| First let's look at a 7 day eviction. You
have a tenant renting from you for $600 a month and the rent is due on the 1st day of the
month. You have reached the point at which you decide you need to take some
action. Every landlord has a different limit. By contract and by law that
limit may be as short as the 2nd day of the month. In practice it is generally
longer. I have had clients come in and say, "My client is ten months behind in
rent, what should I do?" Usually I say, "Come to me months
ago!" |
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| There are many reasons why you should not wait
before beginning a 7 day eviction. The number one reason is that there are many
agencies and charities that will help tenants who are having trouble paying their
rent. Most of them have limits on how much they will provide. None of them
will help a tenant with five or six months worth of rent. Many will tell the tenant
that it is cheaper for them to provide the tenant with a security deposit and first
month's rent at another location. Thus you have guaranteed that a tenant who might
have been properly trained will go elsewhere and you will not collect your rent. |
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| Another reason is that you almost guarantee that
your frustration level rises to the point that you decide to bypass the 7 day proceedings
and move directly to a termination. The 7 day proceedings are intended to be a
method of training your tenant to do what he is supposed to do. If you never use
them, you can't be surprised the tenant has not learned to carry out his responsibilities. |
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| Once you have decided to act, what is the
first step you must take? |
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