tenant occupied property/tax deed sale
So today I found a "NOTICE OF TAX DEED SALE" on my front door. I rent a tiny 520 sq ft single family house in a horrible neighborhood -I mean the worst, however it's this house is Heaven to me.
After the recession my world in new industrial and health care construction came crashing down, I was laid off without notice and zero work to be found.
For a female who has been managing large construction projects for 25 years I was someone no body wanted not even to dig ditchs or scrub toilets and I wudda taken ANYTHING for any amount of pay, I would have worked for raman noodles if someone would have offered it.
So me and my daughter lived anywhere and every we could find a place to lay our heads including but not limited to my car, homeless shelters, friends and family in 3 different sates.
From 2008 until 2013 we were for the most part literally homeless and not for a lack of trying my very very very hardest.
I moved where the work was and it was day to day survival. I lived out of a duffel bag and rented whatever I could get my hands on because I could not commit to a lease because i could only find work at 1 construction project in any given state at any given time while my daughter stayed with family.
I had to work, unemployment did not even cover 2 or 3 vials of insulin a month and I go thru about 10 per month, I was born a diabetic. And since I was capable of working and had never even entertained applying for disability I did not qualify for Medicaid. Even without insulin as a factor I had to work, it's all I have ever had other than my daughter, it's all I ever was and all I ever will be. I started my first job at 9 years old and fell in love with the idea of work. It's my ONLY sense of value but creates so much more in infinite, priceless, ways.
In 2010 I landed full time temp work in the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota but because I am a female I could not stay in the man camps, the pay was decent but no where and I mean no where to live, it is illegal to live in your car or camper in the winter (not that I wanted too) and my daughter stayed with family.
Even with decent pay, still no place to live I was fortunate in knowing someone from an indian reservation, I went to school with his grand niece, she was able to hook me up with him and I lived in a horrible trailer house with no running water, no insulation and you could literally see the ground thru the bathroom floor and drove 1 1/2 each way to work everyday in 40 below weather but I had a job and that was ALL that mattered.
That project wrapped up and I landed another project in South Dakota, a couple city parks and a sports complex, as those projects were rapping up the Good Lord blessed me with permanent good full time work in Jacksonville FL.
I packed my duffel bag once again and made the drive and rolled the dice on eventually finding a place to live once I got here. I finally found this little ugly gem of a house in a truly horrible neighborhood. The rent is cheep which I need because now I am digging my credit out of the gutter. I drive a very old ugly gem of a car, I live in a terrible neighborhood and I absolutely adore, cherish and love this house because it's a roof over our heads and I know that I can always afford the rent and for now that's ALL that matters.
It may always be that way for me and if so, then so be it, that's the cross I bear with tears of joy because there are so so so many with far far less.
After I got the notice of tax sale on my front door today, I called my property manager to find out the scoop, she and all of her colleges are of course and as I feared "out of the office" until Monday, so I jump on line to find out what I can, and there is a tax deed certificate on the house so I google some more and I run across this website that I am sharing my story now with you and I read the most horrible awful condescending judgmental comments from the members of this site about low end run down houses, and tenants that live in the property's your group purchases in some form or fashion as investment property's.
First know this, I nor my little tiny ugly gem of a house are "scary", "worthless", "loosers", "welfair squatting", "section 8", "HUD", "drug dealers", "drug users", "disability collecting", "food stamp spending" pieces of trash.
I would imagine that some of the property's that you purchase do have issues as with any money making opportunity but to be clear, the tenants many of you complain about are human beings from all different walks of life from all corners of the world.
Yes, I am sure that there are some really difficult people that you have to deal with, but how dare you make blanket statements about the tenants of the property's you purchase! How dare you categorize ALL tenants of cheep property's that make you money as worthless. I mean my rent may be worthless to you as it is currently not going into your pocket since it's a new purchase for you, but I am am not worthless. My life here in this house...... NOT WORTHLESS.
I am not asking for your sympathy, I am not begging for your respect. I am telling you that the comments that I have seen on this website while just trying to find a little information out about tax deed sales and where that leaves the tenant, were shameful, heartbreaking and disturbing.
This little house is my whole world and I am the world to this little house, without me who would take care of it, certainly not my landlord thats forsure!
So to the potential highest bidder, all I have to say is this, do not be afraid to knock on my door have a short conversation with me and just keep me in the loop about what happens next.
I do not know what will happen, I do not know how to proceed, i am nervous and scared but I am not scary and I am a very nice understanding and reasonable person that will do all that I can to appease any given situation. I am highly trained and well versed in the concept of flexibility and fast changing circumstances. Surviving the recession by the skin of my teeth taught me that if nothing else. I pay my rent in full each month BEFORE it's due and am seriously considering paying the back taxes my damn self to be done with it and keep my piece of mind and keep it movin until the taxes are due again next year. The yearly taxes are, after all, about 50% of 1 months rent so no biggie. The back taxes are a bit less than 1 months pay. You may ask why I choose to live here if I don't really "have too" and I will tell you this, digging out of the recession will take years and that's at the lowest possible monthly budget. I spend 30.00 on food each week pay my electricity and phone bill, car insurance and rent and my copay for insulin and thats IT thats ALL and I like it that way. I actually enjoy getting by on the least amount possible, maybe a symptom of the recession, my Father told me thats how my Grandad (God rest his soul) and most people lived after the depression which is why all of the depression era's children and grandchildren .... our parents (baby boomers) are, for the most part, financially stable.
I implore each of you to be mindful, considerate and compassionate of how you think, what you say, who you say it too and were you say it at. You never know who is listening or watching it may just be the person that you have to deal with as a result of your investment, and ultimately weather you believe or not our Father God sees all and hears all and one day you just like me, and every other soul on earth will have to answer for our thoughts and words and actions. In the mean time I have to live with all the horrible things said about tenant occupied real-estate purchases that I saw this evening on this website while simply trying to prepare and get a feel for for whats next. A responsible move by a person that cares not the type of person your words have painted a very dismal picture of.