All Forum Posts by: Michael A.

@John Farady Thank you very much for this. I have an attorney for the very reason you just described. I’m worried that one wrong answer and I ruin everything. I will call today and see if I can get any info possible to be prepared. Will let you know how it all turns out.

Hi BP. Preparing for my unlawful detainer hearing in 2 days. Never done this before. Been pushed back since April. Really hoping I can get justice. Not been paid since Feb, over $5,000 owed to me.

Any advice? I have everything I can think of printed out: lease, pay or quit notices, correspondence promising payment that never arrived, etc.

This has been almost too much to bear psychologically for me and my wife, so I appreciate any advice you have from experience.

Thanks and God Bless.

@Account Closed What type of adjustments are you making? One adjustment I am making is to only make my property available under circumstances where rent is guaranteed. I am planning on working with a charity that places families recovering from homelessness into available homes. They guarantee rent, often for up to two years, pay the tenant's utilities, and have a case worked that checks in on them while they enter the workforce. The goal is of course to have them financially self sufficient by the time the guaranteed rent money period ends. Will let you know how this works. But yeah, I am done with the open market after this COVID fiasco. It was a shock to my system, but I at least understand the system that I'm up against going forward. 

Exactly my problem. There was absolutely nothing that said our case was going to be heard. We re-scheduled, but it wasn't recorded by the court clerk. When I called today it was as if I didn't exist. I have no idea when I'll be able to get into the system now. Ugggh...why me....

Thank you for that. This references the 22nd of June, but my case was scheduled for (and heard on) the 15th. Where was it made clear that the hearings scheduled for the 15th would be heard? Am I missing something? Thanks again. 

Hi Richmond area investors. Hoping someone with some concrete information can help me understand something. Was the civil court in Richmond hearing eviction cases specifically between June 15 and June 29 and not telling anyone?

All of the press and briefings by the mayor in Richmond up until June 15, 2020 seemed to clearly state that Richmond was not hearing eviction cases until June 29 after the State Supreme Court extended the eviction hearing ban. When June 29 came around, the same press outlets reported about how happy landlords were that eviction hearings "had now resumed." This implies that cases weren't being heard prior to that.

However, I called the Richmond civil court today to find out that they were in fact hearing cases all along! And my case scheduled for June 15 was both heard and dismissed outright because I did not show up! How is this possible? Am I an idiot who wasn't paying attention, or is something strange going on? I'm fine with either - just want to see if anyone knows anything about this. 

@Calvin Ozanick I think people like myself will eventually have a choice to make: grow your business, or keep it small enough to manage in your spare time outside of work. I can see how someone like me could get stuck. I've been raised to devote myself to the reliable salary and insurance benefits of a full-time job. 

Hi Scott. As a new investor (who shared their current situation on one of your previous posts) I am actually MORE motivated to continue saving and investing in real estate due to my lack of initial success. I think that the really rough start that I've had has encouraged me to make sure that my story is more inspiring than depressing. I have two small children and want to ensure that the decisions I make right now will send the right message to them down the road when they're old enough to care about who I am. Currently, I've saved enough since my first rental purchase in October of 2019 to finance a duplex with a local partner who also frequents these forums. I'm currently on a learning binge to understand tax incentives for affordable housing in Richmond as our proforma assumes we'd build something that immediately provides supportive housing with guaranteed rent payments, but may be able to transition to market rate rentals or sold to an owner-occupier down the road.

What are your thoughts on your own REI history?

@Joe Splitrock I am glad to know that I'm not alone in thinking this. That's all I've been saying this entire time. The vast majority of people are in a tough spot and deserve protection from being displaced due to the unique climate that COVID has put us in. However, there should absolutely have been (and should be) a clear solution to paying landlords for the rent their tenants are unable to pay if the government refused to allow them to go to court to reclaim their own property. 

My situation has NOTHING to due with the pandemic. So why can't I have my day in court? I'd be in the 5% of landlords who are just being taken advantage of, and the judge would clearly see that. 

@Brad Gibson Totally agree with you. I haven't been paid since February for reasons unrelated to COVID. Yet I am not allowed to evict my tenant. I am being screwed and just need to have my case heard. If they pass a 12 month moratorium on evictions I may as well give my house to the bank and just walk away at this rate.