will be given a gift card, which can be used for online and in-store purchases.
3 days ago
The IRS Chief, Frank Bisignano, predicted that the largest tax refunds would be due to the OBBBA cuts.
3 days ago
After a certain age, every account holder needs to withdraw a certain amount per year, which is taxed.
3 days ago
The Nobel laureate believes that 2026 will see way more people lose their jobs to the technology.
3 days ago