<p>BTF did you have a court order allowing you to evict the tenants?</p>
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<p>Our friend also is our leasing agent who put them in our house. That’s how it works. She watches things for us as we are 3000 miles away most of the time. We met her for coffee while we were in town and there is a group of retired guys I hangout with at the local Starbucks when I am in town without my wife. They were either doctors or other professional types prior to retirement. They all knew her too and their kids had gone to school together, etc. . Unless they are new in town I can find out just about anything I want about anyone. I just usually choose not too unless I need to know. People are very friendly. We did find out that we were first known as “the people from California that were buying up property in town”.</p>
<p>Barrons, you are handling this kindly and with compassion which is more than I can say for a certain poster upstream who clearlyt has NO compassion and cares only about the money.</p>
<p>That one of their kids contacted you is wonderful. I think they will help their mom out until whatever happens (probate or receipt of life insurance or whatever). Thank goodness the woman doesn’t have to worry about being homeless in addition to losing her husband. It gives her the time to make a prudent decision about her future.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, if she wants to continue the lease and is not currently on it, you might want to add her…if she plans to stay. But for now, let it go. You are being a true gentleman about this.</p>
<p>While I know it’s a rental property…sometimes there are things that are more important than the money.</p>
<p>emerald: doors can be removed for repair at any time in the great state of Texas for up to 14 days. There is also no limit to how many times the doors can be removed. </p>
<p>My rent is due by midnight on the first day of the calendar month. Pretty much the time line of eviction I follow:
- post notice on their front door on the 3rd day of the month if the rent is late.
- at this time the tenant has 24 hours to pay rent and late fees or eviction proceedings will begin.
- On the 5th day of the month if the rent and all late fees have not been paid then I will mail a “notice to vacate for non payment of rent” which will be recieved before the 7th of the month.
- On the 7th of the month I go and file eviction with the Justice of the Peace court and serve the tenants myself (some counties require you to hire a county constable)
- The tenant has 6 days in my county to respond to the JP court, if they do not (many dont because they have warrants or whatever) then I win. If they do then they will cry to the judge about how I was a terrible landlord because they saw some crook do that on judge judy and think they can get away with it… Then the judge will ask “did you pay the rent” and I win.
- The tennant is given 5 days to move out. On the 5th day I go in and take the doors off of the house “for repair.” If the tenant is home they will usually start an altercation where the police will be called and the local pd, upon seeing my paperwork will usually talk the tenants into leaving.
- If not I go back to the JP court and file a “writ of possession” which i then have to make an appointment for a constable to go out with me and then the tenant is evicted or arrested for trespassing. </p>
<p>How do you avoid the above? Be tough as nails with the three day late rent policy and posting notice. Once you are known for being an easy mark every deadbeat tenant will tell their friends and before long you are paying for all kinds of undesirables to live in your places rent free.</p>
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Actually, I used to work in a bank and there was someone assigned to do just that. </p>
<p>I’m gathering that BTF is accustomed to renting to a different class of tenants than we are talking about in barrons case. Our experiences have put us somewhere in the middle of these extremes.</p>
<p>I hope this is within CC’s guideline…BowTieFatty - I don’t think you are a nice person. I am blown away by what you are posting here.</p>
<p>I suppose the landlord business as a sole source of income is not for everyone. It would be too stressful for me, even if it was “just” one of several investments. </p>
<p>I also HATE sending accounts to collections, and it rarely pays off, but if you are going to own your own business, it is probably going to be part of your life.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter what kind of business/job you are in, you could choose to be a decent person or you could choose to be a jerk. I work in such a business, and I have seen many people who have gone bad because of greed…</p>
<p>I’m sure you are right. I don’t really know much about business. Still, I have seen many physicians throw in the towel (well really they just go work for someone ). That way someone else ( insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, administrators) get to be the “jerk” and the doc remains a “decent” person. I like to think most folks in business are…“on the spectrum”!</p>
<p>BowTie, not every locality allows doors to be removed.</p>
<p>barrons, you handled it just right (#29). You gave this family the gift of a little time, and removed a potential worry – just when they need it. Well done.</p>
<p>@ Oldfort: you are very correct in assuming that when someone is attempting to steal from me and my family that I am not a very nice person. Once you begin to let people live in your units for free, they will bring their deadbeat friends. Once this happens you loose control and no one pays rent and then the drug dealers start breaking in and setting up crack houses and meth labs. Once that happens you have let not only your investment go, but have caused neighborhood homeowners and other investors to loose theirs as well.</p>
<p>@ zoosermom: I think it is a mistake for places to not allow landlords to remove the doors, but I guess in a way I sort of understand. The big problem is that once you have a tenant who is being forcefully evicted they may begin to trash the place and tear all of the copper out of the wiring. It gets really ugly. You can sue these people and of course the police will toss them in jail if you have enough evidence, but you only end up with a judgement and a destroyed unit. I pull doors so that the tenant does not feel that they can get away with destroying my property in private. At least with the door open you can hire someone to sit on the house and catch them if needed.</p>
<p>And remember everyone if you dont like having to take care of your own units, you can always hire someone like me to do property management. It is a full time job and a headache sometimes, but it is pretty cool in that you dont just sit around in a office all day, but get to be out and about doing stuff. In most states it requires a real estate brokerage liscense, but they are usually not too difficult to get.</p>
<p>BTF - so you are still in college. Below is what you posted in July, 2011:
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<p>@ oldfort - no actually my son is in college and is graduating with a BS in Humanities in December. He and I post on the same account. It actually is easy to tell the differences in our posts though, he has no love for business or work.</p>
<p>Well, I was kind of hoping you were a ■■■■■.</p>
<p>^ he may not have love for business or work, but he may have the persona that is more understood in this thread.</p>
<p>Maybe a certain poster can take a class in being human and compassionate. Do they have those in High School…maybe decency 101?</p>
<p>eidt: can you teach an old dog new manners?</p>
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If this is happening to you, you need to do a better job screening tenants. Rule #1 in landlording: it is better for the apartment to sit empty for another month than rent to a bad tenant. In 20 years, we’ve had to do exactly one eviction. We are very picky about who we rent to. And you can be firm without being a jerk.</p>
<p>You need to be careful about giving out advice about things like removing doors. Most states are not as landlord-friendly as Texas. In my state a tenant is legally considered to own the unit. Removing doors would get you arrested and probably sued.</p>
<p>Barrons - I think you are handling it with compassion and grace.</p>
<p>notrich: I agree that screening tenants is important. I could definitely use some pointers from someone who has had so few evictions. I usually check references, current and 2 previous landlords, and current and 2 previous employers. I know that some people pull bureau on potential tenants but with section 8 there usually is not much credit worthiness. What do you do different that could help me?</p>
<p>BTF, post your slumlord questions and tips in a new thread. That’s not what this thread is about.</p>