All Forum Posts by: Wesley W.

@Jeff Bridges

Thanks!  I'm just trying to prepare for the worst.  I've had a strained relationship with this tenant since buying the building, and she is using what's left of her security deposit as part of her rent for the last month.  I have played hardball with her since taking over, and I worry if I draw a line in the sand now (RE: the security deposit, which is only a portion of a month's rent anyways), the move out might yield more damages, if you know what I mean. She is already paying a late fee in the accounting of this last month's rent.

Her unit has to be totally rehabbed (she was in there for 10 years, it's a mess), but I'm trying to give myself an option to pursue if there are "parting shots" of additional damage in the wake of their moving (think @Brandon Turner's "rocks in the plumbing" story).

Okay this is one of those situations where I am sure there is no definitive answer, but I am interested in seeing how everyone's management styles would address this.

Abbreviated facts:

Tenant moved in on 1/1 of this year, have had a good relationship with them thusfar.  They had frozen/burst pipes this winter and just had a water heater replaced, and they were understanding with the loss of hot water for a cumulative time of about 36  hours over the two events.

She reports that one of the windows in her unit is broken and sends a phone pic.

I have a pic of my own from August (when we bought the building) showing window intact.  Since August, then-current tenant was evicted and unit was turned over by hired team.  City Code Enforcement inspects and gives CO in December.

I am reasonably sure if the window was broken, Code would have flagged it.  (They love to ding owners for that kind of stuff around here.)  Although, it's possible they missed it, however.

Lease says "tenant is responsible for broken glass."

It's the bottom sash of a double hung window - vinyl, two panes.  From a pic she sent, it has about a 6 inch crack coming in from the side - my guess it was caused by trying to open/close the window without it being square.

Choices are (that I can see):

(1) Eat the cost in the name of positive rapport, and take tenant's word that they did not cause the damage.  (Although it still may have been caused during their brief tenancy.)

(2) Cite the lease and the Code inspection, and offer to split the cost as a gesture of goodwill.

(3) Cite the lease and the Code inspection, and politely remind them that the repair will be billed to them.

Is there another choice?  How would you handle the situation?  Would your opinion change if you self managed vs. a PM?

Thanks in advance for your collective input!

@Jeff Bridges

Good to know.  Do you know how long it will take for their new address to show up on their credit report?

 Bingo!  This is the kind of empirical "gold" I am talking about!

Anyone have any others?

@Levi T.

I know the uphill battles of collecting a judgment, but that is really not what I am asking. ;)

They are "low hanging fruit" as I know enough about them to collect. (I'd rather not go into detail in writing.)  It's the service after the move that I am trying to line up.  I appreciate you trying to provide helpful advice and feedback, but my question is...

I'm looking for clever ways to find out where they have moved to after they leave.

Thank you in advance! :)

@Jeff Bridges

I'm not admitting to anything.  These are inherited tenants and there is a long back story that is really not germane to my original question.  Suffice to say they will have no security deposit upon vacating and will have a balance due to me.  They know this and will not willingly give me their address.  I will have trouble serving them court papers if I don't know where they live.

What I'm asking is if anyone has any clever ways of determining where they move to once they vacate.

Thanks!

@Beth L.

They won't be giving it to me.  They know I will want it to serve papers to get a judgement.

@Jeff Bridges

Great idea, except they will not have any security deposit to return, hence the "end up owing" phrase in the OP.

Hello folks,

Anyone have a clever means of finding the new local address of vacating tenants that (shudder the thought) might end up owing you once they relinquish possession? 

My first thought is have someone follow the moving truck, but I am sure there is a whole tool box out there for this.

Thanks in advance!

I would lean towards a separate set.  Being a live-in landlord necessitates you keeping a definitive line between being a neighbor and the owner.  Among the other reasons you stated, I think sharing appliances serves to blur that line a bit more.