Crack Head Renters?
OH...Ive rented my house out After being For Sale for 2 yrs. Ive moved 30 min. away my next door neighbor watches it for me, She is sceaming mad and calls me daliy and says there doing and selling crack out of it, There rent is always late the yard has gone to the dogs, She said if I dont go to the cops she will, What am I to do? Can they take my house away from me? Do I tell them to get out the cops are coming? Im trying in a nice way to kick them out. Hopfully my house isnt torn up It was so pretty when I had it When I drive by I want to cry. PLEASE HELP...
Answers:
Start a formal eviction process, and then notify the local police. They will not fault you if you are acting in good faith and are trying to get them evicted legally.
Get a lawyer. Even a low cost one. They can help you keep your name and politely and legally get them to move on.
Tell your neighbor to call the cops - or you can. Then call the tenants and tell them to get out. If your lease has a clause in it that says they can't do illegal stuff, give them notice to evict. If they are 3 days late, send a late rent notice and then go about evicting them. Hope they left you a nice sized deposit b/c it sounds like you are going to need it. I would contact a lawyer and see if its worth going in, changing the locks and seeing if they sue you!
Burn the house down with the evil drug dealers in it and let collect the insurance and be done with the whole mess.
Did you have a lease with the tenant? If so, there is probably a provision requiring the tenants to refrain from illegal activity, and in that case you can evict the tenant(s) for cause (i.e., for violating the lease). If you do not have a lease, there is still a common law responsibility of the tenant to keep premises in reasonably good repair; if the property really has "gone to the dogs," then you can likely evict on those grounds.
To answer your (probably) biggest concern, no one can take your house away because your tenant is engaged in illegal activity. If the police come, the tenants who are enaged in the drug activity will be arrested. However, unless you permitted, encouraged, or otherwise acquiesced in the drug activity, your house should be safe.
You should call a landlord/tenant lawyer immediately to figure out the specifics of your situation and get specific legal advice (which this is not).
I also want to emphasize that you really do need a lawyer in this situation. Most states have very specific laws about how a landlord can evict a tenant, and if you do not follow those laws to the letter, the eviction will not succeed. For example, as the person above noted, you could go in and change the locks. If you do, not only will the tenants be allowed to leave, YOU could be liable to THEM for money. So be careful, hire a lawyer, and don't break the law in trying to evict them.
Moreover, calling the police can help, but is not the end-all solution. You could imagine that the person gets arrested, but does not get convicted, or only gets probation, etc. That would mean that the tenant is back, even after getting arrested. You have to evict them to kick them out. The police will not "take care of it for you."
Good luck!
I would drop a phone call on the police, telling them to put the house on their watch for suspicious activity list. Let them get rid of them for you. Rather than you spending all the money and time, you might have to otherwise.
A "nice" way to kick them out? Screw that. They are destroying your property and it's values, and exposing you to public nuisance lawsuits! Get them out now!
don't bow down to a bunch of crackheads, kick them out. you can go about this legally (always nice to have the law back you up), or there are other ways.
this could indeed cost you, has probably already cost you, have you been inside lately? you cannot negotiate reasonably with this type of person. you must be seriously proactive.
be aware, as someone above mentioned, the authorities will not try to seize your property if you are actively engaged in remedying the problem.
You cannot afford to be nice, you must be legal when you are renting your property to other people. People are lawsuit happy this day and age and you must do what you can legally to protect yourself. You have landlord rights just as much as the tenants have rights under state law. You need to go to where ever your rental property is with a police escourt and you tell them that you suspect illegal activity on your property and get copies of police reports to document the incidents. (Police Records are public record)
You need to go to the court and file a 7day eviction notice and evict the tenants off of your property for failing to pay rent in a timely fashion and you can evict the tenants for suspicion of using and/or selling illegal drugs.
Another option you have is write a letter to the tenants advising them what you want them to do to resolve the issues you are having with them and let them know what you plan to do in writing if they do not comply with your requests. Send your letters certified or registered mail. If you create paper trail giving the tenants a fair opportunity to wise up and you can show the judge that you have been more than fair with your tenants then the judge is more likely to grant you a judgment against the tenants
I understand that you must feel really bad that you rented your property in good faith and people are treating your property like scum. But, you need set aside those feelings for now and take legal action right now.
You might wish to discuss your options with an attorney. But, your first step is to file suit against your tenants and getting them removed from your property.
I hope my advice helps. Good Luck and Stay Positive
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