Tenant threatening to demage property - Landlord Forum thread 350133

Tenant threatening to demage property by Anonymous on January 13, 2017 @14:09

We own 5 unit bldg and do not live there. Tenant lost job today and climb on the roof to kill himself. He also broke thing in apartment. Police was there and we all heard breaking. I was there too.Two hours later, i texted him to let us in to inspect. He said, No. He said file in court and I will live free for 90 days and will break everything as soon as you go court. Police was there. I asked police for report of happened today, police said there will not be any report. What can we do?

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Re: Tenant threatening to demage property by Garry on January 13, 2017 @15:12	[ Reply ]

You have already done the WRONG thing by contacting him about wanting in. DO NOT IN ANY WAY TRY TO CONTACT HIM AGAIN UNTIL HIS RENT IS DUE IN FEB. He needs TIME to figure out what to do next in his life. You, by worrying about the damage to your property, could push him over the edge. If he is going to damage your property, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING you can do to prevent him from doing it, nor do you want to repair anything till he is out. You do not know what his state of mind is right now. Think about these 2 possibilities--------You go over there and upset him to the point he pulls a kitchen knife on you, and kills you. or he hates you for not caring about him, and only your apartment, so he decides to take his own life inside your apartment, but before he does, he starts a small fire in the apartment, that spreads to the whole building, burning down your whole place, and maybe killing several of your tenants. Yes, this is a highly improbable scenario, but again, YOU DON"T KNOW what state of mind he is in right now, so DO NOT CONTACT HIM FOR A MONTH !! You could however, in secret, contact your other tenants during the month, to see if they have any info about your T, and how he is doing. But even that contact should be at least 2 weeks from now, to give ALL your tenants time to process what happened.

Re: Tenant threatening to demage property

Re: Tenant threatening to demage property by Anonymous on January 13, 2017 @21:08	[ Reply ]

You have every right to contact him! It's the correct thing to do! You should post your notice to enter and if refused, contact the police for assistance in this case. Your state(?) law provides for removal of tenants that are a danger to themselves and others or the property. Your lease perhaps covers it. Consult an attorney for advice for an emergency eviction. Not contacting the tenant for a whole month sounds ludicrous and just lets the tenant be in control to do what ever. The problem will not solve itself, you need to act to remove the tenant. Do not involve any of your other tenants in this. That's stupid in my opinion. It could lead to the tenant taking legal action against you. Let the tenant figure out what to do, just not in your rental.

Re: Tenant threatening to demage property by Richard (NH) on January 14, 2017 @11:27	[ Reply ]

I have to agree with G on this one. Simply put, the police handled it. Let things simmer down. As a smart landlord, you surely screened this person well and took a security deposit, right? Let the guy calm down without your added pressure. If the next rent is late, handle it properly with forms from the LPA.

Re: Tenant threatening to demage property by Anonymous on January 14, 2017 @13:17	[ Reply ]

You need to take action to remove this tenant ASAP. Those who say ignore it for a month or wait for things to cool down are just hoping things turn out best. As the landlord, you have a legal obligation to not only protect your property, but your other tenants safety. What happens if he injures another tenant and you fell to take any action. Why would you risk such things? You need to contact your lawyer to help remove this person asap. Waiting and hoping things turn out is not a plan! Your other tenants are wondering if you are an effective landlord or one who cowards to threats from a tenant.

Re: Tenant threatening to demage property by Nicole (PA) on January 14, 2017 @16:43	[ Reply ]

In Pennsyvania, if tries to commit suicide and the authorities get notified, they get locked up for I believe 72 hours in the hospital. so you're saying all kinds of turmoil was going on and the police walked away at the end without ascertaining the guy was okay? No report? really?

Re: Tenant threatening to demage property

Re: Tenant threatening to demage property by Anonymous on January 14, 2017 @18:17	[ Reply ]

Nice story. If a guy speaks of killing themselves in just about any state in the USA. It earns them a trip to the happy house for 3 days un-till the threat of killing yourself has passed. And a police report is public information and can be picked up at the police department if you pay the few dollar fee, and show proof that you are the owner of the property. Great story telling though. lol

Re: Tenant threatening to demage property by Anonymous on January 15, 2017 @19:07	[ Reply ]

Why would you take advice to wait a month or not contact the tenant? Not taking immediate action, you can wave your rights to proceed against the tenant. You should be getting statements from all witnesses in case they are needed in court. Not all police reports that deal with attempted suicides are public records, but check anyway, as that will be additional evidence. You need to at least get the names of the responding officers also. They can testify to the tenants threats and damages he did. Prepare your case and start the removal process. consult your attorney if needed for advice or to handle the removal. If you know of a dangerous tenant and do not take action and something bad happens, you may find your insurance company not covering you.