collecting due money from evicted tenant

[Keiko Harada]

Hi all, 

I have an ex-tenant which I evicted due to their hostile behavior which threaten other tenants. They signed a stipulation to leave on certain date or they pay the court fee but they never returned the key nor left on that certain date. Also, they have damaged the place severely that I had to repair the apartment. Should I go after them with a collection agency to collect the money for the damage, court fee, and the lost month of rent? Is that possible? If so, please introduce to a good collect agency. 

Recently, this tenant contacted me to have her eviction record expunged since she was not able to rent a place due to her background check. 

thanks,

[James Wise]

You could sue for damages. Worth noting that it is a costly process and winning a judgement does not necessarily guarantee that you will ever see a dime.

What kind of asset class you are renting to would be the biggest factor I looked at when deciding whether or not to pursue a lawsuit. We have many tenants in the $500-$700 rental range. Typically they do not own anything of value, make a moderate to low income and change jobs on a semi frequent basis. In this situation going after them for the money is far more trouble than it is worth. Collecting that debt is a low probability and lawyer fees are high.

If your tenant is $1,000/mo or higher, has a great credit score and a solid career it may be worth the time. If they have been at the same job for many years a garnishment is possible. You are in an even better position if they own some real estate you could attach a lien to.