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All Forum Posts by: Leah LaRue

Leah LaRue has started 3 posts and replied 22 times.

I saw quite a few of those in Atlanta and there's just no way I'd do it unless I thought the other owner was considering selling. I imagine the worst: a neighbor who is trashy and keeps empty soda cans or water bottles on the lawn, toys strewn about, doesn't cut the grass, smokes, has excessive traffic, vicious dogs, unclean or untidy enough to attract and feed roaches, loud music that disturbs my tenant, or even maintenance like the roof or windows. The one I looked at literally had yellow shutters while the other unit had white. It has flowers planted in the lawn while the other side had brownish grass and lots of weeds. The stairs were falling apart and the driveway was cracked, while the yellow side looked like the cement had just been repaired. Worst of all, it had brand new windows and the other unit didn't. It was just very unsightly and a bright red flag.
I would not listen to that sheriff if I were you. Talk to an attorney or check with some Ohio landlords/investors. I will say this, though: I just inherited some tenants through a duplex purchase 6 months ago. I wanted them out immediately for several reasons. Ended up keeping them, thinking they deserved a shot to prove themselves, and if they messed up, I'd get rid of them. I cannot overstate how much I regret that decision. Just served a 3-day comply or quit notice today and will be filing eviction on Monday.
I believe you have to start with your local housing authority. That's how it works in my area. In Atlanta, you're required to attend a briefing/meeting, then complete the application and provide requested info about the property, then they schedule the inspection and approve or reject the application per the standards. Our housing authority publishes a checklist of items that have to be in place in order to pass the inspection. Yours may too.
I can't figure out how to delete this thread, but I've found an answer to my question. (60 day notice only applies to tenancy at will, but my lease does mention that pets are not allowed without permission, so I will be using that to give a comply or quit notice, and then an eviction. I will inquire tomorrow as to whether it is unlawful to park an unregistered vehicle on private property. If so, I will use that as another reason).
Good evening. I wrote recently about an inherited tenant who was given a one-year lease at about 50% below market value from the previous PM just two days before we closed on the house. It's been a long 6 months, and I thought I could just hang in there until the lease expires 1/31/19, but at this point, I am ready to sever the lease agreement. She is just a problem tenant and I've had enough. The lease isn't useful (it's a two-page document that basically says nothing). I'm new to this and I've made enough mistakes as it is, don't want to make any more. If I understand correctly, in Georgia, a landlord can evict with 60 days notice unless the lease says otherwise. Can anyone confirm this?
Originally posted by @Scott Weaner:
Originally posted by @Leah LaRue:

@Wayne Brooks but I can require a pet deposit or something right?

Not until the current lease expires. Someone needs to beat the crap out of the prior owner! Was the prior owner angry about something?

Not to my knowledge. Seller lived on the opposite coast. Had a property manager who appears to have been trying to help out a tenant of his who had a long history of evictions. She was evicted from one of the properties he managed, and then moved her into ours. Needless to say we didn't find this out until much later. 

@Wayne Brooks but I can require a pet deposit or something right?
Originally posted by @Peter M.:

Unfortunately you just have to follow the lease. If it isn't stated then you are out of luck until the lease is up. For future reference you should have estoppel forms filled out by current tenants as well as a clause in the contract that the owner will not make any changes to leases or admit new tenants after the contract is signed.

You could check your insurance policy to see if pit bulls is against the policy in which case you could give them notice that it violates your insurance and they have 30 days to cure or move out. I once had to take a dog from a tenant because i made the mistake of telling him that if he doesn't get rid of the dog I will. I should have evicted him then (I eventually did when he got another dog a year later). Luckily I found a home for the dog but I learned my lesson and decided I didn't want to see that look on a kid's face ever again. 

 This was very helpful. Thank you so much for these suggestions. 

Originally posted by @Scott Weaner:

What does the lease note about both the dog and the boyfriend?

Why on Earth would the prior owner sign a lease just before closing? Quite bizarre.

 Bizarre indeed. This was our first deal and we were green. We've made a lot of mistakes and in this case, we were duped. We learned two days before closing that they had signed one year leases for both units. We ended up having to evict one tenant, and the other has just been a headache. 

The lease doesn't reference pets at all, but she wouldn't know that. It's a two page lease in the simplest language possible so it really doesn't mention much of anything. She told me months ago that she doesn't have a copy of the lease. 

Her boyfriend is on the lease with her even though he moved out. 

Consider hosting an open house. That way you get everyone there in one day and can get a decent representation of what the pool looks like. Could just be a slow rental market.