Landlord Perils

[tryan]

Here's a pop quiz for all those landlord wannabees:

One of my tenants has not had heat for a year now. Not a problem until last night (coldest night of the year here ... next couple days no better). They got thru the night leaving a trickle running in all the faucets and electric SPACE HEATERS in every room. Just a matter of time before this one POPs and makes a heck of a mess. He owes a grand to the propane company. Tanks were pulled last month. He's also behind in the rent over 1 month. Already served the NOTICE TO QUIT; but a court date and eviction would be 6-8 weeks away. He makes payments weekly to keep from slipping further behind.

Here's my choices:

a. Pony up $1500 to the gas company and have propane service there by COB. And forget about the back rent. And until service is restored a hotel room might be in order .... or a flight and vacation package (Disney sounds nice).

b. Let him slip another month behind so he can find another propane provider. You'll need to lie when called by the provider to determine if they're new tenants or at least say he's no longer in the unit.

c. Do nothing. Pipes haven't froozen YET. Maybe stick some more electric space heaters in the place and ride it out.

Ok, quiz time ... what would YOU do ??

 

[Mr._johngalt]

I am not really a landlord (nor a wannabe). I vote C.

JG

 

[Moemg]

I think it depends on where the rental is located .It's one thing to do without heat on cold days in Northern Florida but to do without heat in Buffalo is inhumane .

 

[tryan]

The plot thickens ...

Option A - previous provider says they'll have new tanks and propane at the house today IF the back bill is paid in full (~$1000). He's got $500 (my weekly payment) and is looking for another $500 from friends/family.

Having a hard time believing the company will not "surprize" him all kinds of re-connect fees and/or make him pre-pay to fill-up. We'll see ...

Option B - is OUT ... new providers need a week to send out a sales guy and process a new customer.

Option C - Just put in 2 more electric heaters. Bearly staying ahead of it ... hot water line in the bath room is frozen. All other pipes are OK.

The tenant is supposed to take a 1/2 off from work "to deal with this" ... not sure what that means to HIM (except beg/borrow/steal $500).

The unit is near the MA - NH border.

 

[Martha]

I'd try forgiving the past due rent in return for him leaving NOW, as in the next few days. Then I would buy propane and rent it out to someone new.

has he applied for emergency fuel assistance, like from the Salvation Army?

 

[Alex]

I like Martha's idea.

Going forward
I'd do a better job at screening tenants or stop renting to low-rent tenants. Or, if I was still intent on serving the low income market, I'd only rent to section 8 tenants.

 

[Glo]

I agree with Martha; that's what I'd do.

 

[tryan]

Just got off the phone with the tenant ... he came up with $1000. The gas co. dropped in a small tank to hold them until a crew can bring in larger tanks (Monday?).

Of course my weekly payment went to "cause". Unit is 70 degrees. Bathroom hot water line is unfrozen.

Reiterated he's leaving in March because he can't afford the unit : ... we'll see. When the cold snap ends I'll try Martha's idea. Just to pull on the heart-strings ... there are 3 kids in diapers in the units.

Thanx for the feed back!

 

[brewer12345]

Reiterated he's leaving in March because he can't afford the unit : ... we'll see. When the cold snap ends I'll try Martha's idea. Just to pull on the heart-strings ... there are 3 kids in diapers in the units.

Thanx for the feed back!

This is why i don't think I will ever be a residential LL. Couldn't stand to let the kids freeze or put them on the street, so I'd lose my shirt.

 

[tryan]

I hear ya ... 20 years I've been doing this only 3 evictions involving young kids went down to the wire (sheriff brings in the movers). Most others result in the tenant moving to friends/family before the movers show-up.

One of the 3 was real tear-jerker ... New Years Eve, this family of 4 - two young kids - was in total denial. Ingored the 48 hour notice. They were just sitting down to BREAKFAST when the sheriff and the moving crew showed up. Not a single box packed (I had to pay an extra $250 ... cash on the spot). The mover hired 2 more bodies off the street to help ... now everything is flying out of the unit. But they won't store perishables (food, plants, animals) sooo ....

Stunned the tenant - holding his 18 month old half dressed in December - walks over to my truck and says "tryan, I need to come back for the food in the fridge. Please don't throw away the food in the fridge. I need the food in the fridge."

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I'd turn the water off too, that'd solve the problem of the pipes freezing.

He's gonna have one hell of an electric bill this month from using the space heaters. That'll be next months problem.

At least he didnt get 'creative' and drag in a kerosene heater or gas grill and burn the house down.

 

[winnie]

I hear ya ... 20 years I've been doing this only 3 evictions involving young kids went down to the wire (sheriff brings in the movers). Most others result in the tenant moving to friends/family before the movers show-up.

One of the 3 was real tear-jerker ... New Years Eve, this family of 4 - two young kids - was in total denial. Ingored the 48 hour notice. They were just sitting down to BREAKFAST when the sheriff and the moving crew showed up. Not a single box packed (I had to pay an extra $250 ... cash on the spot). The mover hired 2 more bodies off the street to help ... now everything is flying out of the unit. But they won't store perishables (food, plants, animals) sooo ....

Stunned the tenant - holding his 18 month old half dressed in December - walks over to my truck and says "tryan, I need to come back for the food in the fridge. Please don't throw away the food in the fridge. I need the food in the fridge."

maybe you should retitle the thread "tenant perils".
winnie

 

[Mr._johngalt]

maybe you should retitle the thread "tenant perils".
winnie

I must have a thousand stories from my "former life" as an active
landlord. Here again, guess I was lucky as I never had to go through
the complete "legal/stuff in the street" eviction. Always was able to
negotiate some kind of a deal to get 'em out. Even if I lost some rent,
it was always a relief.

JG

 

[bosco]

Frankly, a good .44 mag or at least a .357 mag revolver seems the way to go, where legal, with training.

oh, sorry...wrong thread

 

[kowski]

When I was a landlord and would face these types of situations I would go to the tennant and say I understand that they have fallen on hard times but I'm running a business. But so I can stay in business I need someone who can make the payments on time. But I like you and I will give you 200 or whatever in cash if you can be out tommorow. Thats a lot of money to someone who has none. And you arn't making anything with them in there.

 

[Buckeye]

One of the happiest days of my life was the day I sold my rental home in CA. The check at closing was very nice but the relief was incredible. I had been a long distance landlord for 13 years and the chance of ending up with a meth house was getting far too high.

 

[yelnad]

Ugh. Some days I'm glad we pay the heat for our rental units.

 

[MasterBlaster]

"tryan, I need to come back for the food in the fridge. Please don't throw away the food in the fridge. I need the food in the fridge."

< Please, Please the baby is sick. How could you just throw us out into the cold !>

Isn't it great being a landlord.

Isn't it great when your values as a human being clash with your good sense. It's funny how they never discuss this in those get rich quick real estate books and seminars.

 

[larry]

I feel for ya, good luck. Sure makes you appreciate the good tenants.

 

[tryan]

Isn't it great being a landlord.

Isn't it great when your values as a human being clash with your good sense. It's funny how they never discuss this in those get rich quick real estate books and seminars.

Yeah, I let him come back the next morning and get his food. Didn't change the locks until the next afternoon. All the risk was mine ... he could have brought a bat and sought a little "revenge" on my vacant unit ... or left the water running ... or poured cement down the drains ... blah, blah, blah. Sometimes being human trumps business-sense.

 

[unclemick]

Hmmm

Duplex 15 yrs - no real horror stories( fairly good tenants) - even so repairs, etc., etc, made me glad I didn't scale up to more rentals.

Heh heh heh - not a landlord type - all praise be to the stock market.

 

[Nords]

I hear ya ... 20 years I've been doing this only 3 evictions involving young kids went down to the wire (sheriff brings in the movers). Most others result in the tenant moving to friends/family before the movers show-up.

Yeah, I let him come back the next morning and get his food. Didn't change the locks until the next afternoon. All the risk was mine ... he could have brought a bat and sought a little "revenge" on my vacant unit ... or left the water running ... or poured cement down the drains ... blah, blah, blah. Sometimes being human trumps business-sense.

Never had a missed rent check and I hope never to see an eviction, but I'd like to learn from others' experiences-- has anyone been able to avert a situation like this (with all its property-damage potential) by paying the tenants a small sum to vacate?

In other words, an eviction might cost 3-6 months of rent to execute, and at those prices it seems worth it to shortcut the process by offering them one month's cash after they leave the house empty & clean and hand you the keys.

 

[Martha]

We haven't done that, but would if the situation warranted it. I do know landlords that have paid tenants to leave asap.

 

[winnie]

Never had a missed rent check and I hope never to see an eviction, but I'd like to learn from others' experiences-- has anyone been able to avert a situation like this (with all its property-damage potential) by paying the tenants a small sum to vacate?

In other words, an eviction might cost 3-6 months of rent to execute, and at those prices it seems worth it to shortcut the process by offering them one month's cash after they leave the house empty & clean and hand you the keys.

We've had two types of rental properties -- the first kind is nice single family homes in upscale suburban areas. Our problem with those was not evictions, but in getting our predominantly yuppie tenants to stay for the duration of their one year leases. They kept deciding to buy a house half way through their lease and moving out....

The other kind of rental property we have is in a low-cost rural area of CA. Here, we did have a couple who refused to pay their rent and refused to leave. So, having read all the real estate books that tell you that offering these kinds of tenants a cash payment in order to get them to leave works, this is what we did. Well, guess what. They can do the math as well as we. One month's rent cash in hand versus the three months free rent . They declined the cash and hung in there for the 3 months free rent. So, fast forward to the court hearing in January (3 months later) and the judge tells them they have 5 days to pack up. The guy looks at the judge and says "but judge, it's winter. Can't we have until spring to move out and find somewhere? There's snow on the ground!". Even this notoriously liberal judge told them to get real and get out.

Winnie

 

[yelnad]

We haven't paid tenants to leave, but we have paid the occupants of properties we bought at tax sale to leave. Enough for a security deposit and first month rent somewhere else.