All Forum Posts by: Dennis Humphries

The rent is 1100 and deposit is 1100. They stopped paying August 1st due to bed bugs which they clearly brought in the house. The lease says they are responsible for pest control and they lived there for 14 months before they reported this on July 10. The magistrate court case will probable be September 11th.   After month 12 lease became month to month. I know there will be a lot of expenses to get it ready. They also broke the outdoor water spigot and put satellite dish on the roof that caused electrical damage. Not to mention the grass that's died from driving and parking on. Plus what I might not have seen.  

I have a tenant in South Carolina that I'm evicting for not paying their rent. I know that there are holes in the interior walls that looked as if they maybe have been throwing a baseball against the wall. I think I could fix them myself would I be able to charge them or their deposit for my time that it would take to repair (per hour)? If yes how would I document the time? Would I need to get an estimate from a professional?   

I have a military tenant that's late on rent. Is it a violation of the law for me to contact his guard unit (he's in the Army National Guard full time) to try and pressure him to pay? His girlfriend has his phone and when I text him she responds and says they don't have the money to pay. This happens every time he is out of town. I'm filing for an eviction tomorrow. 

My tenant are claiming that an exterminator told them that the bed bugs have been there for over a year and are refusing to pay the rent.

The tenant that lives in one of my properties in South Carolina texted me about two weeks ago and asked if I had ever  a bed bug problem in that house and I told them no. They moved in June 2016 and they claim that a few months ago they started having problems with bed bugs. They said this was an existing problem and that I need to pay. It is in the lease agreement that the tenant is responsible for pest control and that the landlord is not responsible for pest or any harm they cause. The tenant notified me this morning they were not going to pay the rent which is due today until they decide if the "infestation" is treatable. There was some furniture that was left there but they wanted it to stay because they didn't have any furniture. I asked former tenant and they said they never had a problem. I also slept there between the two tenants cleaning, repairing and painting and I never had a problem. Is it unreasonable for me to expect them to pay for the treatment? I'm planning to file an eviction tomorrow. I'm worried about the turn around time but if they are dirty or not keeping it clean I feel it's best to get them out especially if they are using this as an excuse to not pay the rent.  Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

Hello. This is my first post here at BiggerPockets. I've already filed for an eviction in Columbia sc and I was wondering what to expect when we go in front of the magistrate. Is there any questions I should be prepared to answer or any pointers or advice that could help?