Mitchell3
01-20-2014, 07:27 PM
As some of you already know I am in property management. What that is, for those who don't know, is we manage rental properties on behalf of the property owners (landlords). So I have quite a few stories :chuckle. Often, on the forum and elsewhere, you hear about nightmare landlords that don't fix the home and so on. So I share with you our latest story which is the complete flip side.
September 1st we moved a family in which met our qualifications on the application. No real red flags other than a new job - we required them to have a co-signer. House was in very good shape, brand new carpet. About a month later we hear they split up. As of then we would not receive a single rent payment. Also, the woman who moved out then cancelled the gas heat meaning it reverted back into the owners name. Not long after we get reports from neighbouring tenants that there is stuff stored all over the front porch and back yard (these are townhouses), police have been there several times and towed a vehicle. We're suspecting a grow op or something, so I get sent in to deliver a notice of entry to inspect the property and tell them to get all their stuff inside (there is A LOT). Day of the inspection a knock on the door and no answer. Since I gave them notice I try my key but funny that the lock got broken.. I'm about to leave and I figure heck I'll try the door knob and sure enough it was left wide open.. I walk in about a foot and someone peeks around the corner. I tell her why I am there and they of course play dumb that they had no idea. I inspect the house and don't see any evidence of illegal activities, just random people who are not on the lease or on the application as occupants. One room had a lock installed however which I figured hid something from us. So I tell them everything that the tenant needs to do: pay rent, get the gas back in their name, stop any possible illegal activities.. Later we find out those random people are the tenants new gf, brother, a sister (I think) and parents. All who we're not on the lease.
I do a follow up inspection and this time I cannot get in and the stuff is still all outside. As I am about to leave the tenant shows up. I tell him I need to talk to him and I tell him everything that needs to be done. Surprisingly on my third inspection the stuff had been cleared off the porch but still remained in the back yard. No rent, no gas. So I tell him again what needs to be done and he plays dumb the whole way.. At this point our office decided to cut our losses and offer them the chance to vacate immediately without the lease being held against them. We could tell this wasn't going to go anywhere. But they didn't take it.
Next we get a call that the tenants hydro meter was removed due to tampering... Short while after we get a call now that the tenants are stealing hydro.. They used an extension cord going to the neighbours exterior outlet. So she unplugged obviously and called the police. However there was nothing legally we could really do against them. Then again, this time with a unit two doors down the owner is trying to sell which is empty. The police had been called again and this time cut the extension cord. At some point around this time we hear from the police to not enter the property without a police escort as there were arrest warrants out for the occupants.
At this point it is starting to get into winter, still no sign of any cooperation. It was supposed to get real cold that weekend so with no gas heat because no hydro the pipes could freeze. So we had the water shut off and drained, since it was so conveniently in our name.. don't think that they won't still use the toilets.. Again police had to be called for us to get inside. Tenants weren't there. At some point around here we also learn that the tenant isn't even living there anymore! Its just this gf's family and we can't do anything about it.
We then hear that police and fire had been in the home after discovering propane tanks very likely being used to heat the home which isn't safe. The police couldn't even take them because there was no proof that they were being used to heat the home. We inspected and secured the house which is now pretty rough looking. Not terrible but bad. At the same time our office gets a call from the occupant living there! He said he wants to make things work as he is paying the tenant to stay there. I forget the conversation but it ended with :getout
Afterwords, due to the hydro being shut off and all the other things in addition to a few occurrences of the door being left wide open we made several attempts to get inside and change the locks on the home to make sure it was safe. Two days waiting for police to arrive without luck. Eventually we get in and we have our locksmith put a working lock on the door and a piece of wood on the garage door and lock up all the windows. The place is pretty messy, stuff everywhere. garbage, junk, bird cage complete with living birds..
A few days later I drive by and check on the home and sure enough it was broken into. I call the police and tell them the situation. Police come and tell me that since they live there nothing could be acted on, even though their not even on the lease, but he'd still write a report. So we have our contractors come and barricade all the doors. At this very point we had only been able to finally get a hearing date for non-payment of rent and unsociable activities (junk, lock, gas not in their name, etc.). So stupid how this system protects the people ruining our owners home and stealing utilities.
Hearing comes and goes and then we need to wait to file for eviction. We file for eviction but since it falls on holidays, the sheriff is shut down for like 2.5 weeks.. So finally last Wednesday they were evicted, they haven't really been seen since the water was shut off though. I was in the house today and it is pretty awful. Floors are just sticky, stuff eeeverywhere, fridge full of mold, can't even walk into the one bedroom so much stuff, the others you cant see the floor anymore. Lots of stains on the new carpet. Walls scuffed and holes through them. They had the home 4.5 months it went way down hill.
We're still waiting to get utilities turned on and start working on the home to get it ready for sale now but just in rent their outstanding over $3000 + all the utilities in the owners name + $600 to have the electrical inspector in + junk removal which could be another $1000+ plus new carpets, wall repairs, etc etc.. then factor in how much of our time was spent on this. Days. Then think of police resources being wasted to have to keep being called to the property rather than get them kicked out.
We'll see how things continue to play out but the destruction SHOULD be done..
The kicker is the tenant's employer signed the lease as a co-signer so we have three people to chase with collections. (Side note to always watch who you sign a lease with)
There were several other incidents but that outlines the majority of the story. So stupid that basically someone could climb in a window and start living there and not pay you a dime and it take months to get them out legally..
September 1st we moved a family in which met our qualifications on the application. No real red flags other than a new job - we required them to have a co-signer. House was in very good shape, brand new carpet. About a month later we hear they split up. As of then we would not receive a single rent payment. Also, the woman who moved out then cancelled the gas heat meaning it reverted back into the owners name. Not long after we get reports from neighbouring tenants that there is stuff stored all over the front porch and back yard (these are townhouses), police have been there several times and towed a vehicle. We're suspecting a grow op or something, so I get sent in to deliver a notice of entry to inspect the property and tell them to get all their stuff inside (there is A LOT). Day of the inspection a knock on the door and no answer. Since I gave them notice I try my key but funny that the lock got broken.. I'm about to leave and I figure heck I'll try the door knob and sure enough it was left wide open.. I walk in about a foot and someone peeks around the corner. I tell her why I am there and they of course play dumb that they had no idea. I inspect the house and don't see any evidence of illegal activities, just random people who are not on the lease or on the application as occupants. One room had a lock installed however which I figured hid something from us. So I tell them everything that the tenant needs to do: pay rent, get the gas back in their name, stop any possible illegal activities.. Later we find out those random people are the tenants new gf, brother, a sister (I think) and parents. All who we're not on the lease.
I do a follow up inspection and this time I cannot get in and the stuff is still all outside. As I am about to leave the tenant shows up. I tell him I need to talk to him and I tell him everything that needs to be done. Surprisingly on my third inspection the stuff had been cleared off the porch but still remained in the back yard. No rent, no gas. So I tell him again what needs to be done and he plays dumb the whole way.. At this point our office decided to cut our losses and offer them the chance to vacate immediately without the lease being held against them. We could tell this wasn't going to go anywhere. But they didn't take it.
Next we get a call that the tenants hydro meter was removed due to tampering... Short while after we get a call now that the tenants are stealing hydro.. They used an extension cord going to the neighbours exterior outlet. So she unplugged obviously and called the police. However there was nothing legally we could really do against them. Then again, this time with a unit two doors down the owner is trying to sell which is empty. The police had been called again and this time cut the extension cord. At some point around this time we hear from the police to not enter the property without a police escort as there were arrest warrants out for the occupants.
At this point it is starting to get into winter, still no sign of any cooperation. It was supposed to get real cold that weekend so with no gas heat because no hydro the pipes could freeze. So we had the water shut off and drained, since it was so conveniently in our name.. don't think that they won't still use the toilets.. Again police had to be called for us to get inside. Tenants weren't there. At some point around here we also learn that the tenant isn't even living there anymore! Its just this gf's family and we can't do anything about it.
We then hear that police and fire had been in the home after discovering propane tanks very likely being used to heat the home which isn't safe. The police couldn't even take them because there was no proof that they were being used to heat the home. We inspected and secured the house which is now pretty rough looking. Not terrible but bad. At the same time our office gets a call from the occupant living there! He said he wants to make things work as he is paying the tenant to stay there. I forget the conversation but it ended with :getout
Afterwords, due to the hydro being shut off and all the other things in addition to a few occurrences of the door being left wide open we made several attempts to get inside and change the locks on the home to make sure it was safe. Two days waiting for police to arrive without luck. Eventually we get in and we have our locksmith put a working lock on the door and a piece of wood on the garage door and lock up all the windows. The place is pretty messy, stuff everywhere. garbage, junk, bird cage complete with living birds..
A few days later I drive by and check on the home and sure enough it was broken into. I call the police and tell them the situation. Police come and tell me that since they live there nothing could be acted on, even though their not even on the lease, but he'd still write a report. So we have our contractors come and barricade all the doors. At this very point we had only been able to finally get a hearing date for non-payment of rent and unsociable activities (junk, lock, gas not in their name, etc.). So stupid how this system protects the people ruining our owners home and stealing utilities.
Hearing comes and goes and then we need to wait to file for eviction. We file for eviction but since it falls on holidays, the sheriff is shut down for like 2.5 weeks.. So finally last Wednesday they were evicted, they haven't really been seen since the water was shut off though. I was in the house today and it is pretty awful. Floors are just sticky, stuff eeeverywhere, fridge full of mold, can't even walk into the one bedroom so much stuff, the others you cant see the floor anymore. Lots of stains on the new carpet. Walls scuffed and holes through them. They had the home 4.5 months it went way down hill.
We're still waiting to get utilities turned on and start working on the home to get it ready for sale now but just in rent their outstanding over $3000 + all the utilities in the owners name + $600 to have the electrical inspector in + junk removal which could be another $1000+ plus new carpets, wall repairs, etc etc.. then factor in how much of our time was spent on this. Days. Then think of police resources being wasted to have to keep being called to the property rather than get them kicked out.
We'll see how things continue to play out but the destruction SHOULD be done..
The kicker is the tenant's employer signed the lease as a co-signer so we have three people to chase with collections. (Side note to always watch who you sign a lease with)
There were several other incidents but that outlines the majority of the story. So stupid that basically someone could climb in a window and start living there and not pay you a dime and it take months to get them out legally..