90 days

At my eviction proceedings today, the judge asked Betty how many days she would need to find a place for her family.  I need at least 90 days, replied Betty.  I nearly popped up out of my chair;  I said to myself hold back Ruth, don't make a fool out of yourself. The judge said that is not going to happen when could you be out?  Then she said 60 days.  Judge asked me, and I said 2 weeks.  Ok, Ms Loveless we will go with 2 weeks.

I have learned to say as little as possible and that usually works out pretty good.

So in 2 weeks, I will have another destroyed house and someone that owes me $1,000. which I will never see.  I am way too nice.  Will I ever learn?

Negotiations

The art of landlording requires a negotiation skill. I have learned to follow up said negotiations with a letter stating the agreement.  So that there are no surprises.
So when they call up and tell you that they have money for you....take it one step further and find out when the next payment is coming and what you will do when the 2nd payment does not come.  In this case, I have insurance ie. Officer Dixon and a set out date postponed one week.  Don't cancel or you will have to start all over.

More expense and more delays.

New Law

On August 2 Governor Quinn signed Senate Bill 1766. This new law is effective immediately and requires all residential leases to state existing law and include the following language.

"if any lessee or occupant, on one or more occasions, uses or permits the use of the leased premises for the commission of a felony or Class A misdemeanor under the laws of this State, the lessor shall have the right to void the lease and recover the leased premises"

Julie Julia

I loved the movie "Julie, Julia" (I might have the title slightly wrong).  Anyway, the movie was my first exposure to blogging.  I just loved the way Julie blogged every day about  Julia Child's recipies that she was making.  I know that you are suppose to write about what you know.  Well, what did I really know about anything.  I finally decided that I could write about landlording. 

And so I started in 2009.  I was off to a great start.  I wanted my blogs to be upbeat and entertaining.  After awhile, I realized that many times landlording is not upbeat, nor entertaining, nor nice.

If you can't say something nice than you should not say anything at all.

Mum's the word!

Surprise Property tax!

Property tax surprise is not really a surprise.  You've known for one year that the property taxes are due the same time every year.  Sure would have been easier to pay had I set aside payments monthly.  I am on tract to have that set-up for 2011.

Next year no surprises!

SB1766-Crime Free Clause

Yesterday the Governor of Illinois passed SB1766 into law.  Requiring all landlords to have a crime free clause in all rental contracts.  Actually, I do have something like that in my contracts.  SB1766 does not provide any protection or access to information to landlords during the screening process to determine whether or not landlords will be renting to a potential criminal.  Many people lie on their applications.  I catch them sometimes and sometimes I don't.  If a crime is committed on our property, our job will be to get them out and fast.

Lord help us!

Move'em Out, Move'em In

Old tenants moved out, left some furniture, dirty carpets, ugly paint on the walls.  New tenants love the house, like to clean, and could use some of the furniture.  And have money. 

Now that's what I am talking about!

Who cares?

Be careful in your selection of tenants.  By the time, renters get finished with their, "I don't care it is just rented attitude" they have destroyed your property.  Try to avoid these types of renters.

1. I don't care and I don't pay list.
2. I don't care but I do pay list.
3. I don't care, I don't pay, and it's your fault list.
4. I don't care, I don't pay, it's your fault and if you kick me out, I will get even list.
5. I don't have any money, but I really need a place to live.
6. Oh that felony on my record is a mistake.

If this doesn't bother you , "You might be a landlord".  But then Who Cares?

Destruction in under 3 months!

It only took Cheri  3 months to destroy my property.  The family  moved in with financial help from a local agency.  Never paid another dime.  Tore up the house.  I had to take her to court to get her out.  Then they moved on to the next unsuspecting landlord and I am sure doing the same thing to them.
So you want to be a landlord?

Had a waterleak and ruined the floor!  Couldn't tighten the bolt.

New carpet.

Living room, the spaghetti was sitting on the tv.

Dear God,

Dear God,  Please send me a family that loves their children, values family, is clean, petless, appreciates a clean home, doesn't smoke, drink, or do drugs, realizes that there is a difference between wants and needs, and lives within their income. 

I have a perfect home for this family.

Amen

Getting Started

I met a nice young couple today.  They expressed an interest in getting started in the rental business.  It was very hard for me to come up with some positive encouragement.  I have had so much trouble this month with tenants.  Troubles ranging from drug busts, non-payment, getting ticketed for burning, property trashed, and then throw in a murder, that covers it, I guess.  The month is not over yet!

However, I did manage to give them some advice. 

1. Start slow , get one property working for you before starting on another.
2. Don't fix it up like you are going to live in it yourself.  Everything  should work and be durable.

Now that I am back home, I think of several other things that I should have mentioned like:

1. Don't acept payments on the move in amounts; get all the money up front.
2. Screen, screen, screen your tenants.
3. Get a list of everyones name and age that will be living there.  Full application on anyone over 18.
4. Be firm not nice right from the get-go.
5. Assume everything that they tell you is a lie.
6. They will sneak in the animals that they tell you can live somewhere else.

 On second thought, maybe these aren't positives just self-preservation.

What the heck is going on?

I finished off last week with sending out 5 "Five Day Notices'.  If that does not bring in some money Monday or Tuesday, I will have to go to the court house and file on them.  Between filing and having the summons served it will cost me another $150. on top of what they owe me.  Expensive clean-outs and clean ups and time wasted to find new tenants.

Oh boy!

Called in the County

I had to call in the county police to get these tenants out.  On set out day, the county police, my maintenance man, and my self showed up at the house.  Tenants were nearly out.  The officer couldn't believe how this family had destroyed the house in only 3 months time.  My guy changed the locks on the house and all done except for cleaning up the mess.

Anybody want to trade jobs?

Go Sleep in the Van

Got the judgement against Cheri Bagwell for $1900.  Cheri got the money to move in  from Illinois Valley because she was homeless So they were in my  lovely home before Christmas.  Cheri never paid a dime after that.  They trashed the yard.  Moved the cutest little puppy in on my new carpet and have been tearing up the house ever since.  The judge gave her until March 28th at 10 a.m. to be out.  Cheri called me today and said that she couldn't be out until April 10th.  Now think about it:  she hasn't paid any rent, is tearing up my house, has a puppy, 4 kids and wants another half month of free rent.  I called the Sheriff and he will set her out on the 30th (because that is his next work day).  I called Cheri and told her that she would be out on the 30th as planned AND perhaps she and the kids could sleep in that new van that they bought instead of paying the rent.  The sad part is that she will do the next landlord just like she did me and not think a thing about it.

I hate this job!

Court House News

Tomorrow morning, I meet 2 separate households of tenants for their eviction.  This is never a pleasant experience.  Something I pay for by not doing a good job of screening before they moved in.  I tend to believe their stories, look at their pleasant faces, and go with my gut.  I can't tell you how many times this particular way of screening has not worked out.  They each owe me over $1,500.  This is definitely not fun.  The worse part is they will move on to the next kind-of-heart-landlord and do them the same way.

C'est la vie!

The Help

I thought that I would help out a couple of tenants by giving them a little work.  I gave them all the cleaning products and gas money to get o the job site.  They worked 5 hours did not complete the job, tracked me down in a store and demanded to be paid.  I didn't have my check book with me.  I told them  I do not pay until the job is completed and that they would have to wait until tomorrow and come to the ofice.  They owe me money and keep putting me off.

It felt good!