No landlord or property manager ever wants to have to deal with an eviction they are no fun for any of the parties involved, except maybe your lawyer. The days leading up to the day of court are stressful and surely involved some unpleasant and frustrating conversations. Both the tenant and you, the landlord or property manager, are most likely a bit perturbed with each other to say the least. There are some important procedures and time lines that need to be followed and I have listed some things that should at least be considered while going through the process to make sure the process goes as smoothly as an eviction can go.
1. Proof of Ownership
Every state has a little different legal process to follow when evicting a tenant but in every case it is not as simple as changing the locks and throwing the delinquent tenants belongings on the curb. After you've went to court and won a writ of possession will be issued proving that you are the owner and that the tenant has been ordered to move.
2. Law Enforcement
It's important to have someone from your local law enforcement whether it is the sheriff or an appointed official in charge of handling matters like this go to serve the official writ of possession and order to move. It's never a good idea to try and serve the order yourself. If the tenants items are needing to be moved it never hurts to have someone who is armed to supervise. Being evicted will be an emotional experience for your tenant and it could bring out some irrational behavior so having an armed person of authority to help keep the process moving smoothly is warranted. Of course it is vital to make sure you are following all the laws.
3. The Moving Crew
All of your tenants belongings will have to be removed from the house and it's likely going to take at least two people because undoubtedly there will be something big and bulky left that cannot be handled by one person. The sheriff may be there but he's not going to help move items from the house, that's not part of their job. Bring some boxes and big trash bags to properly pack up your tenants belongings.
4. The Locksmith
Another thing to do on that same day, once you've removed the tenants items, is change out all of the locks on the house. You can't expect that the tenant will return the keys to you. The last thing you want is for your upset tenant to come in with retribution in mind and damage the property.
5. Document The Process
Documenting the process with video and still shots is important in case there are questions or legal actions that come about down the road. Most people have a phone equipped with everything you need to properly document the eviction and of course you have a source of communication if you need to call for backup.
Going through an eviction is unpleasant. It's stressful, tension is high and things can easily get out of hand and dangerous. The things I've listed are just a few things to keep in mind while going through the process and ensure that you are operating within legal bounds and getting the delinquent tenant out as soon as you can so you can get back to business as usual. Any critical things that you think should be added to the list?
For more information on this topic check out my Rentec Blog
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Dulcey is a member of Rentec Direct who provides Property Management Software, tenant ach payment processing, tenant credit check, and criminal reports for property managers and landlords. The information in this post is just that, informational and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice.
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