Good tenant wants out of lease

[invst4profit]

Your only course of action as I see it is to concentrate on re-renting and I hate to say it but you will have to find someone that is not a visible minority.
This could be perceived as discrimination but you can possibly get around that by informing any applicants, that would be a potential target, of his presence.
Why does it take so long to rent this place. What is wrong with the unit or the area that is turning off potential applicants.

 

[ShannonMurree]

WOW...what a thread. Too bad all around for everyone. Tenants, you, business, etc. I`m curious about one of the questions addressed. Is it a condo or freehold?

If this is a whole neighbourhood situation, can you start a "neighbourhood watch" sort of thing and gather witnesses, affidavits etc for this abusive behaviour? I agree this person should not be getting away with this behaviour. It has to be corrected because it will only filter onto next tenants...regardless of colour or race sounds like he`ll find any excuse.

 

[EdRenkema]

QUOTE (ShannonMurree @ Aug 5 2009, 04:16 PM) WOW...what a thread. Too bad all around for everyone. Tenants, you, business, etc. I`m curious about one of the questions addressed. Is it a condo or freehold?

If this is a whole neighbourhood situation, can you start a "neighbourhood watch" sort of thing and gather witnesses, affidavits etc for this abusive behaviour? I agree this person should not be getting away with this behaviour. It has to be corrected because it will only filter onto next tenants...regardless of colour or race sounds like he`ll find any excuse.


Its a condo and the board is aware of the issue and I will be speaking to the property manager tomorrow. Everyone including the board president who I`ve spoken to seems to not want to deal with this.
Neighbourhood watch - ain`t gonna happen. Everyone knows whats going on, nobody else wants to become a victim. Nothing but a punk with a big mouth and a neighbourhood of over 100 units all running scared!

 

[EdRenkema]

QUOTE (invst4profit @ Aug 4 2009, 11:38 AM) Why does it take so long to rent this place. What is wrong with the unit or the area that is turning off potential applicants.

Every time I get this question I feel myself get put on the defensive.
The first month I advertised was October 2008 and I actually got no calls - thats right ZERO!
I can only be rational and say that late 2008 was a huge economic fallout, fear in the streets, people were like deer in the headlights. I gradually increased my advertising to every available venue and calls and appointments trickled in but mostly tirekickers and people not able to qualify.
One common theme -everyone loved the unit, it showed well and was completely renovated with a finished basement.
I also learned that more people preferred to rent in the upper city of Hamilton no matter how nice the unit was.
I persevered and the current tenants loved it and were the right fit for the property.

At this point I have contacted the condo board and they are impotent and passing the buck and apparently relieved to not have to deal with this problem guy.
Whenever I explain this to someone I get the impression from them like I have inoperable cancer, its like a hopeless situation. My lawyer tells me a criminal suit is virtually impossible since we need proof. A civil suit may be possible but onerously expensive with little possibility of financial returns.

 

[RobM]

QUOTE (EdRenkema @ Aug 6 2009, 11:06 AM) At this point I have contacted the condo board and they are impotent and passing the buck and apparently relieved to not have to deal with this problem guy.
Whenever I explain this to someone I get the impression from them like I have inoperable cancer, its like a hopeless situation. My lawyer tells me a criminal suit is virtually impossible since we need proof. A civil suit may be possible but onerously expensive with little possibility of financial returns.
What does your lawyer say about forcing the Condo board to deal with the situation in regards to his impairment of your use of your property?

You said your tenants paid $1000 for a video system that doesn`t appear to work, what about getting one installed that DOES work to gather evidence? You can buy a 4 camera system from costco for $599 (http://www.costco.ca/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10324783), or a one with 2 wireless and 2 wired for $849 (http://www.costco.ca/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10325456). They aren`t that hard to setup (I installed an 8 camera one in at my personal residence in a day, and that was with a wired setup, the wireless one should take an hour or two at most) There may also be places that rent them, I`m not sure, but a couple of phone calls would find out. The Costco systems do record sound but the camera`s don`t have mic`s so you might want to get an outdoor mic for some audio of the situation.

Or what about using a private investigator to gather the evidence on your/the tenants behalf?

If you can`t solve this for your tenants, I don`t know if it is feasible for you to move into the place for a month, and see if you can document it and deal first hand with the police on it, but that is also an option (although I would go with one of the above myself).

I would apply HEAVY pressure to the condo board, this is THEIR problem as well, and it sounds like they have many unit holders with the same issue. I would also ask them to make sure that it shows up in the condo board meeting minutes that they have declined to deal with the situation. This will on the one hand force them to put it in writing that they are not dealing with the issue, but they would also realize that they are documenting a problem that will affect the resale ability of their units as well.

I don`t envy your situation. Best of luck.

Rob

 

[EdRenkema]

QUOTE (RobM @ Aug 7 2009, 11:56 AM) I would apply HEAVY pressure to the condo board, this is THEIR problem as well, and it sounds like they have many unit holders with the same issue. I would also ask them to make sure that it shows up in the condo board meeting minutes that they have declined to deal with the situation. This will on the one hand force them to put it in writing that they are not dealing with the issue, but they would also realize that they are documenting a problem that will affect the resale ability of their units as well.

I don`t envy your situation. Best of luck.

Rob


For the camera situation the psycho nieghbour called the police as soon as he saw them install it and police examined the system and informed my tenants it could not be trained on his front door or window, invasion of privacy issues.
As I said I spoke to the condo board president and he passed me on to the property manager (wimp!), they have not contacted me after I left a message for her on Wednesday. This is one guy and everyone is scared of dealing with him, they are impotent and useless.
I will do what I have to do...

 

[PaulPoulsen]

QUOTE (RobM @ Aug 7 2009, 12:56 PM) Or what about using a private investigator to gather the evidence on your/the tenants behalf?

This is a GREAT suggestion.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I think this situation is all about leverage and hiring a professional to help you attain leverage of your own is a tremendous idea.

If he`s a jerk towards your neighbours, he`s a jerk with countless others as well. Who knows what dirt a pro might dig up.

 

[rforgiel]

Ed,

I have been following this thread for a while without saying anything but have been asking my Hamilton experts what can be done. If all the conventional approaches have been exhausted, consider renting to bikers for 6 months to a year. They will take care of this jerk.

The jerk; is he an owner or a renter.

 

[invst4profit]

Bikers are probably not a good choice as tenants unless you are prepared to keep them indefinitely. It would be better to find someone you trust to move in temporarily that would agree to document, record, film the idiots behaviour so as to use as evidence in order to bring him up on criminal charges.
He would of course have to be a visible minority that the jerk would harass.

 

[EdRenkema]

QUOTE (invst4profit @ Aug 9 2009, 12:14 PM) Bikers are probably not a good choice as tenants unless you are prepared to keep them indefinitely. It would be better to find someone you trust to move in temporarily that would agree to document, record, film the idiots behaviour so as to use as evidence in order to bring him up on criminal charges.
He would of course have to be a visible minority that the jerk would harass.


I know some Bikers indirectly, they don`t need to live there only to pay a `social visit` and that can be arranged.

The filming has been attempted by my tenants but this guy is so cagey he caught on and had the police pay a visit to ensure they did not have a camera trained on his front door or window.
My tenants` daughter has compiled a file of all evidence and statements and there will be a hearing that psycho neighbour must attend next Tuesday. Likely little will change. The tenants are going and I will look for new ones.

 

[EdRenkema]

QUOTE (rforgiel @ Aug 8 2009, 04:30 PM)
Ed,



I have been following this thread for a while without saying anything but have been asking my Hamilton experts what can be done. If all the conventional approaches have been exhausted, consider renting to bikers for 6 months to a year. They will take care of this jerk.



The jerk; is he an owner or a renter.






He is an owner but apparently not on title, the wife is, the jerk has no job and a prison record, go figure.