HELP: Evicting a Disabled Veteran

[Jeff L.]

Howdy BP!

I have a huge dilemma I could use you help with.

My question is this: How can I get rid of this tenant?

Over the weekend I had an inspection done on a property (duplex) I have under contract in Colorado Springs. During the inspection, we had trouble getting into one of the units because the tenant, a disabled veteran who has lived in the property for 8 year, was giving me and the inspector a lot of trouble.

We finally got in, and the bones of the unit are 100% solid, but the tenant absolutely must go for this to be a successful deal. While the meth test came back negative, it is very apparent that there is something illegal going on in the house. There are weapons lying around, marijuana everywhere, all the windows are covered, he has cameras outside the house, ect. Not to mention he is an absolute hoarder. We could not even walk into some of the rooms because of all his junk.

How can I get rid of this guy before the deal closes? I'll be speaking with the seller tomorrow, who is already aware and warned me of the issue.

Can I request that the tenant be evicted before closing on the deal? Can I pretend that I am moving into that unit and ask him to leave? The last thing I want to do is upset him, because he is a rather scary individual. What would you do in this situation? Do you know if there is red tape around landlording disabled veterans?

Any advice you have would be hugely appreciated. Thank you all in advance.

All the best,

Jeff

[Bill Hamilton]

Sorry. I don't see how you can leap to the conclusion that "it is very apparent that there is something illegal going on".  The man is a veteran. Meaning he is probably comfortable with firearms and is expressing his 2nd amendment rights. Marijuana is legal in Colorado. Would you have the same issue if he had beer bottle caps laying around or a keg in the garage? Cameras and covered windows. Entirely possible the he is a little paranoid or has PTSD. Unless he is doing something you can prove is illegal then his lease stands as is. Why do you feel "the tenant absolutely must go for this to be a successful deal"? I am not saying you are wrong but you haven't given a reason why this is so. If his presence is keeping you from doing something that is needed to transform the property into what you want, then go with what @Bill S. is saying. Wait out the lease and simply choose not to renew. P.S. you are going to run into a huge number of veterans in Colorado Springs and I honestly feel the issues you see from this tenant, are things you will run into from time to time in that city. Also, keep in mind that Colorado Springs is a rather smaller community and fiercely military, and very supportive of veterans. If the press gets hold of a story that spins you as anti veterans, you will have a hard time doing business there.

If any of this makes you uncomfortable, you may want to consider sticking to investing in the Boulder/Louisville area where you are far less likely to run into this type of tenant.

Best of luck with whatever you choose to do. I think it's important to comfortable with both the area you invest in and the clientele you are likely to deal with.