Tenants skipped but turned in keys 🤷🏽‍♀️

[Daria B.]

Hi

What methods do you use to find tenants that skipped out?

They turned in keys and left no forwarding address. There were damages and loss of rent.

One of the local utility companies verified there was no transfer of service. All utility companies don’t do this but one of the local providers will verify if they turned on somewhere else. They just cut it off and didn’t have it cut on in their name anywhere. It’s likely they left the area or got someone else to turn on utilities for them.

Already filed with the court for damages via the attorney. But without an address how does anything go forward for collections?

thanks

[Theresa Harris]

you need to use their last known address which was the rental.  Chances are they are getting their mail forwarded. Send it registered mail with signature required.  If they aren't having it forwarded and it is returned, keep the mail unopened.

[Melanie P.]

If you send the security deposit disposition to the address they rented from you with ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED written in the area between the address block and stamp you'll get a postcard back with the details if the mail is forwarded. 

Your attorney or his process server should have some ideas on finding them? Did you already check to see if they are working for the same place or if any of their former coworkers know where they work now?

[Daria B.]

Quote from @Melanie P.:

If you send the security deposit disposition to the address they rented from you with ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED written in the area between the address block and stamp you'll get a postcard back with the details if the mail is forwarded. 

Your attorney or his process server should have some ideas on finding them? Did you already check to see if they are working for the same place or if any of their former coworkers know where they work now?

It’s unknown if they really worked at the location they said they did after changing jobs. A lot happened in a small window of time so it’s hard to say. Presumably they worked for the school system and they will not give out any address information due to privacy.

Clever. If mail is being forwarded then this ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED method would give me an address? If not then I’m still stuck with no knowledge of where they went.

[Daria B.]

Quote from @Theresa Harris:

you need to use their last known address which was the rental.  Chances are they are getting their mail forwarded. Send it registered mail with signature required.  If they aren't having it forwarded and it is returned, keep the mail unopened.

If it’s being forwarded how will I know? Melanie P suggested ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED written on the envelope sent to last known address (rental). Is this what you are referring to as well?

[Theresa Harris]

Quote from @Daria B.:

Quote from @Theresa Harris:

you need to use their last known address which was the rental.  Chances are they are getting their mail forwarded. Send it registered mail with signature required.  If they aren't having it forwarded and it is returned, keep the mail unopened.

If it’s being forwarded how will I know? Melanie P suggested ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED written on the envelope sent to last known address (rental). Is this what you are referring to as well?

 I've never heard of that.  What I'm referring to is when you move, you have the post office forward your mail to your new address.  So when the mail people go to deliver it to the rental, they will know not to deliver it there, but instead to the new address that the tenants gave them. If the letter doesn't get returned or turn up at the rental, then you know it went to their new place.

[Dennis McNeely]

Not a solution, but going forward...

Have all adult tenant prospects fill out applications which require their social security number, driver's license number, their birth date, their current address and their prior address. Take a picture of their driver's license or state ID.

Have them furnish their checking account number and approximate balance - together with similar savings account information.

The SS number, driver's license, birth date, and address are all good for checking their credit, and their account information reflects their ability to make regular rent payments.

Also get information for their social network accounts. There can be gold in knowing their social handles, both for screening prior to approval and to attempt contact if they disappear. 

I'd also suggest you get an HR contact for their employer - and specific contact information for their boss. Contact the employer to confirm their rate of pay and duration of their tenure as an employee. Get copies of their most recent pay stubs or tax returns for the same reasons. Use this information to further your tenant screening procedure.

You should also get emergency contact information for both a family contact and a close personal friend in the event the tenant(s) are absent and you need to contact them. If you've been unable to do so using their phone or email, which you also acquired in their application, you'll have the option of reaching out to one of their contacts to let them know that you need to settle the balance for the tenants' security deposit, and request a current address - or ask the contact person to have the tenant contact you. There have even been discussions here about how to handle deceased tenants that would be best handled by having gotten such personal contact information!

All the above will give you, your management company, and/or your collection attorney some traction if it comes time to attempt to garnish wages or tax returns or levy their bank account.

Some of the above may sound a bit draconian, but consider that you may have hundreds of thousands of dollars tied up in a property you're turning over for their unsupervised occupancy, and that they can do huge damage to the property in just a few hours. They need to know their behavior can carry consequences.

Best of luck going forward!

[Daria B.]

Quote from @Theresa Harris:

Quote from @Daria B.:

Quote from @Theresa Harris:

you need to use their last known address which was the rental.  Chances are they are getting their mail forwarded. Send it registered mail with signature required.  If they aren't having it forwarded and it is returned, keep the mail unopened.

If it’s being forwarded how will I know? Melanie P suggested ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED written on the envelope sent to last known address (rental). Is this what you are referring to as well?

 I've never heard of that.  What I'm referring to is when you move, you have the post office forward your mail to your new address.  So when the mail people go to deliver it to the rental, they will know not to deliver it there, but instead to the new address that the tenants gave them. If the letter doesn't get returned or turn up at the rental, then you know it went to their new place.

The question was how to find tenants that skipped out. They didn't leave a forwarding address, they skipped out so why leave a forwarding to be found. It's a tenant and this is what they do.

They likely changed their address directly with the business they use rather than the post office that would expose them and where they went.

I wanted to know if there were any other methods of finding them.

[Nathan Gesner]

I don't even bother with court. Getting a judgment doesn't add much to your collection efforts.

I turn them over to a collection agency and move on. If I get some money, I consider it a bonus. At least I know it's sitting on their credit report and preventing them from harming someone else.