Suing My Tenants
What legal means other than suing my previous tenants in a small claims court can I use to pursue my tenants for two months of unpaid rent and and additional month of lost rent repairing the damage caused.
$1300 x 2 months
$1300 x 1 month in lost rent
$550 Labour
$400 Materials
The neighbours( total of six ) have offered to provide me with the tenants new address and have maintained the upkeep of the front lawn. It is a really good neighborhood.
I have also video documented the damage the tenants caused to the property and have a court judgement to have them removed, which fortunately revealed to us that they had finally vacated before I had to pay the local sheriff $155 to remove them.
Yeah court date collided with a snowboarding trip, I had my sister do it. Did not hire an attorney, the process was too simple. The judge simply rendered a judgement for our request to have them removed for breach of agreement. They were a no-show aswell. Turns out the buggers had sodded off two weeks earlier by the neighbours account. I paid $121
I like the idea of a collection agency, however in bried what is the procedure for suing and can it be carried our without an attorney. I already have access to their current address. Is it really necessary to have one?
I want to find the most expedient process for getting to pay up or having it garnished from their wages??? Do they do that here? Daft question I know.
Just how effective is either approach in expeditiously getting a resolution with minimal money spent in doing so.
What Collections Agencies would you also recommend???
You can charge for unpaid past due rent. If the tenants vacated before the end of their lease term, you are obligated to mitigate your "damages" by making a sincere effort to put another tenant in place. If you are not able to collect as much rent as you would have collected from your former tenants, you are allowed to charge the difference for the remainder of their lease term.
If the lease term has expired, you can not charge for lost rent while you are making repairs. if the repairs are the result of tenant abuse and not normal wear and tear, then you can charge for the actual out of pocket cost of the repairs. If you did the work yourself, you can only charge for the cost of materials and supplies -- your labor is contributed free of charge.
NewKid may be correct in Maryland, but not in Montana. You certainly CAN charge a reasonable amount for your labor, I have done it on numerous occasions and had a judge award it.