This time last month, one of my best tenants told me they were moving. Another tenant was causing trouble with the neighbors and eventually told me they were also moving. That left me with just tenant #3 as of August 1st. They've been here almost a year, and in that time they may have paid their rent on time twice. We've been to rent court once with a judgment in my favor (they paid the day after it went before the judge). Technically, I should have asked them to move by now; however, these particular tenants live in my house (the other half of the duplex I live in). Aside from the rent woes, I like them. Given my recent issues, I also feel safe with them living in my house, which is a big deal to me.
However, business is business and when July 1st came around, they still owed me money from June. I knew a bit about their situation - I knew he was changing jobs and there would be a lapse in pay, that they've been working on trimming and cutting down the trees around the property, and that they were screwed over by someone that was staying with them briefly (with my permission). So I decided to waive the amount that was owed (it was relatively small) as a thank you for the work they had done on the trees, in the hope that it would help them get back on track faster.
Yeah, right.
It's now July 18 and not one dime has been paid for their July rent. He's not actually getting his first check until after the 1st of August. Oh, but I was told that they would be getting money from a friend last night to pay a large portion of their rent (no, I didn't believe it either). When this started snowballing at the beginning of the month, I told one of them that I would hold on the court proceedings until July 19. It seems like a nice-guy gesture, but it's actually a complete jerk move. Filing in district court on July 19 means that it will go before the judge on August 2nd. In our county and state, that means that I can claim the rent for August is also due when I file (since it will become due while we are waiting to go to court). That means they will only have until August 9th to finish paying for July and August before I file for the sheriff. Yes, it's still late and it will still accrue fees, but since I'm losing two other tenants on July 31, I'm stuck with them for at least another month - late rent is still rent and they know they can't go anywhere else.
I'm going to court this afternoon, instead of tomorrow (I plan to be on the beach tomorrow and their lack of timeliness is not going to interfere with that); as long I file after 4pm today, we still go to court two weeks from tomorrow, so there's no real difference on their end. I fully expect to get a text message that says "we have your money" which means "we have part of your money and a variety of excuses" at some point tonight or tomorrow. After all, the constant smell of cigarette smoke is a sign of money coming from somewhere.
Fool me once... but not twice.
However, business is business and when July 1st came around, they still owed me money from June. I knew a bit about their situation - I knew he was changing jobs and there would be a lapse in pay, that they've been working on trimming and cutting down the trees around the property, and that they were screwed over by someone that was staying with them briefly (with my permission). So I decided to waive the amount that was owed (it was relatively small) as a thank you for the work they had done on the trees, in the hope that it would help them get back on track faster.
Yeah, right.
It's now July 18 and not one dime has been paid for their July rent. He's not actually getting his first check until after the 1st of August. Oh, but I was told that they would be getting money from a friend last night to pay a large portion of their rent (no, I didn't believe it either). When this started snowballing at the beginning of the month, I told one of them that I would hold on the court proceedings until July 19. It seems like a nice-guy gesture, but it's actually a complete jerk move. Filing in district court on July 19 means that it will go before the judge on August 2nd. In our county and state, that means that I can claim the rent for August is also due when I file (since it will become due while we are waiting to go to court). That means they will only have until August 9th to finish paying for July and August before I file for the sheriff. Yes, it's still late and it will still accrue fees, but since I'm losing two other tenants on July 31, I'm stuck with them for at least another month - late rent is still rent and they know they can't go anywhere else.
I'm going to court this afternoon, instead of tomorrow (I plan to be on the beach tomorrow and their lack of timeliness is not going to interfere with that); as long I file after 4pm today, we still go to court two weeks from tomorrow, so there's no real difference on their end. I fully expect to get a text message that says "we have your money" which means "we have part of your money and a variety of excuses" at some point tonight or tomorrow. After all, the constant smell of cigarette smoke is a sign of money coming from somewhere.
Fool me once... but not twice.
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