Brief game of chicken with eviction.

[Samson Kay]

I had this tenant that I inherited with a recent acquisition. She must have been living with a boyfriend for the past 2 months, but from the moment ownership was transferred to me, she neither payed rent, or attempted to contact me about her situation. I had no idea what she looked like.

So I began the eviction process in preparation for a long process that would potentially cost me thousands of dollars in legal fees and lost rent. I sent her another text and written notice (the fifth attempt over the last 2 months) the day before I was going to send the constable to officially serve her an eviction notice. The next day, in the dead of night she came to the apartment and moved her stuff. Like a ninja, she sneaked into the apartment building hoping to be undetected.

Little did she know I was there late that night painting! So I confronted her, and she gave me some sob story about losing her phone. And not being able to afford the rent anymore. Shes owes me two months in back rent. She even left her dirty mattress in the front of my house. What the heck am I supposed to do with that?

So I after all the drama, I didn't have to go through with the eviction after all. I guess a few months rent is better than what I could have lost in legal fees if the eviction went through.

I wonder if there is some service where I can warn others landlords of this tenant? Some credit reporting I can do?

Life of a landlord I guess. Cheers.

[John Rooster]

If you lost two months rent before even serving the notice, you were to only one playing chicken.