I served the second notice to my tenants today - their termination date is set as September 3. Two weeks from today. Sigh. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this but I've received nothing but complaints from EVERYONE. Neighbors, both other tenants in the house, blah blah blah. It sucks. So I give up. I gave them a chance and now they've used it up.
So I'm hoping that they just leave, but I bet they don't. They're just stupid enough to try and fight it. I will have to go tomorrow to get a hearing date from the tribunal if I don't hear from them today. Bah. There goes $170. But at least I still have their deposit so I'll get it back, I suppose. And then holdover rent, because most people being evicted do not pay their rent either. And I'm sure they'll behave like church mice too while we're waiting. ACH! This will not go easily.
I hope I get the unit back in good shape. Before I have this baby. Lots of ifs here aren't there? :D
NO MORE DOWN ON THEIR LUCK YOUNG COUPLES!!!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
You learn something new every day!
And last Friday, I learned that it would actually be easier to evict someone for being loud/noisy/disruptive to their neighbors in the building than for non-payment of rent! I guess the tribunal doesn't care as much about the "rich landlord" not getting paid - but they do care about people living comfortably.
I've gotten a couple of complaints regarding my young couple with the new baby (P&A at Spadina #1) - lots of fighting and yelling and slamming doors, etc. Normally I just try to smooth this stuff over with both parties until they work it out. OR i prefer to stay completely UNinvolved.
However, last Thursday night/Friday morning, the police were called to the house for a domestic disturbance. UNACCEPTABLE. My upstairs neighbors were the first to tell me about this, and I wrote up the N5 warning. In reading through it (I've never done this before) I realized that they get a 3-week notice with a 7-day notice to cure. If they get a second complaint in the 7 days I can file a court date. If they get a second N5 warning in the next 6 months, they get a 14-day notice with no notice-to-cure. In other words, you're out. They can dispute charges at the hearing, but the judges don't look kindly on rowdies.
I heard from the cross-ways neighbor that they've been causing some issues with all the neighbors, which I don't like. The guy next door to the North is a bit of a dick, but it's still not acceptable to be hearing this crap about them fighting in the street at 4am, yelling and throwing stuff. So I served the notice.
I got a very scared boy calling me about an hour later. He's panicking! And making lots of excuses. I hope this scares him straight and he keeps his mouth shut from now on. We shall see.
How funny would it be to go to a tribunal hearing 9 months pregnant?
I've gotten a couple of complaints regarding my young couple with the new baby (P&A at Spadina #1) - lots of fighting and yelling and slamming doors, etc. Normally I just try to smooth this stuff over with both parties until they work it out. OR i prefer to stay completely UNinvolved.
However, last Thursday night/Friday morning, the police were called to the house for a domestic disturbance. UNACCEPTABLE. My upstairs neighbors were the first to tell me about this, and I wrote up the N5 warning. In reading through it (I've never done this before) I realized that they get a 3-week notice with a 7-day notice to cure. If they get a second complaint in the 7 days I can file a court date. If they get a second N5 warning in the next 6 months, they get a 14-day notice with no notice-to-cure. In other words, you're out. They can dispute charges at the hearing, but the judges don't look kindly on rowdies.
I heard from the cross-ways neighbor that they've been causing some issues with all the neighbors, which I don't like. The guy next door to the North is a bit of a dick, but it's still not acceptable to be hearing this crap about them fighting in the street at 4am, yelling and throwing stuff. So I served the notice.
I got a very scared boy calling me about an hour later. He's panicking! And making lots of excuses. I hope this scares him straight and he keeps his mouth shut from now on. We shall see.
How funny would it be to go to a tribunal hearing 9 months pregnant?
Monday, July 20, 2009
Honesty is nice
So, on friday afternoon I get a call from R. At Sanford #1. They broke the window in the front door. The big, solid OLD oak door.
Sigh. But you know what? They could easily (it's a triplex, all tenants use the same door) have clammed up and shrugged their shoulders. Especially since they're moving out in 6 weeks! And it's not like I can just not fix it. That's not how it works.
So anyway, since it was a friday and it isn't visible from the street, I booked the guy to come out today to avoid emergency charges. He was supposed to be here at 4. Then they called and said "after 5". It's 6:20 and he's here! With the wrong piece of glas of course. Meh. I just want it fixed. Here's hoping!
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Well, okay, great!
S. at Sanford #3, my adorable single young guy on the third floor, has found a new job! Yay him! So he called me this morning and asked to stay, with just a little help - he won't get paid until the end of the month, so can he use his last months' deposit for July and then pay me an extra $100 a month until he's caught up again?
YES.
It is much easier to "work with" a good tenant like him (he's clean, quiet, pays on time, and obviously is responsible enough to deal with a bad situation) than try to find a new one, all for the sake of a last months' rent deposit.
So, phew. I don't have to schlep the 1-bed again. They're hard to rent - lots of unsavouries come look at them because they're so cheap.
BUT. While I was there I talked to A. and R. in the 3-bed. Boo...they're leaving in September. R. got into Mohawk college and they don't have two cars - A. works up in Ancaster. So it's just more convenient for them to be nearer the school. It will be easy to rent the 3-bed, there are none of them around, so I'm not worried about that, I just loved getting their rent by email (early) every month. I never had to bug them EVER and they've kept the place nice.
After that I don't think I'll have anyone leave for awhile. I hope. We are getting dangerously close to baby time, here.
YES.
It is much easier to "work with" a good tenant like him (he's clean, quiet, pays on time, and obviously is responsible enough to deal with a bad situation) than try to find a new one, all for the sake of a last months' rent deposit.
So, phew. I don't have to schlep the 1-bed again. They're hard to rent - lots of unsavouries come look at them because they're so cheap.
BUT. While I was there I talked to A. and R. in the 3-bed. Boo...they're leaving in September. R. got into Mohawk college and they don't have two cars - A. works up in Ancaster. So it's just more convenient for them to be nearer the school. It will be easy to rent the 3-bed, there are none of them around, so I'm not worried about that, I just loved getting their rent by email (early) every month. I never had to bug them EVER and they've kept the place nice.
After that I don't think I'll have anyone leave for awhile. I hope. We are getting dangerously close to baby time, here.
Monday, July 6, 2009
A possible interesting venture...
I mentioned in a previous post that we really need to look at expanding our own homestead...whether that means occupying the whole duplex (not ideal - I *LOVE* my upstairs tenants) or moving on to another house for ourselves. Two people in the 1-bedroom flat is fine...two people and a ton of construction tools/supplies in a 1-bed is tight...two people, construction gear, and an infant is manageable. Two adults, construction gear, and a mobile baby is going to be impossible.
The trouble, though, is that all of our financial resources are tied up in the rentals. We can ALWAYS borrow money from SOMEBODY to buy another income property...heck, they pay their own bills! But banks get squicky when we talk about buying a house that doesn't produce on top of what I guess they consider 4 risky investments. What happens when we have problems! ACK! They don't seem to consider the fact that we live WELL below our means and in an average month set aside $1500 for emergencies/savings...and when pressed can manage $2500 a month. Above and beyond our expenses. They don't care. They like that cushion exactly like that. They don't want us spending it on a house just for us.
So...what to do? Rob has come up with a pretty sweet plan, and I hope he actually goes through with it. First, consider that he works for a HOME BUILDER. Someone who, you know, builds houses and sells them to other people. Someone who is rich beyond our wildest dreams (okay...in the really wild dreams I can imagine it). Someone who understands the complexity of home mortgages and lending.
Can you see where I am going with this?
Rob proposes that he do a deal with his boss for him to build us a house (a BRAND NEW, NO RENOVATIONS, THREE BEDROOM MODERN HOUSE! WITH TWO BATHROOMS EVEN - MAYBE *THREE*!!!) and hold the mortgage himself. Obviously there are drawbacks to this plan, but Rob loves this job and the company he works for, he doesn't mind the implication that he will be tied to the company. And we can always refinance later. But the mortgage would not have to be approved by squicky banks, we could set our own terms, and, even better, it would not draw down our lending power unless his boss felt he had to report it to the credit agencies! It would just be a big chunk of equity.
In return, his boss will have a slightly tighter hold on his star engineer, and would be making money on the loan. If we default, it's no skin off his back to cut us loose.
I hope this becomes more of a reality than a late-night discussion.
The trouble, though, is that all of our financial resources are tied up in the rentals. We can ALWAYS borrow money from SOMEBODY to buy another income property...heck, they pay their own bills! But banks get squicky when we talk about buying a house that doesn't produce on top of what I guess they consider 4 risky investments. What happens when we have problems! ACK! They don't seem to consider the fact that we live WELL below our means and in an average month set aside $1500 for emergencies/savings...and when pressed can manage $2500 a month. Above and beyond our expenses. They don't care. They like that cushion exactly like that. They don't want us spending it on a house just for us.
So...what to do? Rob has come up with a pretty sweet plan, and I hope he actually goes through with it. First, consider that he works for a HOME BUILDER. Someone who, you know, builds houses and sells them to other people. Someone who is rich beyond our wildest dreams (okay...in the really wild dreams I can imagine it). Someone who understands the complexity of home mortgages and lending.
Can you see where I am going with this?
Rob proposes that he do a deal with his boss for him to build us a house (a BRAND NEW, NO RENOVATIONS, THREE BEDROOM MODERN HOUSE! WITH TWO BATHROOMS EVEN - MAYBE *THREE*!!!) and hold the mortgage himself. Obviously there are drawbacks to this plan, but Rob loves this job and the company he works for, he doesn't mind the implication that he will be tied to the company. And we can always refinance later. But the mortgage would not have to be approved by squicky banks, we could set our own terms, and, even better, it would not draw down our lending power unless his boss felt he had to report it to the credit agencies! It would just be a big chunk of equity.
In return, his boss will have a slightly tighter hold on his star engineer, and would be making money on the loan. If we default, it's no skin off his back to cut us loose.
I hope this becomes more of a reality than a late-night discussion.
The economy finally brushes up against us
My slightly dopey but always ideal-tenant young guy has been laid off. This is Sanford #3, the attic 1-bed. It shouldn't be too hard to re-rent, at least. I feel bad for him, he's a great guy! At least he's doing the responsible thing and moving home to take care of things until he finds other work. Still - he's just finished his apprenticeship as a millwright - remember when that was guaranteed employment (and DAMN GOOD pay)?
So I'm off to get it listed and the webpage updated. Hopefully I can get it filled for August 1. He'll be out before that and the place will be spotless, he is an immaculate person. I'm giving him a break on his last month (calling this his last month and not charging him for it, even though it could backfire for me). He's been a good tenant and I don't like to kick people when they're down..
What am I dreading most about this placement? I have to climb 3 flights of stairs to show this place! Ha. This pregnant thing is starting to get in the way.
So I'm off to get it listed and the webpage updated. Hopefully I can get it filled for August 1. He'll be out before that and the place will be spotless, he is an immaculate person. I'm giving him a break on his last month (calling this his last month and not charging him for it, even though it could backfire for me). He's been a good tenant and I don't like to kick people when they're down..
What am I dreading most about this placement? I have to climb 3 flights of stairs to show this place! Ha. This pregnant thing is starting to get in the way.
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