Blogging Broker

Stories Of A Landlord in Fresno CA.
Part I –  Part II  Story 1  –  Part II  Story  2 & 3

Here’s another story where the gal I rented to suddenly has a significant other move in with her and her 2 kids.  Before long and they are fighting like cats and dogs and the rent is not getting paid.  After not getting the rent I went down to check on the place and could tell that no one was living there. I heard that she and her boyfriend had a fight.  He kicked in the back door and the place was a mess.  All of the furniture was gone except the furniture which wasn’t worth keeping and their were mounds of trash throughout the house. 

Well, I’m looking around at the damage and the police pull up to the curb, get out and come up to the door and ask me what I’m doing.  Suddenly the tenant appears out of nowhere yelling “officers, officers, that man is trespassing; I rent that house and I haven’t vacated tenancy“. So, I’ll tell you right now, if you’re going to be a landlord you better learn what your tenants rights are, because chances are THEY KNOW THEM; so should you.The officers turn to me and ask me if this is true (that she has not vacated tenancy) and I say, “yes” so they tell me I have to leave and must deal with the situation in the proper legal manner.  This was a huge frustration because I didn’t know where this gal was staying and I was trying to avoid attorney costs.  My advice if you find yourself in a similar situation, at this point you need to have the advice of good eviction attorney.  Oh – must mention – while the police are talking to me the tenant disappears!

I waited several days hoping that she might call me but that never happened.  So, once again I went down to check things out but this time I took my camcorder with me.   I went into the house (nothing had changed) and video taped the mess and mounds of trash and just about the time I’m done – who shows up – THE POLICE AGAIN.  (The irony here is that I’ve had much more urgent matters requiring officer assistance and I can never get them to come that quickly.)  And once again the tenant appears out of nowhere yelling – you guessed - “officers, officers, that man is trespassing on my property.  I rent that house and haven’t vacated tenancy“.

After speaking with the officers I lock the door and the tenant is outside the gate so I approach her with the papers and she takes off running and I’m so desperate that I chase after her pleading with her to stop to no avail.Finally I yell out “You win ———, I give up, that’s your place.  You’ve told the police twice your still living there so I’m going down to Child Protective Services with this video and I am going to show them how you live with your two children and the police will be my witnesses that you’re still living there.“I kid you not, that gal stopped dead in her tracks, turned around, and came to me crying buckets of tears, pleading with me not to go to CDS.  She gave me the keys and signed papers on the spot in exchange for my promise not to do as I threatened.

What a relief!Are you sure you want to be a landlord? 

If you have property in the Fresno area that you need to sell or rent call me.  I can help.
 © Randy “Lazarus” McAtee
    Owner/Broker Lazarus Realty
    559-301-1647
    email me