Bought Flip with Tenants that do not have leases, need advice

[Ryan R.]

The property is located in CA (Riverside, County), Purchased a SFR property with a large lot in poor condition that have several tenants in place, was given a seller credit to be used to help me with eviction or cash for keys. Now here is issue, none of the tenants have a lease or anything in writing.

First set of tenants is a family Mom, Dad and two kids, they negotiated free rent to fix up the house and this was a verbal agreement (it doesn't appear they have done any repairs, at least not properly, for example the shower doesn't have a faucet and they hooked up a garden hose to the bathroom sink and ran it to the shower and put a shower head on the other end of the garden hose). I have been told these guys have a prior eviction on their record.   

Next is about 5 tenants living in different older motor homes parked in the back yard with a gate they access for in and out (kinda like a make shift free mobile home park! LOL), not sure the motor homes are working or able to be driven. None of these guys have a lease and they do not pay rent and they "borrow" electricity from the tenant in the front house, told the tenant in the front house has removed this access. 

We are trying to use Cash for Keys and have started a dialog, however, the tenant upfront is saying they have nothing to do with the ones in the back and they are not going to cooperate. The tenants upfront might take cash for keys but they are being difficult and unreasonable at the moment, so we are anticipating eviction. 

My question is since the tenants in the back yard are very aggressive and uncooperative, is there a faster easier option to eviction for these guys? The story I have and it may not be the truth, is that they are squatters and they did not have permission from anyone to live there, but the previous landlord was elderly and he never pursued getting them out. Can I pursue a trespassing issue with them and get the local sheriff to help remove them before getting a court order to remove them?  

[Colleen F.]

I would talk to a lawyer , you are in California so that could be very different from the rest of the country .   You might also talk to the health department in your area to see who handles these kinds of habitability issues. If the trailers belong to the tenants then you are perhaps in a better situation then if the trailers are yours. No one can require you to fix up someone elses trailer but the violation is yours if it is your trailer.  Electricity isn't the only issue what about water and sewage? 

As far as the front tenants, I would not do cash for keys but if you do make sure they are gone before you give any money. You also have a posse in the back yard and it is better they are gone first least they move into the house. 

[Rick Imby]

In most cities and states it is illegal to live in a motor home that is not in a mobile home park.  A call to your local county attorney will cost you nothing and maybe get all your answers for you.  If you have a friend who is a policeman ask him or go down to the police station and ask.  They will evict if it is illegal.   

[Colleen F.]

I would talk to a lawyer , you are in California so that could be very different from the rest of the country .   You might also talk to the health department in your area to see who handles these kinds of habitability issues. If the trailers belong to the tenants then you are perhaps in a better situation then if the trailers are yours. No one can require you to fix up someone elses trailer but the violation is yours if it is your trailer.  Electricity isn't the only issue what about water and sewage? 

As far as the front tenants, I would not do cash for keys but if you do make sure they are gone before you give any money. You also have a posse in the back yard and it is better they are gone first least they move into the house. 

[Sam M.]

You have a bunch of total dead-beats on your hands and they all have to go. No mercy! Contact Anthony Shamrell on Tiverton Ct in Moreno Valley. He has helped me with these situations before. He is not a lawyer but he does a super job. Another good option is Dennis P. Block at evict 123 .com. He is a lawyer and well known in So Cal, but they are in LA. It's going to cost you roughly $1K to do an unlawful detainer lawsuit and you might have to give 60 days notice. It could be a difficult one from what you describe... the best thing to do is get on the phone with some eviction people and understand your options and get the process started ASAP. 

[Hubert Kim]

Ryan,

This sounds potentially very, very challenging. Since I am not familiar with best practices in this situation, I suggest speaking with an attorney about what your options are. In reality, it may be very beneficial to do some sort of cash for keys situation with some or all of the tenants as opposed to going through a difficult eviction process, but these are obviously not your average tenants. Good luck and let us know how it progresses!

[Clint Shelley]

Get a local bee keeper to put a butt ton of hives on the property. Bees are great for the environment and very important. Only people who like bees are farmers and bee keepers. The squatters will soon buzz off! 😆

Clint 

[Theresa Harris]

If the guys living in the backyard are 'borrowing' electricity from the front tenant, that tenant must know about it as they are paying the electric bill.  Once you get that person out, turn off the electricity.  

Others gave you good advice and even someone to contact locally.  Good luck and remember you can make money selling the honey from the bees :)

[Colleen F.]

I wonder also if these are travel trailers in the backyard, not mobile homes could they be towed?  I would take that question to the lawyer.