Tenant Eviction - is this normal?

Question

Hi everyone! Does anyone have any experience with the court system in St. Johns County?  I've thought that Florida was a pro-landlord state but I'm having some rather questionable experience with an eviction I'm dealing with.  Tenants have been asked to vacate my rental  two weeks ago and they are trying to pull the court's heartstrings over why they need to stay until the end of the lease which is at the end of this month. The court admin schedules a "final eviction hearing" the day after the lease ends.  Is this normal?

Nathan Gesner · Answer

It sounds like your tenant has no intention of leaving when the lease ends, so eviction is the appropriate route.

If the Tenant leaves prior to the hearing, you can always cancel the action.

Nick C. · Answer

If you filed the first week of February it sounds like you're right on schedule, and yes, very normal.

Mariel DeVito · Answer

@Kim Meredith Hampton thanks for the reply.  I filed the first week of February.  I'm surprised that it takes that long as I looked at past evictions on this individual and our court system provided a writ of possession within a week or two of filing the complaint.  None have needed a hearing.  Note that the tenant disclosed that they did have an eviction.  They did not tell me that they had multiple ones and they have also lied on my application, among other issues that I have with them.

Kim Meredith Hampton · Answer

@Mariel DeVito

When did you file the eviction? Evictions in Florida typically take about 60 days, give or take on judges, staffing and holidays.

Doesn’t matter when the lease ended, it all goes by when you filed. Did you use an attorney or file yourself?