OLD THIEVES
Retirees usually make good tenants. Unfortunately, I don’t get many retiree tenants, because most old folks don’t want to live in pre-war hardwood-floor apartments with no dishwasher or A/C. Been there, done that.
I had an application from Joe, 71, a retired factory worker.
He made $1600/month.
Welcome, Joe.
I ran a criminal search on him as a formality. Aggravated arson, forgery and sexual battery.
Pre-Internet, I would have rented to him. Pre-Internet, it was hard to run background checks. I once rented to a rapist/murderer because I wasn’t schlepping to county records, and the rapist wasn’t volunteering he was a rapist/ murderer. (The man got picked up on a parole violation and moved out of my apartment without killing or raping.)
I rented to a retired nurse whose previous landlord followed her to my place. He told me the old lady was a forger and felon.
But she already had the keys to my place! My building manager had given her the keys in exchange for a dime store ring.
My custodian, Buck, always subverted me. For example, he thought junk mail should stay in perpetuity; watering outdoor plants was ridiculous; and accepting fake rings was part of the job.
I helped Buck move the retired nurse’s belongings into the basement. I locked the basement door.
“Give me my meds!” she said.
She had a point.
I gave her meds, plus her toothbrush.
This cost me.
I was young. I learned two things: a) Don’t ever do a “self-help” eviction. Lawyers love self-help evictions. b) Screen all tenants like crazy on the way in.
4 comments
Do you have a free website whereby you can access this sort of information, or do you have to put it together with a more extensive search on the web?
To Kenny G:
I pay for credit searches, and I do criminal searches for free, via county records.
Thanks for the timely heads up. I may be entering into a lease-to-buy arrangement soon.
Absolutely lawyers like self-help evictions when they represent residential tenants…double damages and attorney fees. However, with the proper magical language and careful procedures, self-helps are available in commercial leases…but you probably knew that.
Leave a Comment