All Forum Posts by: Uwe K.

I am just coming from a friend's company where a sales rep and office lady discussed if certain items should be sales tax exempt because they are being used in the manufacturing.

This gave me the idea that the sheet of drywall from Homedepot that's being screwed on the rental housing wall could be sales tax exempt?
I am probably not the first thinking this, but any merit to this thought?
It technically goes into the end product. Although the end product is not really the house, it is the right to live in there.

What of flipping?

Never read much on sales tax (this is in WI, if it matters). Or does this expemt stuff only apply if you charge customers sales tax?

If you wait until they are out (plus your cleanup and fixing time), you may loose too much time. It may take a while until you find the right tenant (e.g. it just took me two months during winter to find someone).
Whenever possible I would get a head start and list as early as I can. You could ask the tenant to be clean, usually a hopeless case if they are not generally clean anyway ;) You can then bunch the showings together if you want to be courteous, and give proper notice to enter.
There might be things that potential tenants are put off by. But you may be able to explain, and many will understand.
My philosophy: You will loose any potential tenant that you don't show the place to. If they don't like the current tenant's mess and the broken window and the holes in the wall, you having nothing lost but a little time. But there might be the (small) chance it's your new perfect tenant.

Am I missing something here?
Why would you be surprised that the inside is that cold if no heat is on in the winter?

I have used it, too. The credit report and score is pretty much what you get from Transunion (if you have ever pulled your own, same format, more or less).

I wouldn't put too much value on the public records, etc. I don't remember anything worth mentioning ever show up on those. But when going to the county courthouse database, I get pages of results for the same person, eviction, criminal, speeding, divorce, child support, you name it.
Assume you just get a credit report, that's it. Maybe it pulls from a few national databases, but by no means a replacement for your addl. proper background check.

Wait, are you telling me you are not painting your copper/galvanized red and blue??? Am I wasting a lot of time with that? :)

Anyway, I agree with Rob, except I still use red and blue (since I painted my galvanized in the past anyway...), it helps a bit and I am not buying that much more. And to connect to galvanized (the painted one) I prefer the metal fittings since I am afraid the plastic ones will break once the wrench does its job.

Does anybody here have a private umbrella insurance in WI? Looking for particular input how the following transition happened for you. This is not directly related to REI, but like I, many may have an umbrella policy simply because of rentals:

There was that change in the law a couple of years back regarding uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage related to umbrella policies.
My insurance company handled it this way:
They automatically added the coverage to my policy and added an opt-out form I can send in. Doing nothing I got charged a total premium more than double. They claimed the law required them to add it automatically (highly suspicious of that...)

I know how to proceed and file complaints etc., but before I start this I wanted to check on possible input from other WI residents with umbrellas. Are you getting wet or is it holding up? :)

I am trying to resolve a situation on behalf of a relative renting in Minnesota. I am a landlord in WI only, not familiar with MN law, so I read up but have a couple of questions:

1. The MN statute (504B.178) says that the security deposit has to be returned within three weeks "and after receipt of the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions". Same for a statement if there are deductions.

Do I read this right that there is no requirement for the landlord to return the deposit or send a statement if no address or delivery instructions were giving? For example, if the tenant returns the key to the office guy, but does not give a forwarding address.
I can't imagine this being a possible escape clause for landlords, but this it how it sounds.

2. Second question: unlawful detainer or abandoned property:
Person leaves some furniture behind, but clearly moved out (dropped off keys, everything else out) after receiving a cure or quit notice. Moved out before or on the "quit date". Money still owed and not disputed, but landlord filed for eviction with the reason of "unlawful detainer" (as they call it there) because the furniture was still in there.
Reading the statutes, this should not have been the case if the the person moved out and landlord was aware of that. Rather, the "abandoned property" section should have been applied.
Any thoughts from MN people here?

Thanks a bunch, and I know it's hard to put yourself in the tenant's shoes. But I am a landlord myself who tries to do the right and proper thing.

Do you have "before-move-in" pictures and condition report? It will help in case in comes up in court and may also demonstrate to the inspector that you are not a slum landlord (although he still requires fixing, of course).

I agree with Lynn. Wires sticking out - in actuality probably less dramatic then they make it sound - would warrant an emergency repair in my book. Electricity and all, nobody should fault you for being too careful with those electrons ;)

And yes, I think the tenant is trying to build a case for uninhabitability - if that's even a word. Proper documentation and the move-in reports should clear you.

I still do call landlords, but actually expect some bogus response from the current landlord. Depending on the questions you ask, the order, and the responses, you may get a feeling if it's BS or closer to reality. Always have a grain of salt handy.

Landlords before the current one are more important as they have no hidden agenda, but often also don't really remember much stuff or many details.

Yeah, being raped while sleeping... come on, it was a hard work day, wait until the morning... :)

Anyway, once had an applicant, couple, middle ages, both had jobs, came in Jaguar, well dressed (although I think it was after church), had their own house, everything looked fine until I dug deeper.
Had their own house, were foreclosed on, I think there was even bankruptcy, although I may mix this up. Then they said the house wasn't even worth it anymore because of a moldy basement... They lived there long enough to have caused it. - Denied.

My point: Don't judge a book by its cover.