My tenant is in a coma. What do i do?

[Samantha P.]

I had texted my tenant a week or so ago asking when she was going to be able to pay her April and May rent since shed told me that she would be paying it weeks ago. I got a text from her son on her phone today saying that my tenant had a stroke on May 18th and has been in a coma ever since and that he would pay the rent for her. I told him how much it was and he said he would Zelle it to me. I have yet to receive it. Neither her son nor her girlfriend are on the lease. However, they are both at her house. This tenant has never paid her rent on time...even before the quarantine. Since she has a daycare, she qualified for unemployment due to covid and the loan from the paycheck protection program. Both of which she said she applied for. What can/should I do at this point?

[Nathan Gesner]

The first thing I would do is verify she's actually in a coma. There's a 92.6% chance they're playing you like a fiddle. Maybe it's true, but I would do some research to try and verify.

Whether she's in a coma or not, the son and girlfriend are illegal occupants. I would find a good attorney and start action to get them out. If they want to stay, they need to apply, be approved, be added to the lease, and accept full responsibility for the lease and payment of rent.