With the onset of the foreclosure craze has come a barrage of information on the internet regarding how to delay an eviction.  It used to be that very few were savvy enough to drag out an eviction for too long.  If a tenant doesn't do anything and is fairly easy to serve, the Sheriff can come within 3-4 weeks from the date of the filing of the complaint.

 

However, most tenants and/or occupants are filing answers -- which means that the case must be set for trial and it is a good idea to be represented by an attorney for the court appearance -- or they are filing Demurrers (documents which say the complaint or the notice is wrong on its face) or Motions to Quash Service (process server goofed).  In fact, I had a case recently where the tenant filed a motion to remove the case from state court to federal district court, and we had to hire an attorney with federal court experience and licensing to file objections and get it remanded back down to state court. 

 

Evictions are becoming increasingly more difficult to do because of all the techniques floating around on the internet.  A property owner cannot count on the 4-6 week rule for possession any more.  The length of time all depends on the knowledge of legal procedures by the tenant and many of them have gotten quite brazen with the lengths that they will go through to manipulate the legal system.

Has your home been sold in a Trustee's Sale and you've just been served with a 3-day Notice to Quit?  Is there a real estate agent hounding you to sign a Move-Out Agreement?  Do they look shady and aren't showing you any documentation or proof of ownership?  Keep your doors shut and give us a call.  If someone truly has purchased your property on the courthouse steps, their next step will be to file an Unlawful Detainer action (eviction) and then serve you with a Summons and Complaint. 

 

If your house was auctioned in a Trustee's Sale while you were actively engaged in loan modification discussions with your lender, then you need to contact the folks at www.sueyourlenders.com. 

 

If you have been served with a Notice to Quit, you need to contact us right away before you miss your opportunity to exert all the legal remedies available to you.

 

Don't hide your head in the sand!  Unlawful Detainer (Eviction) actions have precedence in the court system and move very quickly.  A Plaintiff that knows what they're doing can get you out within 4-6 weeks from the filing of the complaint.  Contact us today and let us help you!

So you are wondering:  If the Defendant in an eviction (Unlawful Detainer) action doesn't file an answer and I simply take their default and go to the Sheriff, how do I collect on my unpaid rent and legal fees?

 

Answer:  You can still file papers showing testimonial evidence through writings requesting the judge to grant you a money judgment.  You have to file a Request, a Declaration and a Money Judgment setting forth all that is owed to you, and then once the money judgment is granted, you will want to record an Abstract of Judgment with the County Recorder's Office which puts a personal lien upon them until you can collect.

 

How can you collect?  You can record the Abstract (which is good for 10 years and can be renewed for another 10) and then wait until they try to buy property or a car and then run to you to pay off their debt, or you can file a Wage Garnishment and attach their wages (if you know where they work), or if they have their own business, you can do some sort of a bank levy or till tap. 

 

If you need help with any of these procedures, feel free to contact us.  We are experts at obtaining money judgments and collection.

Here you will find an Eviction Procedures Diagram.  It shows the steps of an eviction in simple, laymen's terms.  I hope that this is helpful for you to understand the procedure of an eviction.

 

Happy New Year!

 

 

The first step in an eviction is to give the tenant notice of their violation of the lease, whether it be for nonpayment of rent or violation of a covenant of the lease (e.g., trash all over, illegal activity or too many occupants).  It is important to have a proper form of notice provided by a knowledgeable source with up-to-date information.

 

After the proper notice has been served on the tenant, and the notice term has expired (their time is up), then you need to file a complaint with the correct court.  One the Complaint is filed and the Summons issued by the Court Clerk, then it needs to be served by a registered process server.  You can have your best friend or his buddy serve it if they are over 18 years old and not a party to the action, but would it really be worth it if they didn't properly serve the tenant and then the tenant filed a Motion to Quash the Service of the Summons?  Also, a registered process server will be willing to appear in court for you if he/she is needed.  Would your friend or his buddy do that?

 

When it's time for a response to be due (either 5 or 15 days after service either personally on the tenant(s) or by substituted service), then you call the court to see what the tenant has done.  If they have filed an answer, then you set the case for trial and get ready to go to court.  If they haven't done anything, then you prepare your default papers and file them with the court.  At that time, the court enters the default, gives you a judgment for possession only and issues your Writ of Execution.  

 

The next trip is to the Sheriff.  The Sheriff will need Sheriff Instructions, money and the issued Writ of Execution.  The Sheriff then will post a Notice to Vacate on the door of the tenant within two business days of receipt of your papers, and that Notice to Vacate will give the tenant approximately six days to get out.  If the tenant doesn't get out by the vacate date, then the Landlord will call the Sheriff for his scheduled lockout date, which will only be given to the Landlord or the Landlord's attorney or legal aid, regarding the time the Sheriff is scheduled to be at the property for the lockout.  You will need to appear at the property to meet the Sheriff at the door for the lockout.  At that time, you'll let the Sheriff in, he'll escort the tenants out if necessary, and you'll change the locks right then and there.  The Sheriff will then give you a Writ of Possession to prove that FINALLY YOU ARE THE OWNER AND IN POSSESSION OF YOUR PROPERTY AGAIN!

 

As you can see, it is a long and arduous task to get possession back once you have given it away.  Also, if at any time you slip up and don't dot your i's or cross your t's, the court will slap you hard and possibly make you start over.

 

Like I said, I'm here to make all this simple because I know how.  What shall we discuss on our next blog>  How about tenant's rights after foreclosure?  Stay tuned . . .

This is my first posting to my All About Eviction Blog.  I am going to try to discuss and give information on topics that I feel are being repeatedly asked by my clients.  Some of those topics will include:  "If my landlord files an Unlawful Detainer Complaint against me, how long do I have before the Sheriff arrives?" or "If I am in foreclosure, but there is a tenant renting from me with a long-term lease, what are the tenant's rights?" or "Can I evict my tenant, even though they are paying the rent, if they have more people in the unit than were originally stated in our lease?"

 

Also, if anybody wants to bring up a separate topic for discussion, then we can go ahead and discuss that topic.

 

I want this space to be for information, clarification and reference.

 

Ask away!

 

I will be posting on a regular basis and will try to post a topic every 3-4 days.  My first topic will be "The Procedural Steps in an Eviction".  Stay tuned.