Top Ten Mistakes that Landlords Make in the Eviction Process
4. Landlords fail to ever collect on unpaid rent, late fees, damages to the apartment, unpaid utility bills, etc.
Because they fail to have the tenant served properly at the time they file the eviction complaint and because they don't include a cause of action for unpaid rent, late fees, damages to the apartment, unpaid utility bills, etc.
5. Landlords are not prepared for potential arguments of the tenant at the eviction hearing.
Oftentimes, landlords think the tenant won't even show up to the eviction hearing. They fail to prepare for potential eviction defenses of the tenant and risk losing the eviction and having to start all over.
6. Landlords have a general misconception of the length of the eviction process
Landlords either believe that the eviction process takes several months and fail to take immediate action or they think the eviction process is very short and give the tenant second chances on paying rent.
7. Landlords pay attorneys too much to perform evictions for them
Because they believe they can't file an eviction themselves, they believe the eviction process is complicated and so pay too much for an attorney, or they are desperate to evict the tenant after losing months of rent.
8. Landlords are not ready for delay tactics of the tenant and lose more time and money.
Many tenants are veterans of the eviction process and know how to beat the legal system by stalling for more time. "Just one more week," how many times have you heard this? Be ready for these tactics in court and save yourself time and money.
9. Landlords are not familiar with post-hearing matters and lose more time and more money
Writ of restitution, set-out, motion for default judgment, these are all terms unfamiliar to many landlords. Become familiar with them and how they work and you can make the eviction process work for you.
10. Landlords don't realize that there is an eviction kit which takes them step by step through the entire eviction process
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