Re: Final Walk Through - Landlord Forum thread 360719

Re: Final Walk Through by Garry on August 1, 2020 @13:30

So, did you do a walkthru yesterday, and if so, how did it go ?

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Re: Final Walk Through by dlymperis on August 3, 2020 @10:15	[ Reply ]

Hi Garry and Robert, Thanks for your replies. I hired a constable to do the walkthrough, and he told me not to go in the apartment - that he would take care of everything. He did and I got my keys back. I told the tenant about 3 hours before the walk through that I had hired a constable, and she became very irate and called the police "to keep the peace", saying had she known this, she would have had her lawyer be present. So, she called the police (the 3rd time she's done this on me) and told me her lawyer was on "stand-by" and that she would be video recording the entire walk through. Her boyfriend, who has nothing to do with this situation and has never spoken a word to me, was there. I honestly think the whole scenario was for her and her boyfriend to humiliate me to my face because she was angry that I didn't renew her lease, didn't make friends with her, and didn't sell her that side of the house. This sort of ongoing behavior was the reason why I did not renew it, so she wrote her own ticket out. She didn't pay July's rent, so I have to use the SD, so what was the point of the walk through if I have no SD money for damages? Overall, the place was in good shape, but she did a really lousy patching job for a cabinet she had hung on the kitchen wall. The oven was filthy, so I spent my weekend cleaning it, and it now looks as good as new. I appreciate your past advise about going in and waiting to see if she came back to get her stuff, but my lawyer and the constable told me NOT to go in there, because she would claim that she left money or something else, and would sue me, and I would be arrested for an illegal lockout. Massachusetts has really crazy laws that completely empower tenants and disempower landlords to the point where we have no rights any more. The state is trying to pass right of first refusal, rent control, and other horrible things, and has also extended the eviction moratorium until October, and possibly beyond. I am so afraid to rent the apartment at this point that I have decided to take it off the market for the time being, possibly permanently. Too bad, because it's a really nice place and I have busted my butt to maintain it to the highest standards. Nobody deserves to be abused or taken advantage by their tenant. I'm sure there are far worse situations, but the past 7 years have been really difficult for me as a landlord. The constable told me that these situations are all too common, even when a prospective tenant is thoroughly screened. They can try to sue you for just about anything, and I don't want to put my house at risk.