All Forum Posts by: Robert Cummings

 Thanks James.  Would you be willing to share the particular clause or even an example lease?

my renter moved out April 1st 2016.  he kept the keys and never returned them but sent the remotes back after 45 days or more.  I waited 3 days then changed the locks and purchased and programmed new remotes.  Then, 14 days after the 3rd, i sent the tenants deposit minus 3 additional rental days.  The tenant had left a vacuum which i stored in my garage in case he wanted it back.  The renter sued me, he wanted all his deposit.  He also wanted $350 for his vacuum.  I was late in getting to court and arrived just as he was called to the bench.   The judge, being angry at me for being late, awarded the tenant $1000 plus court costs.  I should not have been late but am appealing.  Question is was I correct in charging the former tenant for 3 days of occupancy beyond their scheduled move out date?

For VA disability payments the renter would go here ... http://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/manage/payveri... then print an income verification letter after logging in.

For SS the renter can open this pdf and follow the instructions to print out the document:  https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10552.pdf  You can also email then this pdf and ask them to print the income verification form.  

Hope this was helpful: 

 " you need to look at the lease." Actually the lease won't really tell you what is legal for you to do in this case.  There are laws regarding this, just don't know to what extent Illinois goes.  @Marcia Maynard  is entirely correct.  If you gave those sons access you may have placed yourself in a bad situation.  You need to secure the place, contact a lawyer and find out what you can and can not do asap.  If there are more than these sons, and she left no instructions, and the courts appoint an executor someone could claim you rifled your tenants belongings.   

Hi Sundai

First, full disclosure, I am not a title insurance agent, lawyer or anyone in the legal RE profession.  That said here is what I do know.

1. The purpose of title insurance is to protect you against problems from the past.

2. If you are buying property your title insurance company will handle researching the history of the title to the property.  

Now I may not understand the nature of the question since it is possible you are purchasing this property via non traditional means.  So get a title insurance company to research the property for you.  Then if something should come along that company will pay your legal fees and if a court rules against you the title insurance company pays you.  

In other words, don't attempt to search a title yourself and never assume anything with RE and money,

Thanks BP'ers.  All suggestions are appreciated.  What am I going to do?  

1. Change the tumblers.  Any tenant that feels unsafe the least I can do is make such a small change.  

2. @Marcia Maynard suggested it but it was already in my mind to sit down with him an go over the lease.  The key thing is I know him from years before he was a tenant so I know this will do little good.  Yep I allowed franken-tenant in the front door.  Oh, pierce county had something like that but it was changed /repealed.  

 @Colleen F. Nope not just the fan, (and just let me say the fan works as designed. Some people do not insert that metal flap in the fan housing because it irritates people to hear that slap of the metal flap closing when the fan is turned off.)

3. I have to be in control, at least until I have a PM in control.  So you are also correct

@Robert Carl.  Again thanks for all the posts and suggestions.  

@Michael R.

 My lease specifically says, no repairs and no lock changes. If I start to make exceptions I lose control.  I don't want other tenants going, 'Well you let him do it'.

@Max Tanenbaum I offered and will.  I will just change the tumbler.  I do document everything.  He is a new tenant but one i have known for many years.  The father of his new wife is a friend.

@Michael R. I have a new exhaust fan over the stove, I told him at walk through that I would probably replace it since the contractor did not install it correctly.  After signing he wanted to see for himself and removed the cover breaking it,  He wants to change the locks because a former tenant visited his neighbors and remarked to him that the lock looked the same.  When he told me I asked if the tenant attempted to open the door and whether they had a key to even try.  He did not answer. 

I have a tenant that has decided he will change the locks.  I notified him he isn't allowed to change the locks by the lease and if there is something that makes him feel unsafe I will gladly change the locks for him.  My questions run from is there something I am missing?  he has only been in the property 3 months and I have had more trouble from him than 2 year tenants.  Should I evict him for lease violation, yes he has done other things like attempt repairs of things he though should work better and broke them.  

@Brie Schmidt

 Congratulations on reaching, and surpassing your goal.  Big Whoop!!