All Forum Posts by: Tim Wilkinson

Thanks@Max T.

It is illegal in MA to charge late fees until rent is 30 days late, however they can evict at one day late. 

We don't get any warning about the lawn. She just shows up on random days to do it. 

Are you really inferring she has the right to make us feel as if we have no privacy (i.e calling us to tell us we left a light on, frequent trips to get things from her garage which has our personal belongings all over the place)?

We have a right to privacy, this much I know. I don't know where the line is drawn, but all I know is I have never felt this way as a tenant. 

When I say it feels like prison, I mean I can't fart without her commenting. This does not seem like a landlord that respects others privacy. 

Also, she usually calls before she comes to get stuff out of the garage, but it is way too often. I am under the impression that there should be 24 hours notice for a visit and only for legitimate things. 

Hello BP,

Although I am an investor, currently the home my wife and I live in is leased to us. As part of the lease agreement, the LL retained one of our three attached garages unavailable to us. It is all open inside, but we are not allowed to use the third bay. 

Since we moved in eight months ago, we get frequent requests to get things out of the garage that belong to the owner. There is a legal clause called "quiet enjoyment" that speaks of our right to be left alone. I don't appreciate the frequency with which she comes over unannounced. 

Secondly, she mows the grass weekly and makes a big deal if we missed a pile of dog droppings in our yard. We clean it regularly, but she will leave a high spot in the grass and put sticks to mark it, then call us and let us know. 

She can see our house from her house and calls us when we leave a garage light on at night. I also just put in my window A/C units and she called to say she doesn't like how one of them is installed. She micromanages everything and it feels like prison!

Shortly after we moved in, I noticed that one of the forced hot water baseboard units was cold. I verified it was air-locked and bled it until it worked. She chastised me and said she would rather me not make any repairs, that she would call a professional. 

I have been in the trades my whole life, a General Contractor, and thought she was crazy to not allow me to save her a service call. 

That isn't as exhaustive a list as it could be, but I would like to know what you folks think I should do about it. Should I have an attorney draw up a complaint? Go to the Housing authority? She is an employee of the town I live in. Aside from being a lot OCD, she is okay to get along with. 

One other thing: We were three days late with last months rent because my wife's company was bought and her payroll frequency changed. She called my wife and asked her to provide proof from her employer that this happened. Now I say WTF?

best of luck @Joe Weinstein! Keep us posted on the progress!

Thanks @Rob McCarthy,  I have viewed these and it would require a zoning change approval. It is R-1. 

The language in the housing report was that Stows laws were prohibitive of rental housing unless it is a 40B development, so there are a couple 40B developments  that solve the affordable problem, but there is still zero rental properties for those with higher income that rent. 

My hope in choosing a town need is that I can use it for leverage to get approval possibly. 

I have an agreement with an owner of a SFR with 10 acres (7 acres is buildable) in Stow, MA. He has asked me to partner with him to find the most lucrative way of developing his property. About 10 ears ago, he was given a preliminary approval for subdividing into 5 2 acre parcels with a shared right of way. The subdivision didn't take place.

I have also read through the town housing reports and they have a severe need for rental housing in this market. It is my opinion that the town should approve a small apartment development that will meet their housing needs with little resistance. There is a need for over 55 housing also. 

I am looking for info from residential apartment developers on the best way to proceed with this. Is it best for us to do the survey, site testing for septic, and turn in a plan to town while my partner still retains ownership, and then sell the deal after approval? I have heard of some developers completely developing and leasing the property before selling off to another investment company. 

Which way is best? Am I barking up the wrong tree and we should be subdividing the way he originally planned? If we did that, I would have the right to build on each lot and sell the five homes under a structured agreement with the current owner. 

Please, if you have experience with these types of situations, I'd like to talk offline about it. 

Thank you in advance for your support in my company's success.

hi, @Kyle Teixeira it sounds like you are only looking for MLS listing that are turnkey, is that correct? Or are you looking for deals?

Hey @Robert Nason I am not going to answer that, as I don't have the experience to, but I did want to say...well done! 

It all depends if you want to be able to rent to families with small children. Lead paint doesn't always have to be removed, there are economical ways, also. Some folks encapsulate baseboards and remove window trim to cut costs. It won't be lead-free. It will be lead-safe. 

Welcome, Yuri. there are many, many members here from our area. Be sure to attend the Black Diamond REIA. You are in a great location, as the Black Diamond alternates locations each month between Waltham and Worcester.