All Forum Posts by: Brian Wojcik

We go to court so you don't have to!

File & forget with automated case tracking.

Is your rental property in Maryland? Has your tenant stopped paying rent? Not sure what to next? 

Hire us as your Virtual Eviction Specialists. We'll walk you through the process step-by-step.

Receive this $49 special Bigger Pockets Promotion: ~40% off our published price of $79.95

Three promises to you:

1. Fast + Simple Online Filing
2. Super Accessible Support
3. Regular Case Updates

Dear Colleagues,

Oppose HB1346: Legislators want to limit the definition of rent!

Maryland legislators are aiming to limit the definition of rent in residential leases. This legislation increases financial risk for current landlords and discourages future landlords.

If you are a Maryland resident, Rental Owner/Landlord, or Property Manager, please voice your opposition to HB1346 legislation by signing this petition. It is an attempt to define rent as: fixed and periodic payments, and it explicitly prohibits a landlord from collecting any additional payments due from the tenant as written in the lease, such as utilities owed.

More detail, and unintended consequences can be found in the petition link.

We need to collect as many signatures as possible before March 5th before the hearing on March 7th. Please sign and share this link with as many others you can who may be affected by this.

Please feel to reach out to me if you have any questions. I'll be in Annapolis next Tuesday fighting on your behalf.

Sorry to post on multiple forums, just want to make sure the word gets out!

Thank you,

Brian Wojcik

Dear Colleagues,

Maryland legislators are aiming to limit the definition of rent in residential leases. This legislation increases financial risk for current landlords and discourages future landlords.

If you are a Maryland resident, Rental Owner/Landlord, or Property Manager, please voice your opposition to HB1346 legislation by signing this petition. It is an attempt to define rent as: fixed and periodic payments, and it explicitly prohibits a landlord from collecting any additional payments due from the tenant as written in the lease, such as utilities owed. 

More detail, and unintended consequences can be found in the petition link.

We need to collect as many signatures as possible before March 5th before the hearing on March 7th. Please sign and share this link with as many others you can who may be affected by this.

Please feel to reach out to me if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Brian Wojcik

There is a Real Estate Expo this Saturday June 18th. I'll be a speaker at the event along with Landlord 411 co-founder to speak on Landlord Advocacy.

Come join us and other landlords to learn and share. (I’m not compensated for ticket sales or my time, it’s my way of giving back.) See event details.

Register Here for the event and receive $10 off the ticket price by completing the survey. Think Realty will donate $10 for each purchase toward the legal defense fund.

Brian Wojcik

Inevitable legal changes are coming to Maryland and will affect all Landlords. It's time to rally as a community, voice our concerns, and tell your story. 

Help! We have a voice at the table with Policy Makers and now we need your input. Please see my blog post below for details:

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/5582/50475-lan...

I created Landlord 411 as an advocacy group to speak collectively on behalf of small business and independent landlords (please join our group to help show strength in numbers). 

Landlord 411 can bridge the gap between different landlord and investor communities and offer a singular and unifying voice on their behalf. Our belief is a rising tide floats all boats and all can benefit from the membership cross-over.

We’ve created a strategic alliance with RERights a legal defense fund for landlords. (See our announcement for details.) We are working with MMHA legislative affairs committee. With your feedback from the survey (see below), we will be heard by the policy makers.

Further, it’s possible from your stories that Landlord 411 and RERights may decide to take legal action on your voiced matters if we see a pattern. Remember, RERights is a pro-bono legal defense fund (imagine, a “legal-aid” for Landlords).

I’ll be a guest speaker at the Real Estate Expo this Saturday June 18th speaking on these concerns. Come join us and other landlords to learn and share. (I’m not compensated for ticket sales or my time, it’s my way of giving back.) Register Here for the event and receive $10 off the ticket price by completing the survey. Think Realty will donate $10 for each purchase toward the legal defense fund.

Even if you cannot attend the event, if you are a landlord or property manager, please submit your thoughts in this four-minute survey. Registration/ticket purchase isn’t required for this survey. Pleaseforward this along to anyone you might know who may be impacted.

As a voice for all, thank you!

Best Regards,

Brian Wojcik
www.RentCourtManager.com

Hi Karen, 

Welcome... Just adding to what Ned was saying, check out the local investor groups on Meetup.com to find events to meet other like minded folks in person. BWI Meet-up is one that I try to attend as often as possible. There are others too. You'll get a lot of support from the BP community.

Brian

Hi Kevin,

Most often security deposits are governed by state law and resources for disputes can found through the office of the Attorney General. Did a quick search and found this resource which may be helpful: http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/se...

As for dealing with the landlord, your friend should learn their tenant rights, then attempt to contact the landlord and inform the landlord they know the security deposit was mismanaged (assuming that is true). If the landlord is still unresponsive, then they should file a complaint through the AG, or the AG may direct them to the appropriate resource to do so (in some states it's the local Real Estate Board). Your friend should tell the landlord they can avoid the complaint from being filed if they give back the appropriate amount of the security deposit. 

Good luck, hope this helps...

Thanks for sharing! Found the audio online by typing the title you quoted.

Thomas, all the points above are great feedback for you. Let me add what's missing regarding your current situation; minimizing your financial exposure when this tenant moves out after the lease expiration (and hopefully they do without issue). 

If the PM company took two months rent as security deposit (chances are the tenant was high risk), hopefully that will cover all or some of the damages, assuming damages are beyond normal wear and tear. I would be in communication with the PM immediately about that. In MD there is a 45 day requirement to return the security deposit after allowable deductions. Notice needs to be given for a move-out inspection and the tenant be given the option to attend. During that inspection, a list of repairs and estimates should be generated. Security deposit can be used to make those repairs (governed by law) assuming the tenant was the cause for damage, to bring the property to like kind condition before the tenant moved in. The PM should have a move-in inspection report that documents before the tenant, then a move-out inspection report after the tenant leaves.

I've just gotten out of the management business, but can make a recommendation for a good management company that I sold my business to. Feel free to message me directly.

The administrative screening elements that all have mentioned are important. Income, credit, criminal, evictions: Check the box on all of those. But more importantly, piece together the story.

References and existing landlords aren't good indicators of the tenant experience you'll have. Personal references won't typically say anything bad, and if the current landlord wants to get rid of the tenant, they'll give a good review too.

We find clues to the story in the following way:

• Do they show up on time for appointments?
• Are they polite, respectful, and courteous?
• Do they do what they say they are going to do, when they said they would?
• Do they keep their car clean? (Fail none - we amazingly find this to have a strong correlation as to how clean they'll keep their home).
• Are they well-groomed and presentable?
• Do they pass the buck if they fall short, on say delivering information on time. If they don't do it when they say, do they give an excuse as to someone else's fault, or do they own it?
• Do they carry around drama in their life? Victim stories?
• Are they prepared? Do they proactively provide information they know they'll need for the screening process, or do you have to chase them down for it?
• Do they complain?
• Do they have multiple traffic violations? Disrespect for authority?
• How many court records do they have, even for misdemeanors or domestic cases?
• and more...

Use your intuition. Use all of the elements above to piece together the story. Does the story align with the administrative screening elements?