Things You Can Learn Painting Doors.

One of the biggest things that chaps my backside is a scratched or faded front door and frame. I make a point to repaint apartment doors and frames where ever I am working at any particular time. It is a "thing" with me, call it a sickness if you want. Nothing betters the appearance than a freshly painted front door and door frame.
So, I was working at a complex and I noticed one building that faces the sun in the afternoon with all faded doors. I could not be held back. I did the doors in gloss hunter green, and the frames in almond semigloss.

Now to my post. I was doing an upstairs unit on the end. My method is to sand/scrape/repair the frames, paint them, and then the door itself. I then leave the door ajar a little bit for the paint to dry. On this unit, there was a man and two little girls in the unit. I advise them on what is going on outside the door.
Soon, home comes the female, who I think is the tenant and mother. The door is ajar as I am brushing out the hunter green. The man and woman get into it. No sentence is completed without the "F" word at least twice. I hear the kids crying. The guy is yelling at her. "F" words to the kids as well, and lots of them. Do I go in? I am finishing up the door and I am in turmoil. Some of the most vulgar talking, making me sick, and I am an Army vet. No sentence without F words and I hear things slamming around inside. Do I go in? Do I call the police or Child Protective Services? Or do I just sling open the door and put a stop to it? The kids are being yelled at with lots of "F" in the yelling.
I finish up and go to the office and write up a full report. I give it to the site manager. What else could I do?
This is just one of many things I learn when I paint doors.

As a manager, I would have wanted you to come straight to the office to inform me of what I would consider "a disturbance." I would then go straight to the apartment with you in tow. Ring the doorbell and ask if I could come in.

I would note who was inside the apartment then check to see if they are lease-holders.

At that time, if there was a disturbance in progress, I would either contact the courtesy officer or the police.

I would write the resident up for a disturbance and make it clear what I would do if that were to happen again.

If nothing was happening when I got there, I would still send a note "It has come to my attention."

You can't tell people how to treat other people, only what they are doing that is a disturbance and what you will do if it happens again. It could be very dangerous to all if another person is brought into the middle of something like this who is not trained how to handle these situations.

Ask your manager to establish written protocol if this were to happen again. Staff should know what to do in these situations.

@Sandy

Thanks for your comments but I am afraid I made it sound like in the post that I did not know what to do. I am sorry if it came out like that. Knowing what to do was not the point of the post at all. If I asked my manager to establish written protocol as you suggest, I would be asking myself.
The point of my post is "the situation itself". No, it's nothing new. but it is still sickening to run into. Not that this does not play out everywhere, all the time. I am simply (by posting this) pointing out to my fellow property managers something they themselves face from time to time. You see, like so many situations on here, it's not the fact that it happened, it is the fact that something like that does, can, and will happen. It is a post to show the decline of our American society.
That is it plain and simple. When you age, one of the first things to go is your patience and tolerance for stupidity. I am 67, and I know I have lost those qualities about me. I took the action due to this, mostly, and to not just go in and "clean house" on them. I have to pull in the reins on myself, and I know very well how and that I must do that. Again, the post was just to relate the situation, not to ask for advice. My apology for making it sound like that. However, thank you for your comments none the less!!
HBS

As a followup, I have decided that one more incident from these folks and they will be history. After some thinking, and this post I made, I decided these people have no respect for themselves, me, or anyone else. They knew full well I was in earshot of them the whole time. One more thing and they will need a trip to a grocery store to get some boxes as they will be moving.

The lesson for them I hope, is next time, the old gray haired neanderthal in the white painter pants might be someone other that just the painter.

HBS

That brings up a question:

We keep hearing the term 'mandated reporter' being used when a medical professional, or an educator is required to report suspected victims of abuse.

If we as property management staff suspect child, elder, or domestic abuse; are we required to report it and are we exempt from prosecution if our suspicions are unfounded?

If not, should we be?

I dread having these suspicions and due to the responsibility of maintaining confidentiality, not being able to do anything about it. This is a case where I would want to be wrong if I had these suspicions; but admit to not being an expert, nor playing one on TV.

Johnny, Although apartment management personnel, per se, are not required to report suspected incidences of child abuse, I, as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) am. I have witnessed a few incidents, but my power of observation has served me well. For others, I would strongly encourage you to report any suspicions by calling anonymously the ChildHelp hotline number, 1-800-4-A-Child. You may be helping save a life! There are also local numbers to call for child abuse and elder abuse. Those numbers are listed under government pages and under the area's Prosecutor's Office.

Herb, you are so wonderfully astute in your observations of human behavior! Like Sandy, I would want my Maintenance Techs to call me at the apartment where there is an issue and I will come over immediately and intervene. Yep, I would intervene. My innate intuition helps me decide how to intervene. Sometimes interjecting a little levity into the situation can diffuse and volatile situation, but sometimes humor will not work.

Thanks, Mindy;

Have you ever had to make a report in your position as a property manager, and if so; how did you protect yourself and your company if the suspicions were unfounded?

I have made many, many reports, both as a teacher (only a couple) and as a Manager. I have never had to "protect" myself or the company for unfounded suspicions because I was not careless in my reporting. For example, my standards are not the standard of care in a court of law. My idea of clean is vastly different from the minimum standards. The law says a child needs a mattress to sleep on, the bare essentials of running, hot water (or a way to heat water), heat source in the housing unit, and some food, way of sustaining health. So really a child can sleep on the floor on a mattress, have a space heater, a piece of bread with a smattering of peanut butter, and water heated on a pan in the stove for a sponge bath and be within the minimum standards. Trust me, all children should have and deserve more!

I have called in reports of children being neglected (left alone for an hour), no clean clothes with no food in the house. But I quickly learned to step in and call on social service organizations that will provide food and clothing rather than throw the family into CPS investigations. I have been on property with my cops while CPS came in to remove children. It's gut wrenching! The first time, afterwards, I cried and cried while my cop friends hugged me. Then, because the children had nothing, we went to the store at our own expense and bought clothes, teddy bears, and put the items in a backpack with a book for bedtime and I delivered it to the CPS worker.

I have had mothers who threatened to sue me and I replied, "Fine. See you in court." I have never and will not back down because I understand the difference between true abuse and although I do not agree with, the minimum standard of care. I know that if a child of 18 months is walking around on site with a sagging, full diaper wearing no other clothing and is crying (or even playing happily at the play area)no matter the weather that this child has been neglected. I also know to call the police. When the Officers arrive we go together to the apartment and read the riot act to the neglectful parent. I also know no one will remove this child because the Police and Social Workers have to pick their battles, too.

I think sometimes because I am so forceful (and confident) that people understand I mean business. I know that my management company (at that time) was NOT supportive of my position as a CASA and would be the first to walk away should someone take me on and sue me. However, I have never been wrong. I don't call for the little things. I call for repeated patterns of neglect and outright abuse. Calling your kid a little "F@#$er" would not make me call in a report of child abuse. Hearing someone beating a child, smacking another person around, threatening to kill the child, parent, etc. would make me intervene immediately. Seeing brusies or a child hobbling, losing weight, a child who cowers in the presence of his parent ... all pause for thought and a reason to at least pick up the phone and report my suspicions.

There is no such thing as unfounded suspicion when it is a virtual stranger calling it in, in my opinion. I have no vested interest in starting some trash talk or rumors about a parent, step parent, or guardian, whether he is a Resident or not. In fact, I am very respectful of the fact that I have some evidence before making a report. It is a very, very serious matter when deciding to take children away from parents. I have testified several times when petitioning the courts to terminate parental rights. It takes a strong person to take this on because few people really know how much it hurts you to see so much anguish, sadness, and anger in families. I am not sure if I answered your question completely or not (can you tell I'm passionate?) but let me know if I can clarify anything for you. Also, I have also dealt with elder abuse and it is just as emotionally taxing and it is sad that it is a necessary thing as well.

I felt a great compassion for the children indicated in my OP. Having experience through my wife, who worked Federal Funds Programs, including the Migrant Education Program and Title I in the school system, my wife did thousands of what they called "home visits". This is something Mindy is going to be very familiar with due to her teaching times.

The children are of course innocent of the entire matter, yet they will grow up to be just like the parents unless there is strong intervention somehow. They will follow suit to become:

Uncivil
Vulgar
Rude
foul mouthed
welfare specialists
no marketable skills
and living in subsidized housing the rest of their lives.

Kind of stereotypical and situational of today, isn't it? The chain has to be broken.
In some cases, a child on their own will retreat from this lifestyle, educating themselves, and climbing out of this despair and degradation. I have seen that happen several times. They might even become a doctor or scientist or other professional person. My wife never evicts if there is children involved, unless there is drugs or violence, or DHS intervention which removes the children. She finger points me and chides me if I get upset and forget the kids are involved. They would have to have some kind of home. I usually walk back in the office and tell her she is right, because she is. I am a hot headed old croak, but I do have a soft heart, believe it or not!! When I think of the kids, I have to think of my own precious daughter and my two grand kids. Well, the wife prevails again, BUT my path better never be crossed again!!! Grrrrrr!! (OK---NOT!)