All Forum Posts by: Melissa Lenhardt

To answer the above question they broke the garage door by closing the door when a shelf was in the middle of the sensors. The sensors went through the back where it was open and didn't sense it there. The husband shut the garage door and went into the house and let it go and it went up and down on the shelf and broke the springs. We have in our lease agreement they pay for damages they cause. We just had the garage door inspected before we moved out and repaired.

Melissa

Yes it is Bill. Should I not send them a certified letter? You have been wonderfully helpful so far Bill Thank you for chiming in again

Hello,

Yet again I am using you for help. This forum has been extremely helpful and we have gained a lot of knowledge from all of you. Our tenants never put the utilities in their name and we are trying to send them a bill for the utilities that they owe us. The last two months they have been late with the rent and we need to charge them the late fee also. To make matters even worse they shorted us 100$ this month on rent because of a repair that they are responsible for and we made them pay for. So now we are typing up a certified letter to send to them about the policies outlined in the lease that they have agreed to and are in violation of as well as an invoice of money owed as they will not return our calls. In our lease it does state that all moneys due will be paid before rent when money received.

questions

1. Can we cash the check that is a 100.00$ short even if in the line item it says rent? and then send them an invoice or do we send the check back and say its not sufficient?

2. Is there anything we are missing or should be thinking about?

Thanks Again

Melissa Lenhardt

Thanks again William your replies have been very helpful, thorough and to the point. This is exactly where we are. My husband showed up tonight and the husband (tenant) was home. He showed us the gas bill that I put in their name and said that he will put the electric in their names. My husband told him he wanted him to let him know when the switch was made. We are much more willing to work with them on back payment than have the house sit empty this time of year. After confirmation that it has been changed I will send them or hand deliver them a bill for the back utilities owed.

Huge lesson learned for first time LL's going forward we will :

1.) Make sure the lease explicitly states all moneys owed will be deducted from rent.

2.) Make sure the keys are handed over after proof of utilities are put in their name.

Thanks everyone, I'll keep you updated

Melissa

Update to this situation,

My husband and I spoke with the husband (tenant) and they said that they had just discovered this themselves and we were supposed to go over that Sunday. They soon cancelled the next day. My husband has tried other days and they do not work for them. He went to the home while they were gone as he had given them notice. He worked on the outside not going on the inside. They now will not return our phone calls and they still have not put the electric in their name.

Plan:

I know we cannot shut off the utilities but need to remedy this situation. So I need to know If I am on the right path of progression with what we will do next.

I can give them an itemized statement or bill for the utilities stating what is in the lease along with a certified letter.

Or

Do I just follow through with a filed complaint at this point since they have never put it in their name even after talking and telling them they need to?

Thanks everyone for the help

Melissa Lenhardt

Update to this situation,

My husband and I spoke with the husband (tenant) and they said that they had just discovered this themselves and we were supposed to go over that Sunday. They soon cancelled the next day. My husband has tried other days and they do not work for them. He went to the home while they were gone as he had given them notice. He worked on the outside not going on the inside. They now will not return our phone calls and they still have not put the electric in their name.

Plan:

I know we cannot shut off the utilities but need to remedy this situation. So I need to know If I am on the right path of progression with what we will do next.

I can give them an itemized statement or bill for the utilities stating what is in the lease along with a certified letter.

Or

Do I just follow through with a filed complaint at this point since they have never put it in their name even after talking and telling them they need to?

Thanks everyone for the help

Melissa Lenhardt

Just so that everyone understands Im not blowing this out of proportion. I am calling them first! and Im not shutting of their utilities. I will follow up with it in writing IF.... they don't change them. They have had 2 1/2 -3 months to have done it and have not. Its not simply they haven't changed them yet. I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Thanks again William for your advice and well put help.

Melissa

That is part of my frustration @ Chris it has been 2 1/2 months. They moved in august 18th and I am just now finding out that I am still being billed for it. Stupid on my part I overlooked the billing that I was stilling being charged for it. I will call and remind them and then follow up with a certified letter explaining what needs to take place and if not what action will be taken. I just called too see if I could put it electric in their name and I couldn't. I did however get gas put in their name as of today. To get my back payments back I will have to add it to their rent.

Melissa

Yes it is in the lease they are to pay all electric and gas bills and I did take them out of my name when we moved. Due to the fact that I am listed as a landlord and it is still our property because they were never put in their name they still billed me. My husband is calling them to clarify the situation and what we expect and I will follow up with a certified letter of expectation.

I do want to give them the benefit of the doubt but I don't want it to go on too long and so forth. Thanks for all your great suggestions William! I will see if I can have them put in their name and will check my state forms.

Many blessings

Melissa

Hello,

This is out first time renting out our home and after our tenants moved in they never put the utilities in their own name and I am still being charged for them. I plan on sending out a certified letter today stating they need to be put in their own name. I guess I am asking if anyone has gone through this how they handled it or for any suggestions on what to put in the letter. Im thinking it is possible grounds for eviction.

Melissa