All Forum Posts by: Jamon Cline

Thanks Derrick. I might have to do that but this isn't really all that cheap of a lesson relative to my pocketbook!

I forgot to mention a couple of things--we live in the house together, in case that wasn't clear. He uses drugs in the house and used threatening language when I let him know I wanted him out. I need him out of there so I can finish the basement and get it in liveable condition ASAP. Can I leverage any of those things?

I apologize if this isn't the proper place to post this but I don't really know where else to turn.

My friend and I decided to invest in a house. I bought the house and he rents out the basement. The original verbal agreement was to live there for a year to avoid short term capital gains tax, then sell the place.  There was an unfinished room in the basement. The agreement was he would re-carpet the basement and hang drywall in one room. In return, I gave him a total of $1200 in discounts on rent. A few months later I see his girlfriend start making social media posts about moving to another state. At that time, the weekend of July 20, I requested at least 60 days of notice and that the basement be finished before he moves out and he agreed. On August 1 he notifies me that he intends to move out within 30 days and he'll "try" to finish the carpet in one room before he leaves. 

He's paid pretty much half rent for all 4 months he's been here and it's all been predicated upon doing one project or another. Some of them have been done but the expensive ones have not. I notified him by text message that he is in violation of our verbal agreement and that I am legally required to give him 72 hours to vacate the premises. The texts are the only written communication about the lease that we have. He maintains that because he's paid rent for August and there's no written contract that he would renovate anything I can't legally evict him. My understanding of the law was that tenants had to honor verbal agreements. I have provided him with verbal notice in the past that he is not in compliance with the terms of his stay here--he hasn't mowed the lawn or finished many other projects he said he would.

The drywall is hung in the basement but the unfinished room isn't carpeted and the basement hasn't been re-carpeted either. There are details I'm forgetting but I'm honestly upset and have had to type this out twice. Am I toast?