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Tenant Robbed

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bigd43606

Member
What is the name of your state? OH

I own an apartment building, and a few weeks ago a tenant of mine had her apartment building broken into and her TV stolen. She Left her window open, during the recent nice weather. Her son suspected his cousin, and through a friend learned that this cousin tried to sell this TV to him. So my tenant got her TV, back but doesn't want to press charges on her family. My problem is I now have a broken screen that I don't want to pay for. Can I press any charges on this individual. (trespassing, destructionof private property, etc.) This is a eight unit building. I am tired of things like this happening and would like to send a messege. Also if I catch someone in a tenant only area of the building (ie. Storage Room) can they be charged with trespasing. I live in the building and have seen "guests of a tenant" down there, and things have come up broken into.
 


CdwJava

Senior Member
Well, you can pass the information about the vandalism to the window to the police and see if the tenant is going to 'fess up to the knowledge of the damage and who did it. You might also consider advising the tenant to pay for it. I suppose you can argue that since they refuse to pursue charges through the police against the individual for the break-in, then they can also adopt liability for the window.

In the end you will likely have to pay for the damages. But, you might have grounds to get rid of the tenant. Consider consulting an attorney that handles these issues.

- Carl
 

bigd43606

Member
She's a sweet old lady who I don't want to get rid of. She is just too nice to press charges on her nephew. It is just a screen, not that big of a deal.

Another question is if I put a sign on my storage room door that reads something like: "This Area is for tenants only!! Anyone caught trespassing will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and banned from the property" and I catch someone down the can I act on this threat. I live in the building so enforcing it wouldn't be hard.
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
Someone who is a guest is not a trespasser. If they are on the property with no lawful reason and then asked to leave they could be guilty of trerspassing. To know for sure the laws on trespassing and who can enforce it where you are, you might want to ask the local police department or consult an attorney.

- Carl
 

bigd43606

Member
This is a storage room that has a closet for each tenant, it is not a common area. There is really no reaso a guest or anyone else should be in there. We have had several of them broken into, I don't know what to do. They way they were made they are just not that secure. Plus only about a third of my tenants use them, and they are really small. I might just have to take them away, and not let any one use them. Lock it up for my own use only. :(
 

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