Ever notice that everyone online is an expert on everything? If you’re on Facebook then you’re likely a member of some group like One Man’s Junk, or the For Sale/Rent groups in your area. I know I am. I love junk. And since I’m in property management I try to keep up with who’s charging what for rent, etc so I know that we’re charging market rates for things. Oh, and I’ll occasionally see some current tenant of ours looking for a new place to live. No, posting on Facebook that you’re looking for new digs does not qualify as giving our office 30 days written notice, so don’t even ask when you get that charge added to your account and don’t get the security deposit back.
We live in a Time of Entitlement, don’t we? You owe me this, they owe me that, the government owes me big – pay for my healthcare, pay for my cell phone, pay for my rent. I’m entitled.
This whole Covid thing has taken the Entitlement to a whole new level. I have seen so many posts on sites like One Man’s Junk – people saying that their landlords want to EVICT them; because they didn’t pay their rent, or had a pet when they weren’t supposed to or trashed the house. They’re so offended that the landlord wanted them to pay their rent or live by their rules. NOT THE BOSS OF ME!
The truly ludicrous part is the number of barely literate mopes who chime in and give LEGAL advice to these people like… They can’t evict you during COVID! Call the police! Get your dog “registered” as a service dog, it doesn’t cost anything to do it online! They can’t MAKE you leave!
Well, actually, yes, we can. I’m in court once or twice a week, sometimes more and I see people getting evicted left and right. Judges are not listening to people whining about COVID unless they’ve got documentation from doctors and employers and even then… The governor here in NC gave people a pass on June’s rent this year. If they didn’t pay it on time then they have until December 31st to pay it or they can be evicted then. But that has nothing to do with May, July, August, September…. and the folks giving this advice are making things so much worse. Idiocy is more contagious than the ‘Rona!
About ten days ago I was in court and was granted our property back on an eviction for non-payment and for breach of community rules. The day before the execution date (typically ten days after the judgement) the tenant emails something stating that she’s been affected by Covid and will be homeless if she’s forced to leave the property. Now, we happen to know she has family all over this county. Someone, probably on Facebook told her that that was all she needed to do and she could stay in that home without paying rent. Wrong. The eviction was already granted so tomorrow I go to the courthouse and execute the order, which means the sheriff will be showing up in a few days to escort her out.
We had another who hasn’t paid in like three months and she was served with notice that there would be an eviction hearing. Did she show up? No. Know what happens when they don’t show up? I win the case by default. So, then she was notified of her “out date”. Did she attempt to contact us to work out something? No. Then we had to execute on the order and she was notified of when the sheriff would be coming. Did she vacate? Not before standing in the middle of the community and screaming about how it’s illegal to lock someone out of their home during COVID. Wrong. Wrong again. People are getting some really bad advice out there. But everyone is an expert on everything online!
Tracy Petry 
Everyone’s an expert indeed. What irks me most is the finance gurus who don’t seem to have their own finances in order, yet they promise people all the wealth within three months.
Thanks for this post!
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Yes, like the old saying, “Those who can, DO and those who can’t, teach!”
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