tenant charged with rape of a child under 13

Real Estate Horror Stories
1yFollow

tenant charged with rape of a child under 13

Lynnette E.
Rental Property Investor · TN · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes

I ALWAYS do a background check.  I do NOT accept violent felonies, domestic violence, etc.  So, now a tenant with SIX children in the home is arrested and charged with 3 counts for rape of a child.  He is in jail with a $750,000 bail amount so he will stay there.  His wife who is in college for a degree that will lead to a great job with great pay when she graduates in June, now has full rent to pay, plus the cost of raising 6 kids by herself.  She already works, but now will have her regular low wage job, schooling full time, and will be getting a part time job added to her schedule.  One child is serious special needs.  

She is checking with community services to see if anything is available to help her.  She wants to stay in the house.  It is rare to find really nice large houses that will take 6 kids.  They are now month to month, but with what happened there is no way I can ask them to leave.

Sometimes landlording is hard!

1Reply
35 views

Most Popular Reply

JD MartinBusiness Member
Moderator
Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
1y
Quote from @Lynnette E.:

I ALWAYS do a background check.  I do NOT accept violent felonies, domestic violence, etc.  So, now a tenant with SIX children in the home is arrested and charged with 3 counts for rape of a child.  He is in jail with a $750,000 bail amount so he will stay there.  His wife who is in college for a degree that will lead to a great job with great pay when she graduates in June, now has full rent to pay, plus the cost of raising 6 kids by herself.  She already works, but now will have her regular low wage job, schooling full time, and will be getting a part time job added to her schedule.  One child is serious special needs.  

She is checking with community services to see if anything is available to help her.  She wants to stay in the house.  It is rare to find really nice large houses that will take 6 kids.  They are now month to month, but with what happened there is no way I can ask them to leave.

Sometimes landlording is hard!


 Maybe I'm cold blooded but I don't let the tenant's problems become my problems. It shouldn't be rare to find a house since discrimination against kids is illegal. The only thing I want to know is if the rent is paid in full and on time, the house is not being damaged and they're not causing trouble. Anything else is noise for me. 

Just as much as you might feel bad for the wife, how might you feel if it turned out she knew about all of it? That's why I think you have to just keep things business and that's that. 

Podcast Guest on Show #243
Skyline Properties
View Page
2Reply
See this reply in the discussion

5 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Kevin Sobilo
    Realtor · Hanover Twp, PA · Member since 2018 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    1y

    @Lynnette E., hopefully they will sort things out. Maybe they will get some family support or maybe eventually she will have a new significant other with good employment that will move on. Plus as you said when she graduates in just several months she will likely get much better paying employment.

    So, while this is a horror story for the victims, hopefully it doesn't become a horror story for the landlord.

    I appreciate the feelings involved with people going through something like this, but I would never as a landlord say that I could not ask them to leave. It's great to have a heart but feelings should be tempered by logic in the end. 

    1Reply
  • Lynn McGeein
    Real Estate Agent · Virginia Beach, VA · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    @Lynnette E. Very sorry for the family and what they will likely be going through. But wanted to add that you may want to consider a consultation with an attorney or even your liability insurance company to discuss best ways to handle this up front to avoid mis-steps in communication with the tenants, neighbors, media etc.

    1Reply
  • Julie Garner
    Member since 2023 · 40 posts · 44 votes
    1y

    You might want to wait and see what happens in court.  He's CHARGED, not convicted.  If true, then you can move on from there.  But all it takes is one overzealous "mandatory reporter" to decide something the child has said, drawn, acted constitutes child abuse.  With six children, it seems that the others would probably have known and reported.

    With first-hand experience of an overzealous medical professional, I'd wait to see if the charges are valid.

    0Reply
  • JD MartinBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
    1y
    Quote from @Lynnette E.:

    I ALWAYS do a background check.  I do NOT accept violent felonies, domestic violence, etc.  So, now a tenant with SIX children in the home is arrested and charged with 3 counts for rape of a child.  He is in jail with a $750,000 bail amount so he will stay there.  His wife who is in college for a degree that will lead to a great job with great pay when she graduates in June, now has full rent to pay, plus the cost of raising 6 kids by herself.  She already works, but now will have her regular low wage job, schooling full time, and will be getting a part time job added to her schedule.  One child is serious special needs.  

    She is checking with community services to see if anything is available to help her.  She wants to stay in the house.  It is rare to find really nice large houses that will take 6 kids.  They are now month to month, but with what happened there is no way I can ask them to leave.

    Sometimes landlording is hard!


     Maybe I'm cold blooded but I don't let the tenant's problems become my problems. It shouldn't be rare to find a house since discrimination against kids is illegal. The only thing I want to know is if the rent is paid in full and on time, the house is not being damaged and they're not causing trouble. Anything else is noise for me. 

    Just as much as you might feel bad for the wife, how might you feel if it turned out she knew about all of it? That's why I think you have to just keep things business and that's that. 

    Podcast Guest on Show #243
    Skyline Properties
    View Page
    2Reply
  • Lynnette E.
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · TN · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    1y

    Thanks everyone for your comments.  The actual abuse happened in the adjacent county.  I do not know if it is with any of the children living in the house, probably not.  It went to the grand jury and they voted that 3 charges of child rape were warranted, plus the age charge. So I would not doubt there will be upheld charged and a long sentence when all is done.  The man's brother has/is serving time for the same charge.  

    She is trying to find some help with the rent, so it may be an issue.  The lawn work will be an issue too, huge yard and its leaf time.  I am waiting to see what happens on the 5th.  Her problem only becomes my problem when a judge will not put them out in the Winter with Daddy in jail....

    0Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free