How can I evict a section 8 tenant and recover funds for utilities caused by tenant irresponsibility?
I have a section 8 tenant in my DC home. Per our agreement /lease I pay the utilities. There was a plumbing malfunction that lasted over 3 mths.I discovered it when I got my bill and talked to the tenant who then told me that the chain in the tank was caught and the toilet kept flushing for months. As a result my water bill was $2,100 in total. While I have bi-monthly plumbing inspections this malfunction occurred between inspections and the tenant did not notify me to fix it. This happened again and the tenant continues not to notify me.
Q: is there a way I can recover these funds?
FYI...I am in the process of getting a business license and from what I was told I need this to file a complaint in small claims. I am not sure if this is true.
The tenant has not paid her portion of the Jan rent. Her argument is that the house is too cold, however the thermostat is set to 68-72 which is above the legal limit in DC 65/65. Besides for the extremely high utilities, she is causing further damage . On Monday there was water leakage in the basement. After investigating the tenant clogged the 2nd floor tub and toilet. The water seeped into the first floor bathrrom and into the basement. I shut the water off for the house and advised the tenant not to use that bathroom until the plumber came. Less than an hour later the bathroom ceiling on the first floor collapsed onto the tenant while she was using the toilet. She called the ambulance and threatened to sue me so I may potentially need legal representation and advice.
Q: Are lawyers available for homeowners at a reasonable cost? If so should the lawyer be in DC? I work in NY. Any comments on how I should proceed with this?
Q: If a tenant contributed to the damage by failing to inform me of the clogged toilet and she continued flushing the toilet, do I have any recourse if she sues me?
With the high costs of utilities and repairs, nonpayment of rent from tenant, and late payments from DC Housing the house may go into foreclosure. I am considering selling.
Q:What do I need to do and how soon can the tenant be out? Any special rules with Section 8 I need to follow?
Q: I may have a potential buyer so can we go through the closing process without a realtor if the buyer agrees? The buyer may be a realtive of mine. Also will the new buyer have any dealings with the tenant? Ideally the closing can be scheduled to give the tenant the 30 days notice per the lease. Is there a way to get the tenant out before the 30day period?
Q: Any other advise?