We certainly hope that you never have to endure the unpleasant and untimely frustration of an eviction. At Management 1 Tri-Cities, we take great care to screen and select good tenants for your property. Unfortunately, an eviction can happen to anyone no matter how well a tenant is screened. Even families that are well qualified when they move in can encounter serious life-changing situations any time during their tenancy, resulting in the necessity for eviction (loss of employment, reduction in work hours, pay cut, divorce, death in the family, etc).  To make matters worse, when faced with an inability to pay rent, tenants may also find it difficult to move out quickly.  When a tenant does not pay rent and fails to move out voluntarily, the only legal recourse to remove the tenant is to file for eviction.

Our standard eviction policy is as follows:  M1TC recommends eviction for any tenant or household that is more than 21 days late on a full-month’s rent when there has been no work-out arrangement or reinstatement plan made with M1TC.  Additionally, we recommend eviction for any tenant or household that is more than 50 days late on more than one-half of one month’s rent.  Please note, regarding our “oldest charge paid first” policy, when a tenant incurs a late fee and does not pay it,  upon receipt of the following month’s rent, the late rent fee (as the oldest charge) will be deducted from the rent payment first, and the remaining balance will be added to the balance of rent due. Failure to pay late fees prior to the next month’s rent due date can create additional late fees as a result of the shortage that results from applying the newest payment to the oldest charge first.  Owners have the option to override M1TC’s eviction policy, but only when done in writing.

Typical evictions cost between $800.00 – $1500, most of which is usually paid up-front by the home owner and to later be recompensed by refund of the tenant security deposit. However, as is frequently the case, when a tenant is already behind on rent prior to filing the eviction, the security deposit is unlikely to cover all of the lost rent and court expenses. If we are successful in court, a judgment may be awarded to the owner against a tenant for unpaid rents and court costs, but judgments usually do not include everything the owner might have to pay for.  For example, such fees that may not be awarded in an eviction judgment include the Sheriff’s Writ (Lockout) fee, Locksmith fees, storage fees, unpaid utility bills, HOA fines, and repair expenses for physical damage to the property found after the tenant is removed. To get additional judgments for further losses such as these, owners must pursue the tenant in small claims court. Frequently, however, homeowners do not follow through with small claims cases, bearing these financial losses directly.  Please note, property managers are not debt collectors, so if you have questions about collecting on your judgment, please visit this page.

If an eviction is necessary, M1TC will notify you promptly and discuss all available options.  We go to great lengths to avoid any eviction, but should it become necessary, we have had a 100%, no-failure track record in eviction court and can discuss possible solutions or options to the specific situation.  As a disclaimer, however, Management 1 Tri-Cities is a Real Estate Broker, not a Law Firm or Attorney and we can not give legal advice.  If you have questions regarding an eviction, discuss the matter with us first and we will refer you to our experienced eviction attorney for further consultation and advice.

Facebooktwitteryoutube