Florida law favors tenants

I wrote in What You Must Know BEFORE Becoming a Greedy Landlord,

“There was a time when landlords would remove the front and back doors or turn off the water to get deadbeats out. But we live in a kinder, gentler society now, which means you have to follow the letter of the law.”

Abiding by the law often results in a time lag between filing for an eviction and getting one. And such delays in the justice system can cost you.

I had a tenant who was behind in his rent. He said he wanted out of his lease because he didn’t like his neighbors and the HOA’s rules. I agreed as long as he would pay what he owed me.

He didn’t keep his end of the bargain, so I filed an eviction note.

When I arrived with the sheriff’s deputy to execute the eviction, the tenant was gone. 

And I was left with …

Holes in walls, broken bi-fold doors, filthy oven, disgusting refrigerator. 

I got a $6,000+ judgment against the slimeball, but that’s not worth the paper it’s written on here in Florida.

The lesson to be learned is that you can’t afford to be a nice guy. And you must move as quickly as possible once a tenant falls behind in the rent.