Eviction Indiana + recent surgery

[Joy May]

I’m a first time landlord with a horrible tenant.

I trusted a friend’s recommendation and allowed the tenant in. He should’ve made plenty as a truck driver, so I didn’t do a credit check... BIG MISTAKE, I know!

I was also expecting him to be at work a majority of the time, so I was covering his electric and gas bills. Another big mistake, I know…

Since moving in back in April, he has paid his full rent on time twice - the first time was his first month rent and deposit... that was covered by his company.

Within a week of moving in, his car was repo’d.

Then, Covid hit and his job start date was delayed.

Then, his first day on the job, he “thought he had a stroke,” and had to be cleared to go back to work.

Then, when he was cleared to go back, he “fell out of his truck” messing up his knee.

He was working in the office until he was cleared to work his actual job, again.

Then, when he was cleared again... within a few days, he “slipped on a muddy rock and messed up his ankle...”

At that point, he was considered a “safety risk” at his job, put on short term disability, and scheduled to have knee replacement surgery, which happened Monday.

Last month, he was supposed to transfer the electric and gas into his name. He then informed me he could not because his credit is so bad. He asked if he could just pay me for it, I said I would tell him how much those bills are, and he would be expected to pay them.

Fast forward to this month.

He has not paid his rent for this month, let alone the electric and gas. He said he is waiting on his short term disability to come thru and then he MIGHT be able to get me caught up. It was supposed to be last earlier this month, then last Friday, now it’s supposed to be this Friday.

If he does not pay by the 20th, which is when his short term disability funds are supposed to come through, I want to evict him immediately. The thing is, with his knee replacement surgery just taking place on Monday, will I still be allowed to evict him?

Also, how do you go about this process?

None of his problems with an ability to pay are related to Covid, hasn’t been for months. I’ve also heard that he’s done the same “getting hurt” at work to the point where they paid him a settlement to leave.

ANY HELP AND ADVICE, I WOULD BE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL!!!