Need some advice on Florida evictions

[Sarah Williams]

Hello all. Hoping to get some advice as to what our best course of action should be. I’ll explain the entire situation, so I apologize in advance for the lengthy post. My husband & I are closing on an investment property next week. 4 units. Our 1st in Florida, so we are still researching all the laws here, but with everything changing due to Covid, not exactly sure what we can & can’t do right now. The sellers are older & kind of gave up on the property. The tenants in unit #1 actually were the ones that moved tenants into units #2 & #3, & those 2 tenants paid tenants in unit #1, and they paid the sellers. The sellers don’t even know the names of the tenants in those 2 other units. Tenants in #4 paid the sellers directly & we do know their names & have their information, and they’re actually late on their rent by a few months. One of them has a job and the other is sick & most likely the reason she can’t work. The entire property is in need of extensive rehab & extensive cleaning . The tenants in all 4 units took horrible care of the property and every unit is absolutely disgusting and dirty. They all have dogs that the sellers didn’t know about. The tenants in unit #1 have 4 dogs alone. 2 huge ones & 2 puppies. All the tenants have known for months that we were in the process of buying the property, and tenants in unit #1 told me & the sellers a few months ago they were looking to move anyway.

We need for all of them to be out ASAP. I sent a text to tenants in units #1 & #4, those were the only names & numbers I have. The text just said that we need for them all to be out by July 1st. I was nice about it. I explained that we needed to do extensive rehab & we needed the property to be vacant. I asked unit #1 if they can give me the names & numbers of units #2 & #3... I also told both that we were trying to avoid legal action & we wanted to make it an easy process for everyone... Unit #1 tenants texted back saying that they can’t find a house due to their dogs & they need more than 30 days. We don’t want to the dogs there ourselves . They didn’t give us the info for the other tenants. ...

Unit #4 hasn’t texted me back..

Unit #1 & #2 are current with their rent.

Unit #1 had a lease that ended last year. The other units had no leases.

What can we legally do to get them all out ASAP??

[Nathan Gesner]

Stop texting and talking. Handle this like a business, not a personal relationship. You're not asking them to move. You're not negotiating with them. You want it empty and they need to move.

First, you should consider purchasing "Every Landlord's Legal Guide" by NOLO, available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. Get the latest version because it will include your latest state laws. Tons of practical advice and the #1 book I recommend for any investor. In the meantime, read this link below and then check the NOLO.com website to confirm information.

https://www.avail.co/education...

You don't want to tinker around and learn on the go because it may drag out and become very expensive and painful. The best real estate attorney in Florida is Harry Heist but I don't know where your investments are. Find an attorney that is experienced with real estate, particularly evictions. They should be able to tell you how to best get them out, what it will cost, etc.

You will likely start with a 30-day notice. I recommend posting it on their door and mailing a copy via certified mail. You don't need to explain or justify your decision and certainly don't negotiate with them. If they ask, tell them you have contractors lined up to start work and tenants need to all get out. If the deadline comes and they are still there, start the eviction process the very first business day after scheduled termination. Not three days later, not a week later. Have the paperwork ready to go and file on the very first day available.

Most tenants can smell the difference between a professional landlord and one that's just stumbling along. You have four very problematic tenants that could easily create an alliance and make your life miserable. Use an attorney and be done with it.