All Forum Posts by: Daniel Smyth

@Nathan G.

On the face, I would not care much about a tenant union. That is, the union would be a group to better insure the tenant receives what is stipulated in the lease agreement, without that individual tenant being required to have legal staff on hand. If your tenant lost employment suddenly and has no money for legal help, a tenant union might be able to help with some of that cost.

That being said, we need to understand that soon we may need our legal staff ready for more than just being there to file eviction paperwork.

As well, we as owners need to have measures in place to help document that we have done our due diligence! I can see a time where that leak in the back room or that electrical panel that is out of code might be cause for a tenant getting out of back rent.

I cannot fault tenants for joining a union of sorts like this. Legal help from a member association should be much better than some government sponsored or paid defender.

Your expenses will be higher perhaps, bit in the long run the business should go more smoothly in situations where your tenants are likely to try to escape with free rent just because the window was broken or the sink leaks. Proper attention to detail (due diligence), will prove you are or are not upholding the lease, and your property will be better for it.

You can try to fight this, or you can run a business with this in mind.

I am waiting for the class action suits against government officials deciding our contracts are not worth the paper they were written on!

@Joel Betances

It's business. She needs to leave so that you can earn your investment.

Because I have been where your tenant is and without such programs, I know she needs assistance.

No issue there. This is where you find her a place to live within her means. Charity is giving her better opportunity. There is no opportunity by staying without paying.

Try finding a colleague close that has a studio that is unused. He can work a deal with her.

This is responsible business operations.

@David He

There you go. This is how the system works.

As with all law and regulation enforcement, they are a bit limited to follow complaints before they search out potential violations on their own.

I would seek a meeting with your area Building Official. The Building Official oversees that Building inspector charged with following up on the violation complaint.

Since you ARE in violation, your attitude and politeness will get you more.

Long story short, there will be a hearing date to see a judge. Get hooked up with a paid attorney that deals with your situation. If it goes to court, don't think you can just toss in a sob story about things being unfair.

Before I found BP, I attended many seminars about REI. Even the gurus miss things. I saw many cases where garages were remodeled outside of their permitted use. The gurus, before they put the home on the market for a flip, decided to un-remodel that garage area do they would be safe from having that bite them as you have been bitten.

It happens to the big guys too!

As a contractor myself, I make it a point to know my Building officials. As the code requires a bare minimum to pass, when I can, I go a step better, and never try to get away with something. Trust is everything.

You should be able to get right with the world soon. Ask the Building official or inspector what they require, and meet or exceed that requirement. This will save you more than much else.

Good luck!

@Kay C.

It's a bit late to worry about tattoos now.

You decided to mark yourself up. It says more about you than it does me.

Some like outlandish shoes and some figure it's appropriate to have piercings in different places.

You can change your shoes and fill on the holes. You can paint over marks or camouflage over them.

But to what end?

We are people that habitually change our outward appearance to match the look we think will bring us fortune.

It's less of a big deal than you may think, especially because society is more and more afraid to call people out because they are outside the norm.

If it's who you are, keep it. If you have changed, then change.

@Todd Nelson

I would pay off and set without debits!

As you retire, you may find that using other people's money may work again.

Good work on getting to this point. Many will never realize being fully out of debit.

Once debits are done, and you feel that feeling of actual ownership, you can always dabble again, if even to a lesser extent.

@Kimnee L.

Your property should be insured. As far as the tenant being licensed, that doesn't matter at all!

You are 100% liable regardless of if you even asked the tenant to get on the roof.

You are 100% liable if someone at a party or even a neighbor got hurt on your property.

The only saving grace would be if you hired someone and they signed an insurance waiver eliminating you from liability. In that case, you always verify from that other insurance carrier they can and will cover potential liability.

Good luck.

@Ryan Moore

Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

I have been both, many times.

I revert back to this book often to keep my mind where I think it should be.

@Lisa Asselin

This will be a lath and plaster home.

If you are handy, or if you know a handyman that has worked on lath and plaster walls, you can save some labor cost by assisting your electrician in opening up the walls where needed.

The electric was updated? Not with a permit!

Get an electrical permit and speak with an inspector to get his direction. That permit will save you from liabilities should something go wrong after the work is done. The permit will also add value to your home according to your insurance carrier. If you have a catastrophic issue, your insurance will not pay to bring your property up to code if it was not current at the time of loss.

This will be an expensive lesson in what to look for if this was not already figured in the deal and cash flow estimates.

Good luck.

@Mitchell Pudelski

You cannot recoup your losses. You can learn from them if you choose.

When tenants pay the water bill, marvelous things happen. All of a sudden the pool water stays inside the pool, the hose is rolled up and turned off, the toilets stop leaking, and even showers are shorter!

Can't split services? You can if you just do it!

I love those who tell me these things cannot be done. They want to continue complaining and bickering. I refuse to play that game.

There are a dozen ways to split a water bill and require tenants to pay it in full each bill period.

The same for gas, electric, cable, phone, or anything else.

It helps if the lease states the obvious responsibilities along with repercussions when the lease is NOT followed to the letter.

This may take an actual attorney to help you write this into your lease, and it may cost to have your attorney effect the discipline required by said lease.

Just save that talk saying there is nothing you can do but change toilets, faucets, and make sudden inspections.

It's a business. It's up to you if you want it to be profitable!

@Jerome Morelos

Yep, this previous owner watched a home improvement show and messed up her cabinets and more!

You can have doors made and installed cheaper than buying and installing new.

Depending on the cash flow numbers, look into a total demo and remodeling while you live in the place.