All Forum Posts by: Barry Foster

Yes, Roberto. Welcome aboard

Here's an example of a sign we sell:

My point is that alarms, cameras, timers, vigilance, etc won't stop every bad actor. But if you can have a little fun while you're protecting your property, your tactics will be less of a pain in the butt.

I agree with all of the suggestions. Especially the one having a cop do his paperwork there!

First of all, stop beating yourself up. They were good tenants for 20 months, so your screening process worked as well as it possibly could have. You managed the property well and protected yourself the best ways you knew how.

Did you happen to take pictures during the course of their occupancy? Especially after getting the eviction order? If so, it could make it easier to show the extent of their vandalism.

Have you considered suing them for the extensive property damage they intentionally caused? After you win, you could garnish some wages and/or put a lien on some assets. Or hire a judgment recovery company to do it for you. Either way, the judgment will cause them headaches and could help compensate you for a few of yours.

Criminals are creative. We should be too!

Sad. Creative. But sad.

Awesome idea. We should look into offering this product! 

You already got some good advice here. I'd suggest two tips:

1. The most important thing is to closely monitor your vacant property. Drop by for a quick inspection on a regular basis, watching for things like broken windows, tampered locks or any other signs of attempted forced entry.

2. Keep in touch with the neighbours, letting them know you are actively trying to secure new tenants. Ask that they keep an eye out for any suspicious activity, like the sound of breaking glass or strangers lurking around.

 This is great advice. You can also employ loud battery - powered alarms. This will help alert the neighbors. A combination of dummy cameras and no trespassing signs could help deter the average trespasser.

Hi! My name is Barry and I'm an...okay, bad joke. Anyway, I represent my company 3isurveillance.com. I won't talk about them because I don't want to come across as spammy. I will say that we're committed to helping keep vacant property safe from trespassers.

I'm in the Richmond, Virginia area. I used to own a rental property, but lost it during the downturn. I used to work for a property management company. There's a property manager and realtor at my job now, so I guess I'm still connected to real estate.

My goal here is to be a helpful resource as well as a student.