The *fun* part of landlording

Here I was going to keep this as a blog of my landlording experiences, and I haven't kept you up to date with the most important one of all! haha.

First, though - the upstairs is rented for May 1, which is cool. We're in the middle of sanding and re-finishing the floors (I'm also painting this week) and they look AMAZING. I'm so glad we decided to do this. Gorgeous.

The Lottridge re-fi went okay, we can have about $13K in cash. We're still deciding when and what we'll do with that.

Anyway, on to the fun part. Lottridge #2 is going for eviction! My first one. Yay.

I call everyone on the 31st of March, to arrange a time to collect rent, his phone voicemail box is full.

On the first it is empty again, so I leave a message. He doesn't call back.

On the second I leave two messages. Here's the thing - I'm a nice landlord. If you can't manage the rent before payday, I'll give you the break, no questions asked. BUT. You have to call me and let me know. At the very fucking least, return my calls.

On the third, his voicemail is full again. I serve an N4 notice - notice to terminate for non-payment of rent. This gives him 14 days to pay up or move out, penalty free. It's a nice out, honestly, since if you do it the legal way, you have to give me two months notice. This way he can move out scot-free. Really, I usually use the N4 as a scare tactic - it does nothing, gets reported nowhere, but usually freaks people out enough to at least call me and pay up. I also have to serve it 14 days before I can even file for eviction, so I like to get it in early just in case.

He never calls.

Yesterday I called him and left another message - "Do you REALLY want to take this as far as eviction? I have to file on Friday, and then you will owe me court costs as well. If you get me the keys before Friday morning, we'll call it a draw, but otherwise I have to go forward." This is the "last chance" phone call.

No return phone call.

Tonight I have to post a 24-hour notice of inspection. I can't file with the tribunal if he's abandoned the unit. Tomorrow I inspect for damages/abandonment.

Friday is the 15th day, so I get to go down to the court house and file my L1 - application for eviction for non-payment of rent. Pay my $150, which he will then owe me, and get a hearing date. Hopefully my hearing is within 15 days. He can still pay up or move-out to cancel the eviction, but then he owes me the months' rent plus the $150.

At the hearing, if he doesn't show up, he will be evicted. He'll probably be evicted even if he does show up, since there's nothing wrong with the place and he hasn't paid his rent.

Then he has 10 days to move out, or I get to call the sherriff and move his stuff out on the lawn myself, and change the locks. That sounds exciting. Then he will owe me those fees as well. Plus he will owe me May's rent if it goes past May 1.

This will be interesting. Collecting the money he owes is going to be even more difficult.