Bought Duplex With One Terrible Tenant

I have a tenant in a duplex I just closed on...she has a very long criminal record including incarceration for something, trespassing, theft in multiple degrees, many judgements against her...from apartments and individuals and rental places...I see notices to quit in record..

A neighbor approached me when I went over to introduce myself to the tenants and he said they had a big fight (12 on 1) at the duplex...the neighbors hate this lady and her friends, etc., etc., etc. and its a decent neighborhood, definitely not a bad neighborhood..

Anyways...

I've got my eviction lawyer at the trigger, but...the tenant has done no wrong to me yet, last landlord says she has always paid on time (although i'm sceptical because the water bill was behind...)

What do you guys think? Wait for her to screw up and throw her out right away, give her acouple strikes before she is out, or try to get her out right away? I've considered offering $$ for her to leave the unit in decent condition and not stealing anything...

Anybody been in this situation before

(oh yeah, she is leased through Nov 1 of this year)

Comments(5)

  • cjmazur17th June, 2004

    Closed for remodeling, even if you have to pay to get her out.

    Throwing 1st/last, and security at the tenant could be a way to avoid the eviction trigger and attain your goal.

    Check what's legal in that jurisdiction.

  • MicahM17th June, 2004

    cjmazur has a good idea. I wouldn't keep her around until she causes you a problem, I'd get her out ASAP.

  • Bruce18th June, 2004

    Hey,

    Have you spoken to the tenant yet? Maybe you are only hearing one side of a story.

    If a tenant pays their rent, does not destroy my house and does not cause problems for anybody else, I don't care what they USE to do (past convictions and credit problems). I do care about those things for an applicant.

    The bottom line is go talk to the tenant and see what YOU think about her.

  • maxwellpropertyinvestment18th June, 2004

    I would agree with Bruce. Shes already there now. Let her continue to pay. Only one strike though. The first time she steps out of line take appropriate action. Good luck.

  • rmdane200018th June, 2004

    Yeah I talked to her, she was alright. She was excited when I gave a couple free tickets to the movie "White Girls" (or something like that). We aren't talking like she has had much time to turn her stuff around...she is only 25 and was incarcerated just over a year ago.

    When I first inspected the property she was very cold and standofish.

    I'll see if she pays her rent on time and proceed from there. Thanks for the suggestions.

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