Wording & Time for Cure/Pay or Quit - Landlord Forum thread

Wording & Time for Cure/Pay or Quit by Anonymous on February 5, 2012 @16:21

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Our tenants have the utilities in their name but if they don't pay the water/sewer bill, that becomes the LL's responsibility and the water company notifies us if the bill is in arrears. This is in Ca.

We were notified that they hadn't paid the water/sewer bill for the last month.
We know that the wife just got out of the hospital after a couple weeks being IN the hospital, so it's likely they just didn't pay attention to the bill.

I want to post a notice to either Cure or Quit...or Pay or Quit (not sure which one), but may I make it a 5-day Notice so they'll have until Friday to pay the bill, or will that come back to bite me?

In the notice, could I also include the following, just to be sure they know that if they don't pay the water bill, they can conclude we'll be raising the rent--or is there a better way to word this? Our idea for the notice is this: "One reason your rent is below market value is because you take care of issues such as the utilities and water/sewer bills, as specifically noted in your rental agreement.

Oh and we did send a get well card to the house, and brought a small bouquet of flowers to the hospital for the wife.

They are good & neat older senior citizen tenants on a M2M, have been there for almost 2 years, and have paid the rent on time and we have not raised their rent, but I want to be sure they know or realize their below market rent is because they are taking care of things we normally would embed in an increased rent amount. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

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Re: Wording & Time for Cure/Pay or Quit by A.T.SF (CA) on February 5, 2012 @16:40	[ Reply ]

I strongly suggest you think though exactly what you want to achieve here. Do you just want to tell them to pay up or leave? or Cure or Quit, are there other issues to be resolved other than financial. Either way these notices in the state of California should not be taken lightly, as in this friendly tenant State, you better be able to back up your claim.

Re: Wording & Time for Cure/Pay or Quit

Re: Wording & Time for Cure/Pay or Quit by Anonymous on February 5, 2012 @23:03	[ Reply ]

Don't post a p&q notice since they have been good tenants. they are going through a rough time and like you said it probably slipped their mind. Just send them a nice email or stick a note in the mailbox with a copy of the bill reminding them that it is due. I wouldn't even say anything about raising the rent. if they don't get caught u by next month then I would get a little sterner withe them and send them another reminder with a bit about raising the rent. If that does no good after about 1-2 weeks I would post a p&q order.

Re: Wording & Time for Cure/Pay or Quit by Anonymous on February 5, 2012 @23:08	[ Reply ]

Thank you all for the good advice!

Re: Wording & Time for Cure/Pay or Quit by Walter on February 5, 2012 @23:54	[ Reply ]

State Notice Period Chart for P or Q http://www.thelpa.com/free/statenoticechart.pdf