Tenant left a mess , $33,000 worht of mess

[Baha Acuner]

I had a long term tenant that I was able to get out finally. They faied to pay rent for June (They said they were going to leave at the end of May but they left July 8th). They left the house in such a bad shape that my contractor says it will cost me $33,000 to get it fixed. What's my recourse on this ? Any chance I can recover the cost of this rehab, from them? 

[Richard F.]

Recovery, extremely unlikely, certainly in the short term. Maybe someday if you have good background info on them, obtain a money judgment, and they reach a responsible period in life where they want to buy their own home but cannot without clearing the judgment. Who placed the tenant? What was the screening criteria? What is your annual renewal process, and does it include updating income/employment info and inspecting the interiors?