All Forum Posts by: John N.

Statistically in Florida a police officer is 3 times more likely to commit a violent crime than a licensed CCW holder.  Perhaps you should no longer rent to police officers. 

Honestly?  My thoughts are neither are any of your business.

Dad is trying to bully you.  Period.

In regards to the Home depot receipts I use Home Depot's receipt email service and store the receipts in separate email folders.  It eliminates 90% of that paper.

Greetings All, I have a property (SFR) that's going to be vacant for a few months. During this vacancy the power and water will both be on in my name. Squatters are not a problem in my area as far as I am aware, but I have read and heard some pretty horrible stories about squatters, the damage they cause and the problems getting rid of them.

The solution I came up with was to purchase myself a Simplsafe brand alarm system with 2 motion detectors and put them in the property.  With the exception of the sensors the entire system can be hidden in a cabinet and doesn't require any drilling or mounting.  This particular brand is all cellular, no contract and once I am done with the work I can just put the entire system in a box and put it on a shelf at home until I need it again.  Being able to leave larger tools there overnight will also reduce my work load.

Anyone else have any other ideas for securing properties that are vacant long term?

@Jody Schnurrenberger

The wood look tile lasts as long as any other quality tile.   I purchased mine at Home Depot.  I don't recall the brand but its in my living room, dining room, kitchen and den.  I love the stuff.

Lesson learned.  No matter what you do you are not going to see that money.  It mostly comes down to how much effort you want to put into punishing the tenant.  Liens, credit reports and judgments don't mean anything to someone who has no money, drivers license, job or house. 

What's pursuing it going to cost you in time, stress, fees and court costs?  Move forward and vet tenants better and don't let them fall "multiple months" behind. 

Do you have mold or mildew?  There is a difference and mold is a far greater health risk than mildew. They are both fungi.

Black Mold

The only way for black mold to grow is if there is water present, making it very common in places like showers and ceilings with leaky pipes. Stachybotrys, or black mold, is a type of mold is very toxic.

Appearance
Black mold is very fuzzy, almost looking as if it has hair. It is black in color, but the intensity of the black can vary depending on how thick the mold has grown. In some areas the mold may appear somewhat transparent, and completely solid in others.

Common Places
Because mold needs a water source in order to develop, the areas that can be affected are somewhat limited. The most common places to find black mold is in system drains, within carpets, walls, paper, and ceiling tiles. Anywhere that is damp and cool can support the growth of black mold.

Health Effects
Black mold is toxic, and has many dangerous and unpleasant health effects that it causes. Some of the more common symptoms that people who have been exposed to black mold experience are dizziness, migraines, rash, coughing, nose bleeds, blood shot eyes, vomiting, chest pains, fevers, and possibly even death. If you believe you have been exposed to black mold you should consult medical advice as soon as possible.

Mildew

Mildew is much different than mold, it is very superficial and provides no real harm to humans or animals. It is made up of a very thin layer of hyphae, which are very small filaments of fungus. Mildew is very common.

Appearance
It usually only grows on flat surfaces, and has a powdery or “downy” appearance. Mildew typically starts out white and with time develops a yellowish color. Mildew also has a very distinct musty smell.

Negative Effects
Mildew poses no real risk of health problems. Over exposure may lead to respiratory irritation and coughing. Mildew can however effect plants and crops severely.

Common Places
Mildew thrives on organic materials, such as paper, leather, and many types of fabrics. Clothing or towels that are left damp are the most common to develop mildew in the home.

What To Do

There are multiple different cleaners that are designed specifically to kill and eliminate molds and mildew. It is very important to use these cleaners only in very well ventilated areas as the chemicals are very strong. Also be sure to use dust masks and gloves to avoid breathing in any of the cleaners of fungus. Making sure that you change the environment so that it no longer will support this type of fungus growth is also a very good idea.

The county tax office website will probably be your first stop to find out if the taxes are current and who is paying them.  If someone is paying the taxes then its not "abandoned"

Hi All,  I own a number of rural properties of varies sizes and one of them is a very undesirable postage stamp size lot.  I really never expected to sell this lot.  It was part of a bulk purchase and the seller insisted I take it along with the others.  He didn't want it either. 

My agent brought me an owner finance offer for the lot.  I have ZERO experience with owner financing and as predicted the purchaser has made 2 payments in 8 months.  I'm almost tempted to let it go just to be rid of the tax liability but the principal of it bothers me,  Reading the mortgage it looks as if all I can do is get a judgment and bring the entire amount due. The buyer isn't paying me the $60.00 per month I'm positive he isn't going to bring me $4,000 because I get a judgemetn  There is nothing written in there that I can see about foreclosing and regaining ownership of the property.  

The lot is probably 50x100, it has an old concrete house foundation on it, it's overgrown with large trees, it's 40 miles from town and in a bad location.  I don't want it but I sure don't want to be taken advantage of.  Thoughts?