Re: Pursue legal action or let it go? - Landlord Forum thread 332518

Re: Pursue legal action or let it go? by CCRider (CA) on March 23, 2015 @15:28

Well, they owe you $300. If you go to court, they probably won't show up and you could get a default judgment. But, you'll be out the court fees.

What you could do, is just use a landlord collection agency. You wouldn't be out of pocket anymore, it would show on their reports, and you might even get some money out of it someday.

I never used one, but if you just Google "landlord collection agency" there are quite a few, and you don't have to get a judgment first, from what I've read. It would be like using a collection agency if you were any other business someone owed money to. They can dispute it with the credit bureau, but I don't believe that would cost you any more out of pocket either.

I think that's what I'd do, rather than go out of pocket any more at this point.

Oh, and regarding criminal searches - they don't always look to all other counties and states. Look to see where they search next time. I think it's up to you to give them previous addresses and decide if you want to pay to have them search all of those different counties and states.

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Re: Pursue legal action or let it go? by Katiekate (New York) on March 23, 2015 @16:52	[ Reply ]

This is bad advice. Stop telling landlords to go to collection agencies.....it is a waste of their time and very frustrating. No collection agency is going to take a collection for a dead beat tenant. If You pay them..they will be glad to waste your money..but they are not even going to take a deadbeat collection for free....much less ever pay for one! Only agency ever to agree happened only after I got a judgement and all the leg work was already done. Once you spend all your time chasing the tenant down..you might as well file yourself for a garnishment.

Re: Pursue legal action or let it go? by CCRider (CA) on March 23, 2015 @20:59	[ Reply ]

Calm down, no need to get grumpy. Google them yourself. Times have changed.

Re: Pursue legal action or let it go? by Wes (FL) on March 24, 2015 @10:22	[ Reply ]

Thanks for your thoughts, KatieKate. I just wish there was some comeuppance for the two of them. Would love to give them a piece of my mind (not that they would care).

Re: Pursue legal action or let it go? by Wes (FL) on March 24, 2015 @10:09	[ Reply ]

Thanks for your thoughts, CC Rider. I definitely don't want to go more out of pocket at this point. Oddly the criminal background check pulled a few minor (and old) traffic violations in a different county, but for some reason missed 16 (in that same state, not FL).

Re: Pursue legal action or let it go? by CCRider (CA) on March 24, 2015 @15:11	[ Reply ]

I've never personally used this service, but learned about it from a landlord. I don't know if it's okay to mention businesses by name, but if you Google "landlord collection agency" you'll find one where you can pay a one-time flat fee of only around $17, and they will send one collection letter to the tenant, but they will also report the debt to all three credit bureaus. They have other options for more money. I learned about this online where someone was asking how to get their tenant reported to the credit bureau. You have to either pay for their service, or use a service that does. I think these new cheaper options are great. You may never see the money, but you're only out $17, and now it's on their credit report, at least. And you can always choose to upgrade to a more expensive service later, if you want to. Anyway, it's not impossible anymore to attempt to collect from a tenant without going through the courts and getting a judgment. Or at least get it on their credit report.

Re: Pursue legal action or let it go? by Wes (FL) on March 24, 2015 @19:44	[ Reply ]

Thanks, CC Rider; I saw a service like that, sounds like the same one you are talking about. Somewhere I read that you can do it yourself; you just have to give the tenants 30 days' notice before you do it. Not sure whether that can be by email or it has to be by USPS.