Special offer

Crack down on fake PCS orders and other news. . .

By
Real Estate Agent with CRI Properties/SCOUT Carolinas Group NCAR # 211086

 

 

www.910homes.net

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you there have been lots of changes in the real estate industry in the last few years.  Rumor patrol is part of my job.  We had an amazing series of meetings with base officials, state organizations, and peers.  The result?  A few updates.

-Rumors have swirled for years that E5 and below are required to stay on base.  Not the case.  No USMC order exists nor is one planned.

-North Carolina has had some changes in the way fees can be assessed and collected for property management and tenants.  If you have questions regarding your lease, property manager, your rights as a tenant or owner, feel free to call or email.  If you are a tenant and have a dispute with the property management firm or the property owner, do not simply move out of the property and abandon your lease.  Consult an attorney or even a competing firm for help on how to constructively sole your problem and keep you out of the court system.

-FALSE PCS ORDERS.  Enacted in 2003, the Soldiers and Sailors Relief act (http://usmilitary.about.com/od/sscra/l/blsscra.htm) was drafted to protect Active (and later amended to cover Reservists) Duty Service Members.  With a simple thirty notice and a copy of PCS  orders(Permanent Change of Station), a service member could break their lease with no penalty.  For a variety of reasons: found a home they’d like to buy, tired of the current living arrangements, divorce, etc. there has been a rise in folks drafting FALSE PCS ORDERS to help them break leases or terminate a real estate transaction, abusing the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act and creating financial turmoil for innocent builders, property owners and managers.  In the instance of the USMC, there has and will continue to be a crack down.  My firm verifies each and every copy of PCS orders breaking a lease or a contract by contacting the Command which has had mixed results.  In several instances the result was the active duty member being booted from their respective service.  If you’re reading this thinking about falsifying pcs orders, there are other, legal options (ask me if you have questions, regardless of where you’re located).  From this week forward, there will be a point of contact (POC) at Camp Lejeune who will research each and every inquiry and report back directly.  Don’t be that guy that gets caught.

If this info wasn’t helpful in answering your questions. . .or even created more, feel free to shoot me an email and I’ll get you some answers.

***I would type out a LONG disclaimer here, however, I have homes to show and clients to meet.  In SHORT: No, I’m not an attorney but I know a few so don’t take anything here as the gospel.  I’m a North Carolina licensed Real Estate Broker and REALTOR so if you’re not in NC, things might be a little different.  If you’re looking to move anywhere in the world and don’t want to throw a dart at the phone book to find a talented and experienced agent you wouldn’t mind being locked in a car or office with for a several day long house hunt, it’s a handy match-making service I provide free of charge.  Thinking of buying, selling or renting?  I can help you weigh the pros and cons and navigate the process.  Give me a holler!

Anonymous
Antoinette Ford
Hi im in the army national guard in georgia, and my unit is 50 miles away. I want to break my lease to move closer to my unit for the simple fact i dont have a dependable ride to my unit every month and have been awol twice because of vehicle issues. Help
Jul 08, 2011 10:03 PM
#1
McKenzie Johnson EasternNCSales/Military
CRI Properties/SCOUT Carolinas Group - Jacksonville, NC
SCOUT the life you LOVE!

Thanks for contacting me Antoinette.  I can only imagine how stressful your situation is.  I would be honest with your land lord and explain the hardship.  Generally 50 miles isn't sufficient to prove you've had a "PCS" move (Permanant Change of Station) especially given that you're a reservist.  I would look for a home closer if that is your goal and ask your landlord if you can turn in a thirty day notice. . .it's bascially asking to break your own least and most landlords willl hold you responsible until the property rerents, which, this time of year, odds are pretty good.  In the meantime, I'm not sure how rural an area you are in but it might even be worth a taxi drive or investigating a ride share program with neighbors or fellow reservists, cheaper than breaking your lease and going through small claims court or making fake PCS orders and at a minimum losing your job and or rank.

Jul 09, 2011 08:42 AM
Anonymous
Joe Ray

Im currently in the USN and Im in an apt lease until mid Jan 13. My spouse and I would do a lot better in onbase housing. Do you know if there is anyway I can get out of my lease with out facing UCMJ punishment and/or civ punishment? I dont think talking with the staff is an option. They just will tell me I can move into another UNIT. They are not really the helpful type after you sign that contract. My wife is pregnant and wants to live onbase. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you.

Aug 21, 2012 06:56 PM
#3
Anonymous
Joe Ray

I live in IL. I forgot to mention that.

Aug 21, 2012 06:57 PM
#4
McKenzie Johnson EasternNCSales/Military
CRI Properties/SCOUT Carolinas Group - Jacksonville, NC
SCOUT the life you LOVE!

Ah-well, being honest with your landlord is helpful.  Is it just that you don't want to live there, the commute doesn't work for you or family concerns that you'd like to be on base and close to facilities like a base hospital?

Sometimes asking a landlord to work with you and come up with an agreement works-like you help get the place rerented so that they aren't left with vacant place but you're out of your lease.

Otherwise, I'd say don't use fake orders, many communities have reps who help comfirm if they are genuine orders, not all-but professionally, not the best careeer move.

Let me know if you have more questions, I'd be happy to help!

~McKenzie

Aug 26, 2012 05:44 AM
Anonymous
Robert

So I know this guy who lives in the same apartments as me and he faked out of his lease so he didn't have to owe money he said that he was in icu and in fact he just moved into a different apartment with a friend on the same lot! What kind of punishment could he get into if he was caught? should I snitch on him? Because I feel that this is way wrong!

Dec 22, 2012 01:54 AM
#6
McKenzie Johnson EasternNCSales/Military
CRI Properties/SCOUT Carolinas Group - Jacksonville, NC
SCOUT the life you LOVE!

Sorry for just catching this Robert- generally speaking, it would be the rental complex that would make the complaint- each base is supposed to have a point of contact to research orders and if they were falsified, contacting the base information officer would be the best place to start I'd think however, in this situation, the Rental company might be fine with it given that he's still renting from them. . .

Jan 07, 2013 01:04 AM
Anonymous
Jane

I currently have a tenant who's in the military. She provided me with a 30 day notice and deployment orders. I don't think the orders are real or maybe altered. How do I find this out? I don't think it's fair that I am stuck with finding another tenant if the orders are falsified.

May 11, 2015 02:42 AM
#8
Anonymous
Aria

I have to move out of my apt because I'm tired of waiting for them to fix things and always end up fixing them myself. If rather buy and fix things in my own house! So they told me I could find another tenant and they would have to apply still. So I advertised it and got multiple people into apply. When they got there they refused to let them apply. Put one of them in one of there other properties and told me I wasn't allowed to advertise it. Can I take them to court in the end for failed to mitigate damages?

Oct 09, 2017 04:33 PM
#9
Anonymous
Stacy

I just moved to Texas in a newly built apartment close to where i thought i would be , however the address i had (27 miles away) was wrong and it takes me 40 mins to get to work in the morning and an hour to an hour and a half in the evening. My question is, is there anyway for me to get out of my lease to find somewhere closer?

Dec 16, 2017 06:25 AM
#10