The report was not good.
The first report we got in August from a neighbor to our rental property in Arlington, Washington was from a phone call. She looked us up on the county tax roll and dialed our old landline phone number. We hardly ever answer that phone anymore. However, this time, Sue was home for the day and picked up the receiver; "Do you know what is going on on your property?" was the leading question from the other end. Our neighbor went on to explain/complain about large, rowdy crowds making racket and racing their dirt bikes on our 50 acres through the early morning hours. She reported gun fire and large bonfires seen blazing through the trees.
We asked our local property manager to go out and take a look around and report back to us. The report was not good. By State Landlord/Tenant law, she had to give 48 hour notice before inspecting the place on Saturday in early September. The tenant conveniently was not home (or just did not answer the door), so no inside inspection. However, there was a mound of garbage thrown out the back door, many dead vehicles scattered about, rutted mud roads from dirt bike activities, junk, junk, junk and evidence of a nascent cannabis growing operation in the woods. Also, the resident had invited some relations to set up a squatter's camp in our back 40. All of this in violation of the lease. Not to mention the Twitter post of his 17 year old son burning a vehicle on our property. This is not a good report.
After 9 years as a tenant (8 of those years he was a descent tenant) without a single cent in raised rents, we all agreed it was time for him to move out. He was given his 20-day notice under the law.
I planned a trip from Texas to Washington to do a lot of clean up and repair work, but I wanted to know what exactly what kind of work I was getting involved in before I made the trip. The last day for the tenant was Sept. 30 -- he was having problems getting everything load (except perhaps himself). He was finally gone on October 12 after some not so gentle pressure. Once the house was empty, our representative could get a look inside. As expected, a sloppy big mess! But at least this troublesome tenant was now evicted and the gate locked behind him. A relief.
We then get a call from our manager on October 14; someone has cut the chained gate that leads up to the house, and smashed out the large plate glass windows in the kitchen and the dining room. Serious vandalism. The sheriff is called and a report is taken. We file a report with our insurance, but they rule the damage does not meet our deductible.
We instruct our property manager to go ahead and board up the broken out windows and all the rest of the windows too.
While we are awaiting all the wooden sheeting to protect the windows and doors, Sue's brother Bob and his wife go by the place to take a look in the morning. Bob sent us the first set of photos from his cell phone - this is our first look at the place since the 'Trouble in Paradise' started. It is not good.
Bob and Ann stop by again in the late afternoon, and find that the vandals had returned. This time they kicked in the sliding glass door in the basement, smashed out the all remaining windows from the inside, throw portable heaters installed to protect the plumbing from freezing through the large family room windows, and break fixtures inside the house. We now file a second insurance claim, this one is pretty big.
Another call to the sheriff. Someone waits for 8 1/2 hours for a deputy -- no response from the law. Just "property crimes" do not matter to county law enforcement is the obvious conclusion.
I decide I can not wait for a report of all the facts. I go ahead and book a flight to Washington to take care of the situation while on the ground. But I think, the worst has got to be over at this point. Right?
The first report we got in August from a neighbor to our rental property in Arlington, Washington was from a phone call. She looked us up on the county tax roll and dialed our old landline phone number. We hardly ever answer that phone anymore. However, this time, Sue was home for the day and picked up the receiver; "Do you know what is going on on your property?" was the leading question from the other end. Our neighbor went on to explain/complain about large, rowdy crowds making racket and racing their dirt bikes on our 50 acres through the early morning hours. She reported gun fire and large bonfires seen blazing through the trees.
We asked our local property manager to go out and take a look around and report back to us. The report was not good. By State Landlord/Tenant law, she had to give 48 hour notice before inspecting the place on Saturday in early September. The tenant conveniently was not home (or just did not answer the door), so no inside inspection. However, there was a mound of garbage thrown out the back door, many dead vehicles scattered about, rutted mud roads from dirt bike activities, junk, junk, junk and evidence of a nascent cannabis growing operation in the woods. Also, the resident had invited some relations to set up a squatter's camp in our back 40. All of this in violation of the lease. Not to mention the Twitter post of his 17 year old son burning a vehicle on our property. This is not a good report.
After 9 years as a tenant (8 of those years he was a descent tenant) without a single cent in raised rents, we all agreed it was time for him to move out. He was given his 20-day notice under the law.
I planned a trip from Texas to Washington to do a lot of clean up and repair work, but I wanted to know what exactly what kind of work I was getting involved in before I made the trip. The last day for the tenant was Sept. 30 -- he was having problems getting everything load (except perhaps himself). He was finally gone on October 12 after some not so gentle pressure. Once the house was empty, our representative could get a look inside. As expected, a sloppy big mess! But at least this troublesome tenant was now evicted and the gate locked behind him. A relief.
We then get a call from our manager on October 14; someone has cut the chained gate that leads up to the house, and smashed out the large plate glass windows in the kitchen and the dining room. Serious vandalism. The sheriff is called and a report is taken. We file a report with our insurance, but they rule the damage does not meet our deductible.
We instruct our property manager to go ahead and board up the broken out windows and all the rest of the windows too.
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| Too Late. Boarded up rental property following major vandalism of All windows and many fixtures insied |
Bob and Ann stop by again in the late afternoon, and find that the vandals had returned. This time they kicked in the sliding glass door in the basement, smashed out the all remaining windows from the inside, throw portable heaters installed to protect the plumbing from freezing through the large family room windows, and break fixtures inside the house. We now file a second insurance claim, this one is pretty big.
Another call to the sheriff. Someone waits for 8 1/2 hours for a deputy -- no response from the law. Just "property crimes" do not matter to county law enforcement is the obvious conclusion.
I decide I can not wait for a report of all the facts. I go ahead and book a flight to Washington to take care of the situation while on the ground. But I think, the worst has got to be over at this point. Right?
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| Junk pile left by renters |
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| Back side of rental house. Vandals broke through sliding glass door and smashed remaining windows from the inside |
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