My 1st eviction in Milwaukee WI :( ...But my first in 6yrs :)

[Brian Tennies]

Hello BP!!

Can anyone in the MKE area recommend a lawyer or persons of eviction to take over this process for me?

My tenant is into the second month late, I've issued a 5day, and its looking like I'll need to proceed with an eviction.  

Thanks for any advice!

[Brie Schmidt]

The eviction process is pretty easy.  If you served the tenant then you sign an affidavit when you file attesting to that or if you sent the 5 day via certified mail then you sign an affidavit attesting to that.

You pay the $98 at the window, fill out some forms (they give you instructions, all you need is the 5 day and certified mail receipt if applicable) and then they notarize them for you.  Then make sure you have $10 cash (but not a ten, at least a $5 and the rest singles) to make copies downstairs and then you bring it back up and get a court date.  You have to hire a server to notify them of court, and it can't be you.  Usually $20.

Court is pretty easy, if they don't show you get the writ and you bring it to the building next door to execute (you don't have to hire movers but I still do anyway).  If they do show you go into a room with the commissioner.  The commissioner asks them if they are disputing the balance due, they say no.  Then they ask you if you want the writ or to work out a payment plan.  If you want the writ they will usually give the tenants a couple more days to get out on their own.  

For me, learning how to do it was the best thing.  I tried lawyers but it would take 8-10 weeks for them to evict and I can do it myself in less than a month.  Or I would send them the docs and three weeks later find out they still had not filed.  I will actually drive up the 3 hours roundtrip and do it because I get so frustrated with the lack of communication with "professionals" that are up there.  

M new PM uses a lawyer Barbara Holzmann and she was very on the ball and competent the one time we had to evict.  But I still like handling it myself because of all the times I lost money on bad lawyers