State Specific Question About: OHIO (OH)

Hello all again,

I asked suggestions how to handle bad tenants who wanted out of lease,who were violating multiple clauses of the lease, and had vicious dog.

I took Brad's advice on that post and did the happy clause, they signed. Thanked me for working with them. I thought good at the time. They'll go away peacefully, less drama, no eviction court....

and I began the wait to see if they left at the end of the month.

BUT...

This evening, I get a bunch of calls, they called the police after they blew a breaker, and claimed that I turned their electricity off and am harassing them!

I was on the highway traveling, so I never received the call from the police dept, guess I was in a dead zone..

By the time I finally got the property, the police had already left. I called the police and explained the real situation.

Tenant never asked me to check breaker, complained to me, or any contact about their power out, until...

after they'd made their police report.

Instead, I received a lovely set of texts informing me they paid their bill, so they were forced to call the police on me, and didn't appreciate me turning their power off and told me that I had better stop harassing them, further, they claimed that they KNOW I did these things before as they've spoken to my previous tenants, that no longer live on the premises.

When I arrived at the property to check the breaker, its dark outside, and I can see from the street in the back of their apartment , where one light is actually on in the bedroom,but the rest of the apartment is dark.

I text them that they probably blew a breaker, as one light is still on, and I'm on my way down to the basement to check the breaker box. (they are on the 4th floor)

While on the way down to the basement utility room, they claim via text, that I turned the heat off in their apartment as well.

Of course as suspected, they blew a breaker, which I flipped back. Took a date stamped picture of their one light on, from the property line next door.

Texted back solved their breaker problem and suggested being careful not to overload the outlets, so it doesn't happen again. and informed them the old apartment buildings are on one main furnace, and all of the building would be cold if their heat was out. However, the rest of the building is warm.

Thermostat said it was 72 degree,furnace is running strong, and shared that with them.

for my benefit, I took a date stamp picture of the thermostat, and a short video listening to the large furnace crank out the heat.

more texts accusing me of harassing them, and warning me not to do further or turn off their power again. I didn't engage or respond to such nonsense.

Any suggestions how to deal with these people?

I suspect its going to be a very long month, till the 31st!

just for curiosity, looked up their mom, online, been in eviction court multiple times...she's their adviser....

Wow. This is going to be an interesting story. Sounds like they are harassing you. They are generating a paper trail for reasons of their own. I would get a copy of the police report and start keeping all the documents as well.

BRAD yes we love ya man.

The happy clause is YADA YADA YADA delay delay delay. We don't use happy clauses. We use a rental contract that we and they abide by.

When we considered the Happy Tenant clause (unhappy LL) we used a car lease as out model. Persons who lease cars-- if they'er not happy can they just pull it up to the gate and drop it off? Heck no. If they do it's reported to the credit agencies and they are billed for damages including $ damages. So why can tenants do it with their rentals/contracts? We are in the business of renting out units and most times people don't like giving money for their roof over their heads.

NOT Happy? Who is? suck it up and when the contracts up leave. If you skip or break the lease we have a pit bull for collections. Not Happy? call yo momma I'm your LL.

Sorry BRAD......

MYOB - I like your style.

Sometimes we do your style, contract is contract, everyone who signed it should abide by it until the term is over.

But other times, the tenant creates such a pain in the neck to deal with, that you REALLY want them out, the sooner the better. In this kind of cases instead of saying "you are PITA and I don't want you living in my rental", we say "We see you are not happy and therefore we can offer you to leave". In today's politically correct world, it sounds like you give a crap about their happiness, while all you trying to achieve is your own peace.

Yes happy clause was for my benefit. Not theres. They were making everyone miserable to violate the lease, and actually asked to be evicted, because they didn't wsnt to live there. Their theory was if they break lease and leave on their own accord they owe the rest, but if they got eviction for bad behavior that because I was breaking the lease they owed nothing.

..so, they were making me and the good tenant miserable intentially. Good tenant wanted to end lease if these tenants remained long because of scared of vicious fog, stealing in laundry room. Leaving building ynlocled security foors wide open, the noises disturbing her sleep and enjoyment.

.... so I was trying to get them out peacefully, as they even stated they were going to keep violating the rules. I also was try to avoid destructive behaviors on the way out.

They acted very happy with the happy clause..... who knows what is going on in their foolish heads.

Yes, I have copied all text conversation, both screen shots of phone texts and upload to Google sms.account. I recorded and keep all such conversation.

And our judge does consider texts. Though not for official notices from us landlords.

I'll be getting copy of the police report. I had the opportunity to speak with the original officer on the phone to tell him they never bothered to ask me to check if they blew a breaker before calling him and that I was going inside to flip it back on, but wasn't around when it popped off.

I even have an app that auto type or voice messages. Took screen shot of my phone too, no calls from them in my history before the contacted the police.

I'm guessing they're going to try to claim self help eviction. ...

Though since I'm allowing them to break the lease, that doesn't make sense. ...

As to offering them to leave earlier. I'd gladly, but they have already told me that they need the month of January to find a new place to live.

But if I find them in a non swearing combatant mood, I might try offer part of rent back if they leave earlier. First let's wait to see if the rent check clears...

Yes happy clause was for my benefit. Not theres. They were making everyone miserable to violate the lease, and actually asked to be evicted, because they didn't wsnt to live there. Their theory was if they break lease and leave on their own accord they owe the rest, but if they got eviction for bad behavior that because I was breaking the lease they owed nothing.

..so, they were making me and the good tenant miserable intentially. Good tenant wanted to end lease if these tenants remained long because of scared of vicious fog, stealing in laundry room. Leaving building ynlocled security foors wide open, the noises disturbing her sleep and enjoyment.

.... so I was trying to get them out peacefully, as they even stated they were going to keep violating the rules. I also was try to avoid destructive behaviors on the way out.

They acted very happy with the happy clause..... who knows what is going on in their foolish heads.

Yes, I have copied all text conversation, both screen shots of phone texts and upload to Google sms.account. I recorded and keep all such conversation.

And our judge does consider texts. Though not for official notices from us landlords.

I'll be getting copy of the police report. I had the opportunity to speak with the original officer on the phone to tell him they never bothered to ask me to check if they blew a breaker before calling him and that I was going inside to flip it back on, but wasn't around when it popped off.

I even have an app that auto type or voice messages. Took screen shot of my phone too, no calls from them in my history before the contacted the police.

I'm guessing they're going to try to claim self help eviction. ...

Though since I'm allowing them to break the lease, that doesn't make sense. ...

As to offering them to leave earlier. I'd gladly, but they have already told me that they need the month of January to find a new place to live.

But if I find them in a non swearing combatant mood, I might try offer part of rent back if they leave earlier. First let's wait to see if the rent check clears...

Sorry to hear that the tenants are bigger morons than suspected and don't understand about breakers. Sounds like they are also a bit psycho.

I suggest you don't go there alone if they call about anything else.