All Forum Posts by: Nat C.

Well this is shaping up to be the most unusual landlord experience for me. My amazing property manager is at the house now at 1am with the police. He previously produced a fake ID and after I sent her his real ID the police are actually taking action.

 Sharad, this isn't about losing money, it's about not rewarding criminal activity. 

It opens up a floodgate for every conman out there; break into someones house and make a $500 cash profit?

UPDATE: I just found out the squatter is the crazy ex-handyman who stole a massive amount of money from me and robbed the tenant; hence why they left.

 Is a sorry state of affairs when you start paying criminals for their wrong doings.

Cash for keys started out with tenants who were victims of foreclosure, due to their landlord not being able to make their mortgage repayments.

Now cash for keys has taken a whole new spin in a way that rewards criminal activity.

Appreciate you all taking the time to respond.

Trina my property manager has had the most ingenious solution so far.

The neighbors came and spoke to Trina and said they saw the guy breaking in. 

Trina has several neighbors if they knew anyone at all looking for a place to live. The neighbor directly across the street has a grandma who needs a place but can only afford $500 a month. The house usually rents for $900 a month.

Trina consulted me first and then told the neighbors that grandma can move in for $500 a month (only on a six month lease) if they can get her in there when the squatter is out for the day. So the neighbors are going to monitor when the illegal 'tenant' is coming and going and they will have the keys and can move Granny and her stuff in when he's out.

If the police are called, they can't dispute that she is the true tenant, with a genuine lease and all her stuff in the house.

Other things to mention, which are all in Trina's words; this is a black neighborhood and white folks don't live here. The squatter is a 50 year old white guy and think the neighbors will do a fine job of driving him out, especially with their grandmother and family in the house.

Thus far I like Tina's idea the best.

 He doesn't have keys; he broke in.

I have 4 bedroom house in Atlanta which has been a bad news from day one. Now there is a new chapter in the chronicle.

Cleaners went there this week to clean the place after it became cockroach infested from being vacant with rotten foodstuff for 4 months.

When they arrived they found a dog in the house and a guy was seen jumping out of the second story window.

My new property manager went there today to get animal control to take the dog.

Upon arrival, she found guy and dog living in my house. She called the police to remove him and when they arrived, the guy produced a lease and said he was the tenant. 

The lease has a fictional property management company on it. Trina, my property manager, looked them up and they don't exist.

The police REFUSED to act or intervene as this 'tenant' had a lease and said the only way to remove him is to file for eviction through the courts which will take 60 days.

Trina is getting power and water turned off straight away to make it less comfortable for the guy. We are really hoping he will just leave.

What would you do if you were me?

 I am not from the USA so I can't speculate on exactly how social security/welfare works. 

The old man (let's call him 'John') told me there is a question in the application form which asks 'Do you own any other property apart from your primary residence?'. As he answered yes, he was ineligible for government assistance. 

Both the vacant plots of land and his primary residence, he inherited from his father. He's half blind, has no children and no income......and 80 years old.

I find your comment 'Food Stamps are for people whom are poor. Not for people who sell houses and pocket $30,000.'

John is almost as poor as it gets. Minus his $10,000 credit card debt and the $30,000 from the proceeds of the sale becomes $20,000. So he 'pockets' a whopping $20,000 and you're suggesting his wealthy? 

I hope he buys some new clothes because when I took him to the hospital today his T-shirt and jeans had dozens of holes.

This post has veered way off course.... not unusual. 

I find some of the replies incredulous.

No point in continuing.

I agree with all of the above replies about people abusing the system.

In my sellers case, I feel he is in genuine need. He is nearly 80 with various health problems, recently spent 4 months in hospital and has no income. He was playing the piano at the church on Sundays for income but they found someone else to replace him when he was in hospital. He doesn't qualify for social security as he owns a vacant plot of land in South Carolina. The man has a $10,000 credit card debt currently as he needed to pay bills.

I'm taking him to the hospital today for another appointment and have been taking him food. His own house is absolute squaller and he doesn't even have an AC in the overbearing Miami heat.

I'd also like to mention that he is a lovely, honest and extremely moral human being. 

I've almost never seen anyone in such genuine need who isn't getting the assistance he should be.