Need advice on deadbeat renter,please help!?

Question

I live in Pennsylvania and I own a 3 stall garage and I rent each space for $20 a month.There is no written rental or lease agreements,only verbal.I have one renter who never pays on time.At one point he owed me for 6 mos.rent.I billed him via certified mail and I have requested that he please pay his monthly rent on time (3 times over the past 3 years).I am sick of chasing him for my money.He is currently behind 3 months on rent.So on 3-15,I sent him a notice via certified mail that I would no longer be able to rent the garage space to him because of his late payments,and asked that he vacate the space by 4-15.I warned that if all was not removed by 4-15 that the items would be considered abandoned and will be towed/removed.I called he town hall and the local magistrate to see what the laws are,but they will not answer my questions.The garage is stll locked.Questions:Is my notice legal? Is 30 days enough notice for eviction?Can I legally remove the lock,and dispose of the contents?

Answer 1

30 days is certainly enough but you will have to go to your city and obtain an eviction notice to do this legally. If you go in person they will be more apt to answer question.s

Answer 2

This is not legal advice, merely what I found online:

Q: What can the landlord do if the tenant doesn't move after the lease is terminated?

A: The landlord has to take the tenant to eviction court. The landlord cannot evict the tenant; only a court can do that.

Q: How does the landlord terminate the lease at the expiration of the term?

A: It depends upon the type of lease.

If there is an oral lease with month-to-month tenancy, the landlord ends it by serving a written notice of the same length. For example, the notice must give the tenant thirty days to vacate if rent is paid monthly, and seven days if it is paid weekly, although some states have different rules. Most cities or states require that this notice be delivered personally to the tenant, although some permit delivery by mail.

If there is a written lease with a specific duration or term, the lease automatically ends on the last day of the term. However, some municipal ordinances require a 30-day written notice to the tenant before the end of the term. Without such a notice the tenant does not know whether the landlord wants to renew the lease or not. It is always a good idea for the landlord and tenant to discuss the matter well before the term ends.

Answer 3

Dude, you can't just make up the rules as you go along. The fact that you have established this lazy style over the last 3 years gives him some weight in court because you have established that as the precident. YOU NEED TO DO LEASES. Don't guess after a problem arises. A signed lease spells out the terms for both parties and eliminates guesswork. The rules covering your garage space (commercial space?) might be different than other renter laws in your state, so you now probably have to call a lawyer.

Answer 4

I'd contact a lawyer to be sure you're on firm ground, but if he's that far behind on rent, I'd think you'd be within your rights.

By the way, $20 sounds really cheap to rent a garage. And yes, I do rent out some garages, in a rural area of PA, for about twice that much, and they're not palaces. We have a $5 per month late payment fee and written agreements - you might consider that for future renters.

Answer 5

Every state has different I would contact an attorney who deals with evictions on a regular basis and get advice. It shouldn't cost too much and could save you a ton in long run.