All Forum Posts by: Debra Mittleman

Help!!!   In November 2016 I attended a tax deed sale in Thomasville GA.  It was my first and I was pleased to purchase 2 homes and one lot.  Georgia has a one year redemption period which allows the owner to reclaim property if they pay back your investment plus 20% interest.  Great!  A no lose situation.  At the end of the year I will either own the properties or make 20% on my original investment.  Well here's the rub....I go on vacation (Costa Rica was fabulous!) and return to have certified mail from the county assessor waiting for me.  When I pick up the letter, it is a check for my original investment (no additional 20%), a letter stating the sale was done in error, and a quit claim deed done "on my behalf" by the Thomas County Tax Assessor.  What the F***!  

So I call the assessor and she explains that although the lot had a separate PIN than the neighboring home, that the two had been purchased and that the lot was sold to me in error.  I asked about the 20% I was supposed to receive and she said it didn't apply because the owner wasn't purchasing it from me but rather the lot was sold to me in error in the first place!

Where to begin?  Can an assessors office do a quit claim deed "on my behalf" without me signing any papers?  Don't they still owe me the additional 20% since that is what the deed stipulates?  If I deposit their check does that mean that I accept this deal?  Help!

Forgot to add....both are currently vacant.

I purchased two homes in a tax deed sale. I plan to hold and rent out both. They atr currently vacant and are in decent condition. The rules in Georgia for properties sold in this manner is that although I am the current owner who is responsible for taxes and insurance I cannot do work on or rent them out until after the redemption period. I want insurance to protect in case of fire or vandalism.

I am looking for reasonably priced insurance on two homes I recently purchased in South Georgia.  They are currently vacant and will need some work before I can rent them out.  Anyone have suggestions for that area?

I am in the process of evicting a tenant from a duplex that I own in Fort Pierce, FL. The tenant is fighting the eviction so a court date has been set for December 8th at 11:25 am. Because I have an LLC the judge says that I must be represented by an attorney for the hearing. Does anyone have an attorney in that area who you would recommend? Please let me know. Thanks!

Thanks for feedback.  By the way I did decide to pay for the $65 a night hotel but am curious what other landlords are doing in similar cases.

Thanks for response.  One vote for "kick rocks".  Any other thoughts from fellow landlords/brokers/lawyers?

I own a duplex in Fort Pierce Florida.  I have a new Section 8 tenant in one of my units and she recently contacted me to inform me that there is a crack in the tub that is leaking water onto the bathroom floor.  I immediately contacted a couple of contractors to get bids/advice on the best way to fix the problem.  One suggested a new tub but explained that it would involve tearing up current bathroom to remove tub before putting a replacement in.  That person's time estimate of that job would be a minimum of 7 days to complete.  The other contractor repairs the existing tub, guarantees the work for 3 years, and the job takes 2 hours to do but the tub has to sit untouched for 3 days in order to harden.  I choose the quicker, less expensive route of tub repair.

Because my tenant would not be able to use the tub for 3 days while it dried, I made reservations and paid for a hotel for her to stay in.  The tenant told me that any hotel I choose should be close to the freeway because she doesn't have a car and the person she rides to work with wants her close to the freeway.  I went on line and did a google search for hotels near the freeway in Fort Pierce.  The closest one was a Motel 6 and cost $50 a night.  I reserved the room for my tenant and her 2 children.  When I contacted my tenant to tell her the arrangements she said she wouldn't stay at a Motel 6 because she has not had a good experience with them, she didn't feel comfortable taking her kids there, and she wanted something with a stove since she wants to cook during the 3 days.  I said ok but since I had found a hotel for $50/ a night that if she choose something else more expensive that I would pay $50 a night and anything over that she could pay.  She said that she couldn't afford anything and that I should be the whole thing at a hotel which costs $65 a night.

1.  Am I required to pay the hotel bill if she can't use her tub?

2.  Can I choose the cheapest acceptable hotel?

3.  Her water is working she can still do wash ups while the tub is drying should I tell her to kick rocks?

I'd appreciate input and feedback from other landlords who have been in this position.  Thanks in advance. 

I am fairly new to the state of Florida and in 2015 purchased my first investment property, a duplex.  The state of Florida doesn't have state income taxes and usually it is not necessary to file a return.  However, I recently read that the exception to this is for real estate investors who own property in the state.  Can anyone tell me more about this and what forms I need to file with the state?  

Are there any restrictions in association rules that prohibit renting?