NPR: Working for landlady- WWYD?

femmegem

So my landlady is kinda crazy. She's a born-again Christian who believes that God healed her, her cat, and her best friend all in one fell swoop and she tried to baptize my DH in the sink when we were signing out lease. You read that right- I said my husband, not my DS. She's coocoo.

So she has a web site that she wants me to work on (it has to do with her ministry, so it's some religious thing and I am really not religious- I'm not an atheist, but I'm certainly also not a Bible-thumping Christian like she is) and I've agreed to do it, but I'm having some second thoughts. On the plus side I think it won't be hard and she will just deduct whatever I earn from our rent, which will be great. We could use whatever extra money we could get right now.

On the other hand, she's a little loony and the less contact I actually have with her the happier I am. Plus if I do this I'm on the hook to either continue maintaining her website after we move (and at that point obviously she'll have to pay me outright) or to help her find someone else to do it.

I mean no offense to anyone who is religious. Religion is fine. My landlady just takes it to a level that's invasive. She left the house we're renting vacant for half a year before we moved in because she refused to rent it to any unwed couples. She didn't want anyone who was "living in sin" to be in her house. She admitted to us that she knew what she did was against the law, but that she was following a "higher law." It's fine to believe whatever you want to believe, but when you try to push that on other people I have a problem with that. 

So having said all that- would you do it? Or make some excuse and get out of it now? 

Wan-naBe

get.

out.

now.

seriously. ?you're just opening a can of worms that will be impossible to get rid of.?

co18co

If you're worried, don't do it.  BUT, if you think both parties can treat it professionally, I'd roll with it.

mags2041

Yeah, doing this for her might turn into more & more stuff and then you're trapped.... its best to just try to get out now.

cristiana

The less contact, the better, it would seem, just from what you've already described.

breezee_bean

I would prob. avoid it.  You don't want her to some day think that you need to exorcised or something. 

femmegem

Wan-naBe:

get.

out.

now.

seriously. you're just opening a can of worms that will be impossible to get rid of.

Aaargh. You just confirmed my worst fear.

What the eff do I say to her now to get out of it, though? The issue becomes the fact that she takes her ministry so personally, she's going to be highly affronted if I now back out.

Anyone have a good excuse for me?

hero

Claim that you feel it's a conflict of interest since she is your landlord.

breezee_bean

femmegem:

Wan-naBe:

get.

out.

now.

seriously. you're just opening a can of worms that will be impossible to get rid of.

Aaargh. You just confirmed my worst fear.

What the eff do I say to her now to get out of it, though? The issue becomes the fact that she takes her ministry so personally, she's going to be highly affronted if I now back out.

Anyone have a good excuse for me?

Just say that life with a toddler/household leaves little time for other stuff???

Wan-naBe

hero:

Claim that you feel it's a conflict of interest since she is your landlord.

this is a good one. ?or, just use the "my day is so busy with the kid, the house, etc. that i'm afraid i simply don't have time for it."

if you can give her suggestions on web designers to call, that might soften the blow a bit. ?you know, give her a solution so she doesn't feel like she got tossed out of an airplane without a parachute.?