Today was my day in court, or should I say my tenant's day in court. For the first time in several months, I had an eviction this morning. This particular tenant is a serious drunk who recently fell off the wagon and is now spending all of her government check on alcohol and drugs. I have no tolerance for tenants that don't pay the rent and I posted the 3 day notice the day after the rent was due, on September 5th. As a result of this eviction, we have lost September and October rent; court costs (about $150); and legal fees (another $150). Of course, I had a security deposit $400, which will help offset some of the loss and I may be able to rent the apartment for half of October, which would also help.
Contrast that to the case before mine in which the landlord accepted excuses for two months before finally posting the 3 day notice at the beginning of September. This landlord lost the rent for July, August, September, and October. If this was not bad enough, this amateur landlord also agreed to give the tenant a little more time to vacate the property before filing for the setout. I absolutely couldn't believe it. To be honest, I felt like shaking the landlord and asking her if she had lost her mind. She's already lost 3 full months rent and is now allowing the tenant some more time to live rent-free. No wonder so many landlords don't make it in this business.
When the judge asked me if I would give my tenant a few more days, my reply was "ABSOLUTELY NOT"! Right after the eviction proceedings, I payed the fee to have the tenant set out. Why would anyone possibly give a tenant a few more days after they've already been ripped off?
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