All Forum Posts by: Amanda Davis

Yes I'm am and I have done housing law in all the courts in Lorain County for several years now

Which court are you in? Are you in Lorain Municipal? I see you're from Amherst

I doubt you will get a littering charge against them.  You may be able to get a clean up fee.

It depends. What does your lease have any provisions regarding abandoned property? If what's behind is clearly trash you can dispose of it and charge them a clean up fee ( I'm assuming you filed a second cause money action)

Each state is different. In Ohio, it doesn't matter who serves the 3 day notice; however, the Court ( who they usually use the sheriff) or a process server has to serve the eviction complaint which you filed in the court.

I would check the website of the Court that you would file the eviction in, some Courts will provide the paperwork you will need and give you information on their website.

To make sure it is done properly, I would hire an attorney who handles evictions especially if you have never done it before. Also, if you own the property through an LLC you probably have to hire an attorney anyway ( In Ohio, even if you are the sole owner of an LLC you are not allowed to file an action without a licensed attorney because it is considered unauthorized practice of law).

The reason why some people form an LLC for every transaction, is because they want to minimize the risk for their other properties. For example, let's say a tenant successfully sues your LLC and get a 200,000 dollar judgment. If the only asset you have in that LLC is the property X, which you have 35,000 dollar equity, then your other assets and rental portfolio would be may be safe because they are not an asset of that LLC. This sometimes is advantageous but not in every situation. Also, forming a separate LLC for every property is not the only way to protect your real estate portfolio and can be very cumbersome. And if not done properly, will not offer any additional protection.

But if you want to know which entity is best for you and works well in your State, you need to contact a real estate attorney. If you can't get an recommendation you should contact your local Bar association and they should be able to give you a reference.

If you know what city and/or county the prospective tenants live in, you can search by the individual municipal and county courts ( almost all OH courts have they records online), but I not aware of a free comprehensive site for Ohio.

Unfortunately, I do not know any closing attorneys in Durham. However, if no one in BP can give you a referral, call the your local Bar association. Almost all of them have a Attorney Referral Service.

You definitely need to contact an real estate attorney ASAP. If you are unable to get recommendations, contact the local bar association. Almost of all of them have an Attorney Referral Service and they can give you a referral to a local attorney that specializes in that type of law.

My short term goal is to acquire one or two rental properties in the Lorain County area this year. I would eventually would like real estate investing to be my full time but I recognize that will be several years down the road. 

I very knowledgeable when in comes to Landlord/Tenant law but the rest I'm learning as I go.