All Forum Posts by: Allen Farmer

In my experience, by the time things have gotten that far, I make sure I am in a very obvious "right" place, legally speaking. I live in a generally landlord friendly state. The eviction hearings I've gone through have literally lasted about two minutes each. 

Every jurisdiction is different, but if you are evicting a tenant, you should be in a position where the lease and your local and state laws obviously support your position. Beyond that, be overly thorough in your documentation. I've never had a judge do more than flip through what I've given them like a flipbook, but you don't want to be unprepared. 

If you don't feel 100% confident that you are in the right, you need a lawyer. 

Good luck!

Every jurisdiction may have different requirements, make sure to check with yours and make sure that you have done all the necessary steps for eviction. Have a copy of the lease and anything else signed by all parties, or that you have provided to the tenant. It can also be helpful to have a timeline of events showing when rent was due, when you sent notifications, etc... this can help the judge understand the situation. I have seen many times that one side should win but doesn't because the judge isn't grasping what has exactly transpired, so try and make it easy and clear to understand. 

Hope this helps! Aaron