>Now, got a friend with a deadbeat tenant who falsely claimed the landlord (my friend) sexually attacked her.
She wasn’t charged, I take it? False rape complaints are almost never prosecuted, and I’ve never heard of a successful civil suit against a false accuser of rape.
Wowsa! He was fortunate enough to have an alibi? I’m a single guy, and the threat of that kind of thing really scares me since you’re guilty until proven innocent, I’m unlikely to have an alibi, and these days no physical evidence is needed for rape convictions. Even if the police let you go, your reputation is still ruined. That’s the kind of situation you find out who your true friends are.
A renter fell down the steps and broke his ribs. He’s threatening to sue me. I reported it to my insurance. The property is in a LLC that holds nothing else. It’s a nice unit… I’m not a slum lord. The steps are inside (it’s a nice brick split foyer), they’re carpeted and they have a nice, sturdy hand rail. You couldn’t ask for better steps.
This is causing me to re-think rental property. I have nice places. We do yearly inspections (replace batteries in smoke detectors, check fire extingushiers, make sure there are no trip hazards, etc.). I call it the ‘Safe & Sound Inspection’. Both the renter and myself do it together, and we both sign a form that describes the inspection.
Anyway, even with a LLC, liability insurance, yearly inspections and nice units like this, I can still get sued… is renting really worth the risk? I’m being serious… have any of you ever considered getting out of the rental business because of lawsuits?
Posted by Frank Chin on March 06, 2004 at 10:13:11:
ATH:
You got your LLC, and I’m sure you got liability insurance as you reported the claim. Just relax and let the insurance company and their legal department handle it.
People slip and fall every day, and find someone to sue. That’s no reason why you or I or anyone else should stop doing business.
Clumsy people have to live somewhere, and you can’t discriminate against them.
Now, got a friend with a deadbeat tenant who falsely claimed the landlord (my friend) sexually attacked her. Now, that’s an awful situation to be in.