Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
Okay, so I'm in a pretty awful predicament and I'm not sure what exactly to do.
Maybe someone will have some good advice for me which would be GREATLY appreciated.
I'm getting evicted. My boyfriend lost his job, and we got behind in rent where we owe 2707.00.
Our credit scores aren't that great, him at a 620 and mine at 600.
We did manage to get 2400.00.
Here's my question:
Should I take this money and move out of state like I'd love to do, and elect to get evicted?
Or should I take this money, give it to this stupid fucking complex, and continue to be behind on rent.
Also, would an apartment complex accept a 620 credit score? I'm not exactly sure how that works.
The only income coming in is camming income,
but for the past three months I've shown a consistency of making 2000.00 +
Any advice would be AWESOME, thanks girls!
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
You almost have enough to catch up if I read correctly. If it were me I'd talk to them, pay what you can and get caught up as soon as you can.
If you get evicted you may not be able to find a place anywhere. Where you are is better than homeless!!
Then you can begin saving a nice emergency fund for a move and start applying for a new apartment before you make your move.
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
If you can make a deal, make a deal. They may be willing to take that partial payment. If not, I'd hold onto the money as a down payment on your next place. I'd look for an apartment with a private owner not a corporation. They tend to be more forgiving of a funky credit score. Try to line up places to apply at NOW before any judgment is entered. Some corporations will put an eviction on your credit report to screw you with other landlords.
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
check out nolo.com clickon free legal info, renter's rights
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
People who are having troubles often tend to run instead of communicating the problems they're having. If you can get in touch with a human being from the complex, explain the situation, and give them the money you've saved up, then you'll probably be surprised by how nicely they handle the situation. Landlords/complexes are used to people running away, shorting them cash, trashing their apartments, and generally being terribly irresponsible.
They kind of assume the worst about people because they have to in order to keep their business profitable. So if you become a human in their eyes (by contacting them directly via voice or in person) instead of an "amount owed" line on a list of renters, they'll tend to be more reasonable. Call and see if you can set up a time to stop by and talk to them (don't just drop by, hoping someone is free).
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
Give what you have, explain the situation, and ask for an extension.
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
most apartments will take any credit score except for one that has an eviction on it. pay the rent.
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
Yea, no evictions, you will never find someone to rent to you again if youve been evicted, as already stated.
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
there are several factors to consider ...
- electing to accept an eviction will create a bad reference. This is a potential 'kiss of death' for finding another apartment in the same area. However, if you're contemplating moving out of state, this may not be as much the case. Also, because you are not married, the problems leading to eviction can be effectively ( but incorrectly ) blamed on a non-performing 'roommate' or any number of other excuses ( if indeed an eviction order actually exists at the time you sign a lease on a new apartment ).
- your present 600 credit score is going to continue declining ... or at least not improve ... for as long as late rent payments keep appearing on your credit report. Not all landlords report to credit bureaus, but from your use of the descriptor 'complex' I assume that your particular landlord will.
- in some situations it is possible to arrive at a 'settlement' with a landlord. However, if your 'complex' is administered by a corporation, the odds of arriving at a 'settlement' which also allows you to continue occupying the same apartment and white-washes your credit report are slim and none.
- also, if your current landlord is a corporation, even if you 'bolt', it's entirely possible that the corporation ( or a collection agency ) will continue to pursue you for the 'deficiency' of unpaid rent. Again, the odds of this happening in the same local area are high, while the odds of this happening if you relocate to another state are much lower ( due to more distant jurisdiction creating higher legal costs and more difficulty for your present landlord )
So you really have three real world options ...
A. give your cash on hand to your landlord ... do whatever you have to do to get and remain 'current' on your rent payments before the term of your existing lease runs out, and hope that your landlord will be willing to renew your lease or give you a good reference.
B. try to come to terms with your existing landlord ... pay them the cash you have on hand ... accept the late payment reports and subsequent effect on your credit rating ... try to catch up on late rent payments ... and accept the risk that your existing landlord will not renew your lease and will give you a bad reference when the existing lease term expires ( leaving you with no cash, a bad reference, and a worse credit score when you are forced to search for a new place to live a few months down the road ).
C. Move out of state in the dark of night ... don't say a word to your existing landlord ... use the cash on hand to find a new apartment BEFORE your existing landlord can officially evict you ... and let the chips fall where they may.
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
As a landlord, I strongly suggest you give the cash on hand AND a plan to catch up and stay caught.
they deserve what you agreed in your lease to pay.
land lording is a small profit business
and, if you bolt they will sic a collections agency on you. I do, and iI'm just a small fry
Mel's point about leaving in the dark works ONCE. And then when you try to move on from that new place....the eviction judgement waits for you
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Melonie
there are several factors to consider ...
- electing to accept an eviction will create a bad reference. This is a potential 'kiss of death' for finding another apartment in the same area. However, if you're contemplating moving out of state, this may not be as much the case. Also, because you are not married, the problems leading to eviction can be effectively ( but incorrectly ) blamed on a non-performing 'roommate' or any number of other excuses ( if indeed an eviction order actually exists at the time you sign a lease on a new apartment ).
- your present 600 credit score is going to continue declining ... or at least not improve ... for as long as late rent payments keep appearing on your credit report. Not all landlords report to credit bureaus, but from your use of the descriptor 'complex' I assume that your particular landlord will.
- in some situations it is possible to arrive at a 'settlement' with a landlord. However, if your 'complex' is administered by a corporation, the odds of arriving at a 'settlement' which also allows you to continue occupying the same apartment and white-washes your credit report are slim and none.
- also, if your current landlord is a corporation, even if you 'bolt', it's entirely possible that the corporation ( or a collection agency ) will continue to pursue you for the 'deficiency' of unpaid rent. Again, the odds of this happening in the same local area are high, while the odds of this happening if you relocate to another state are much lower ( due to more distant jurisdiction creating higher legal costs and more difficulty for your present landlord )
So you really have three real world options ...
A. give your cash on hand to your landlord ... do whatever you have to do to get and remain 'current' on your rent payments before the term of your existing lease runs out, and hope that your landlord will be willing to renew your lease or give you a good reference.
B. try to come to terms with your existing landlord ... pay them the cash you have on hand ... accept the late payment reports and subsequent effect on your credit rating ... try to catch up on late rent payments ... and accept the risk that your existing landlord will not renew your lease and will give you a bad reference when the existing lease term expires ( leaving you with no cash, a bad reference, and a worse credit score when you are forced to search for a new place to live a few months down the road ).
C. Move out of state in the dark of night ... don't say a word to your existing landlord ... use the cash on hand to find a new apartment BEFORE your existing landlord can officially evict you ... and let the chips fall where they may.
I just went through breaking my lease at the beginning of this year (due to noise) and it went in my favor. A lot of that information ^^^ is inaccurate.
Lol late rent payments won't report to your credit bureau. The ONLY way this would ever make it to your credit bureau reports is if they sued you in court for any unpaid rent + damages. They would probably sue you if you still have a lot of months left on the lease.
Your credit score will remain the same unless you are sued by them and an unpaid judgment goes on your credit report. Or unless you stop paying other bills of course. Even if they did sue you and it ruled in their favor, it wouldn't even be on your credit report by the time you found your next apartment unless you planned to be homeless for months.
It doesn't matter if they are a bad reference. You can just use another address (like your friend's) and use your friend as the landlord and say you rented a room.
It takes months to evict someone. You could actually probably be squatting there for a good month or 2 longer honestly. If you're going to get evicted, I would just do that. But first, depending on how much you owe and how long your lease is, I would try to work something out with your landlord just to avoid the hassle.
I found a landlord that didn't even do a credit check (only a background check), so they do exist. They are just harder to find. And I'm assuming you're self-employed, so they would just ask for 2x the monthly rent as deposit. Not a big deal.
If you up and leave without giving a forwarding address for them to subpoena you to court (for non-payment of rent), they can still sue you by putting a notice in the newspaper and that acts as a summons. And it would still automatically rule in their favor if you didn't show up to court, and then be listed as a judgment on your credit report. If you paid if off even after seeing it on your credit report, it would still sit there for an additional 7 years after you paid it off.
If you have a documented reason to break your lease (basically any small thing you can find wrong with the apt), you will probably still win in court, but you withheld rent before finding anything and sending a certified letter about it, so that won't apply to you.
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
Quote:
Lol late rent payments won't report to your credit bureau.
That will come as news to lots of REIT and REO 'landlords' who routinely make reports to credit bureaus. However, no argument that the vast majority of mom & pop landlords, as well as properties owned by local investor groups etc. do not bother making such reports. And indeed many do not officially verify employment or income levels either. As you point out, the 'trick' is to search them out.
Quote:
Mel's point about leaving in the dark works ONCE. And then when you try to move on from that new place....the eviction judgement waits for you
Yup true enough.
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
something like this similar happened to me years ago where I was in a very bad situation & had to leave . I did take whatever money I had & some of my things of importence & I left. I didn't leave them with any sort of forwarding address bc I knew I wouldn't have the $$ to give them right away so yea it is still on my credit but I can still rent 7 years later & changed my phone number so no collections people could ever reach me. It's my experience that I myself owed back rent that the mngr told me that to avoid an eviction would be to just be moved out before the date the rent was owed & I wouldn't have an eviction but then again that's CA law, I don't know about yours but I'd say take the $$$ and leave. People are gonna say I'm crazy , stupid, blah blah whatever but honestly in the end YOU'RE gonna be the one being screwed over regardless by still owing money to them if you left or not. I'm glad I left when I did, no regrets here. Yea my credit is shitty but it'll all fall off in another year or so. I'm not one for major assets, My car is payed off, I don't have credit cards & I don't want to own a home. I've had no problems renting or living my life since. To each their own in this situation ~
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
make sure you get it in writing that you're giving them a large partial payment and they agree to give you x amount of time before restarting/continuing the eviction.
It would suck to hand over that money and get evicted for $300 :(
Re: Evictions and Credit Scores and Moving, OH MY!
I am a small (30 unit) landlord and I make negative reports to credit each time a rent is late, AND on evictions. I pay $30 a year to a service to do this.