Posted by R. Kim on September 05, 2009 at 18:48:15:
Thank you for your thoughts, BTI. Those are my feelings, also. It’s amazing how the vast majority of tenants I run into are scumbags. These people really fooled me, passed my screening and everything. I think I better tighten up my screening.
Someone in the Mr. Landlord forum also gave me the link below to report these deadbeats to the 3 credit bureaus, which I’m definitely going to do:
Granted, many of these scumbags don’t care about their credit but the female scumbag, the wife, in this case was a laid off human resources employee at a local hospital so she may be concerned about background checks being done for future jobs.
Posted by R. Kim on September 01, 2009 at 24:48:24:
Hi, folks. I hope someone can offer good advice. I had deadbeat tenants who damaged a rental house and moved out a week ago without notice. I wish to place a judgement on them and start garnishing wages but it is apparently up to me to locate these scumbags. They don’t return my voice mails or text messages (no surprise there). They moved out only a week ago so I’m not sure if skip trace databases would have their new address but I know they are still in the area.
What has worked for you here on locating people, both legal ways and gray-area ways? TIA.
Re: How to locate deadbeat tenant? - Posted by Natalie-VA
Posted by Natalie-VA on September 03, 2009 at 15:27:49:
Hi Bob,
How about filing an unlawful detainer with the amount of damages? I realize that you already have possession of the property, but I would think the court would only require the sheriff to post the notice at the last known address in order to be valid.
You’ll probably end up with your judgment by default when they don’t show up at court.
Later, when you are trying to collect, they might contest the notice, but I doubt it.
Re: How to locate deadbeat tenant? - Posted by R. Kim
Posted by R. Kim on September 03, 2009 at 22:47:43:
Thank you for the reply, Natalie. Unfortunately, I called the magistrate’s office here and they said they could only serve it at the tenant’s new address and that it is up to me to get that address. Apparently, South Carolina is known as “the debtors haven” in that they really protect the deadbeats. Somehow, that seems just wrong to me.
You need to do some more checking, in most jurisdictions there are remedies for being unable to serve someone such as a legal advertisement and a mailing to last know address, etc.
The others gave good advice to forget it and move on but it depends on your character. I can’t do that, I must nail the no good flakes that think they can go through life with immunity, especially those who don’t beat you just out of money but intentionally leave damage. I also made it a habit to file a police report in those instances. Haven’t had any problems for many years because even the Pope would have to pass my screening.
In California I got a judgement and renewed it every 10 years and in year 28 the deadbeat got an inheritance check for a few bucks due to my nailing his probate share. You should have heard him cry about how unfair it was because it was so long ago.