CAN I fight FEMA? - Landlord Forum thread

CAN I fight FEMA? by Anonymous on November 15, 2009 @08:40

I have a SF rental home that is located near Galveston, TX. It sustained roof damage during Hurricane Ike. We are currently in litigation with our ins. company since they have not given us what we need to reroof (this has dragged on for a year now). In the meantime, roof is deteriorating and we have tenants under FEMA program in the house. They have turned out to be PITA tenants and have been screaming about wanting to get out of their lease ( they signed an 18 mo. lease-shame on us for agreeing to that!) but we have always fixed every little thing and have been very attentive to them. The last straw is now the tenant is complaining about mold in a closet. I remediated some mold in the ceiling of a closet 6 mos. ago. She told me a month ago--there was mold in bathroom--turns out it was discolored tub caulking. We replaced. In the meantime the closet mod has returned.
She evidently took photos and sent in to local FEMA--they did an "emergency" inspections the next day. Of course, we were not notiified of this until a week later and they send us a letter saying house is in abatement until repairs--no explanation. I have to call them to get any info. They accused me of lying when I said I never got anything in writing from tenants about this problem and said that it was an "exstensive" mold problem. I requested copies of the photos as I never saw an "extensive" mold problem when I was there and we had already tried to remediate it. )Tenant has never sent me anything in writing, ever!). I went out with contractor to replace the sheetrock in closet and in bathroom. We have spent 2500 so far in remediating things to stay in good standing with FEMA and I am sick and tired of this!!!!
Main problem is: tenant said FEMA was finding them another place to live and she gave me a 30 day notice to move (the only thing she has ever given me in writing) but FEMA will not pay for this month's rent and she refuses to pay her portion of the rent she is supposed to pay--350 plus late fees. FEMA folks just say--do what you have to do--to collect their portion of the rent and they never return any of my calls.
I sent tenant notice to pay or quit last week and she has had car parked in front yard forever and it has killed the grass and she has been very verbally abusive to me and my husband when we have gone to the property and on the phone
(lease violatons). I want to start eviction proceedings but there is a clause in the FEMA agreement that says we cannot evict due to non-payment of tenant's portion of the rent. Even though she said she is leaving at end of the month, she has lied to me so many times and FEMA will always stand behind the tenants--what recourse do I have to get these leaches out of my property? We cannot afford a new roof right now and we just put a tarp on roof over closet area.
Would you try to evict nonetheless or do you think we stand a chance in court?

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Re: CAN I fight FEMA? by Anonymous on November 15, 2009 @10:38	[ Reply ]
If the tenant has already given you a 30 day notice just wait for the time to run out and let her leave. An eviction will be expensive and much more time consuming.