All Forum Posts by: Michael Rossi

Kaye,

You can forget the stuff I said about carrying a gun. Illinois is a Criminal Protection Zone (CPZ) and is one of only two states in the USA that prohibit law abiding citizens from carrying a gun with which to defend themselves.

That's just plain ridiculous! Do cops carry guns because they're cowards who can't handle themselves? Does the military carry guns because they're cowards who can't handle themselves? If so, sign me up to be a coward and I'm proud to join them in carrying a gun. Just because you're a civilian doesn't mean that you give up your right to self-defense. Furthermore, should a 100 pound woman be able to "handle herself" against a drugged up meth user? How about 2 of them? That's what the gun is for - it immediately levels the playing field. If you did a little studying, you would know that guns are used SUCCESSFULLY for self-defense about 2 MILLION times a year in the United States.

I wholeheartedly agree! The point of being legally armed isn't to be a "cowboy", it IS to be able to defend yourself and your family from the scum of the earth (who don't play by the same rules that we do). My point in recommending that she get a gun is not that she become a "cowgirl", but that she be able to defend herself.

I also agree that taking a 12 hour course is not sufficient training. I would highly encourage anyone that is going to carry a gun to get additional self-defense handgun training!

If you build a rental property business with rentals like the one you have above - you'll be BROKE in no time. The rental you have is a TERRIBLE deal. I would strongly suggest that you read the sticky posts at the top of the landlording forum on "The 50% Rule". Your current path with the rentals is a disaster waiting to happen.

That's a fair question and I'd be happy to answer. No, I am not an attorney, nor do I play one on the internet. However, what I AM is an actual landlord and as such, I am keenly aware of what does and does not work as "evidence" in court for both evictions and for criminal prosecutions. Furthermore, I have EXTENSIVE experience dealing with low income tenants; druggies; and criminals (something you indicate in your post that you do not). What I said in my post is absolutely correct - a photo or video of a drug deal or drug use (without a drug analysis) does not prove anything and is not a basis for arrest or even an eviction. If you ran a housing authority with over 1200 tenants, how could you not know that? I know the person that runs our local housing authority is keenly aware of these facts.

Also, your advice to get a camera (when she clearly already has one) INSTEAD of a gun is dangerous. The scum that she's dealing with have PROVEN to be dangerous. She knows that they are drug dealers. She knows that these criminals have guns, or at least are involved with people who are. She is in fear of her life and IS in danger. Whether your for or against guns is irrelevant. A camera can take a picture of someone that is about to kill you, but it won't protect you from the criminal. I know that I wouldn't trade my gun for a camera when I'm dealing with dangerous criminals.

However I did some research and came accross "the United States Code, TITLE 13 > CHAPTER 7 > SUBCHAPTER II > §223. Refusal, by owners, proprietors, etc., to assist census employees".

It says that as a owner you have to give away their names...Any thoughts?

The Constitution authorizes the COUNTING of the people during a census, thus the requirement that you provide the number of people living in your house. Other laws (that I would say violate the constitution) require that you answer the other questions in the census. There is a substantial fine for not doing so, but the government almost never fines people for not doing so. If you don't follow the government's instructions to fill out the census, you are risking (although a very small risk) being fined. BRING IT ON - THAT'S WHAT I SAY! If they want to fine me, I'll see them in court. I'm tired of the government butting into my business and I'm sick of the government trampling on my rights. I am NOT providing any more information to the census than is enumerated in the constitution.

As you can see, unfortunately there is a lot of politics in the rental business. It's almost impossible to be in business and stay out of politics. If the government isn't trying to collect a bunch of unconstitutional information about you and your tenant, then they're trying to STEAL your money through a bunch of taxes, fees, and licenses aimed directly at "RICH" landlords. It's going to get MUCH WORSE and a huge percentage of the city, state, and the federal government are BROKE!

She's already got pictures of the druggies smoking pot and dealing drugs. What do they PROVE? They don't prove that the person is smoking pot or dealing drugs because a picture (or video) doesn't prove that it is POT or that DRUGS are being dealt. Section 8's hands are tied and they can't do ANYTHING with this kind of "evidence". Likewise, the police can't arrest anyone as a result of this "evidence". She won't need a date stamp on her pictures or video because it will never be evidence in court. What does it show? Someone smoking a funny looking cigarette? Many tenants roll their own tobacco cigarettes. Someone exchanging money for something? For what exactly? How does a picture or video prove that?

As for your advice that she not record sound, what is that based on? She didn't say what state she was from and many states allow recording of audio provided one party is aware of the audio recording. For example, in Ohio, recording the audio is completely legal as it is in many other states provided one party is aware of the recording.

I've got to tell you Financeexaminer, I'm kind of shocked that you are proporting to be a real estate "coach" and yet you don't seem to have any actual experience with this stuff. It seems like you're making this stuff up from watching too many cop shows on tv. Do you have any PERSONAL experience as a landlord? Have you ever PERSONALLY dealt with a druggie in connection with a rental?



Peter is right, going after the scumbag's landlord is certainly worth a try. He might be able to exert enough pressure on the scum to get them to leave. I just got rid of some druggies this month by intimidating and harrassing them. In my case, I kept going by the property (an apartment building) and running off the druggies that were hanging around (not the tenant, but his druggie friends). I called the police on the druggies while I was at the property and had the druggies arrested for trespass, open container, and other minor crimes. The tenant still had a job (a job he's held for a LONG time) and I threatened to garnish his wages. These tactics aren't for the faint-hearted; can be dangerous; and they don't always work, but if you put pressure on the drug-scum's landlord, he may put pressure on the tenants.

Unfortunately, this is where having a tenant on Section 8 can be a problem. The landlord's hands will be tied in getting rid of the tenant, not only by the lack of PROOF that something illegal is happening, but also by the HAP Contract (Section 8 contract). Evicting for things other than rent is almost always difficult, and Section 8 isn't going to allow the landlord to violate the HAP Contract. Finally, the drug-scum could contact Section 8 and file a complaint against the landlord for any of a million different things.



Guns and cameras are not really interchangeable. A camera is good for taking pictures. A gun is good for protecting your life from the scum of the earth (and there are a LOT of them). A gun doesn't really work when you need a camera and A CAMERA DEFINITELY DOES NOT WORK WHEN YOU NEED A GUN TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE!

You're right! My dog never bounces checks! However, if my dog was a deadbeat, he'd be out on his butt!

No, my grandmother was never a deadbeat!

NO COMPASSION FOR HUMANITY

NO RESPECT FOR THE ELDERLY
MONEY GRUBBING (3 X RENT CONTROLLED CHECKS - devil gotta good price for that sole)

Bev, do you OWN any rentals at all, or do you just waste other people's money? Running a business has NOTHING to do with compassion for fellow human beings or respect for the elderly. Expecting the rent to be paid on time and in full does not mean the landlord is a money grubber. Where did you come up with this crap?

A landlord is in a BUSINESS relationship with his tenants. If the tenants don't pay, they can't stay - it's just that simple. When a tenant stiffs me for the rent, I consider that the same as someone STEALING FROM ME. I certainly do not have compassion for them and I don't have even the slightest bit of respect for them. Respect is earned, not bestowed!!! What I will do is GLADLY evict them as rapidly as the law will allow and I feel a LITTLE bit better when I throw their stuff out to the curb!

There is no easy way to deal with this drug scum. It's even more difficult if no-one is willing to give their name. It's hard enough to get the police to do anything if you're constantly in their face, but the police won't take you too seriously if you stay anonymous.

Yes, you can contact Section 8, but unless you have PROOF, they won't and can't do anything. Proof is not you seeing a drug deal go down, because the scumbags will claim it never happened. Proof is not you getting a video recording of a drug deal, because the scumbags will claim they were buying/selling something legal. Proof is not even an arrest for drugs, because they are innocent until convicted in court. It won't hurt to contact Section 8, but unless you are very lucky, they won't do anything.



For what? Have the scumbags been convicted of a serious crime while in the house?



The squeaky wheel gets oiled - meaning that if you keep contacting the police, and especially if you go have a personal talk with the police chief, you may get some action. That is probably your best option, but it can take months and months for the police to do the undercover work to actually bust the scum, and then they will be out on bond until the trial.

You've already seen an armed robbery. These people ARE DANGEROUS and you are certainly in danger, whatever you do. I would strongly suggest BUYING A GUN and getting trained to use it. If your state allows concealed carry, I would get the license and start carrying! When seconds count, the police are only minutes away. I carry a gun all the time.

Good Luck,

Mike

Ditto what Bill said! In addition, "maintenance snaking" is a huge waste of time and money. The vast majority of clogs are caused by the tenant. If there isn't a slow drain or a clog today, snaking it will do almost nothing. When the idiot tenant flushes a big wad of baby wipes down the commode or an idiot tenant tries to pour a pan full of hot grease down the kitchen sink, that's when you need to snake the drain (and a bottle of drain cleaner isn't going to do a thing).

Good Luck,

Mike

Well, that was a ridiculous post by Financial Examiner. It is the TENANT'S RESPONSIBILITY to get the rent to the landlord on time and in full! A bounced check is NOT payment - it's a worthless piece of paper. It is NOT the landlord's responsibility to chase the landlord all over the planet (including the hospital or other places) to get the rent. This tenant bounced checks at least TWICE and the last check bounced was for 2 months rent!!! This landlord went a LOT farther than I would have without evicting the tenant.

It's sad that the tenant has cancer. However, I'd like to see ANY tenant that doesn't have a problem. Regardless of the problems, a tenant is responsible to PAY THE RENT!!! If they don't pay the rent, they should be promptly evicted.

The fact that the landlord wants to get rid of his last rent-controlled tenant is completely understandable. The tenant obliged him by failing to pay the rent and thereby gave him a legitimate excuse to evict her.