Old address - driving with suspended license

[STEPHAN]

Florida.

(Long story, trying to evict tenant Joe that moved a whole family in and did not pay rent in 8 months. We bought the property two months ago.)

Joe has his driver's license suspended and drove anyway. He got caught and has a criminal case and an appointment in January (arraignment).

On his driver's license, he uses an old address from five years ago. It is his parent's home, but he is not welcome there, as he has been drug dealing from there.

Funny conscience: We own that house also, bought it two years ago.

Is there a way to let the court know that this is not his address?

 

[Just Blue]

Florida.

(Long story, trying to evict tenant Joe that moved a whole family in and did not pay rent in 8 months. We bought the property two months ago.)

Joe has his driver's license suspended and drove anyway. He got caught and has a criminal case and an appointment in January (arraignment).

On his driver's license, he uses an old address from five years ago. It is his parent's home, but he is not welcome there, as he has been drug dealing from there.

Funny conscience: We own that house also, bought it two years ago.

Is there a way to let the court know that this is not his address?

You could call the DA on the case.

 

[zddoodah]

Long story, trying to evict tenant Joe that moved a whole family in and did not pay rent in 8 months. We bought the property two months ago.

Trying to understand the timeline. Are you saying that Joe and his family have been living in the home/apartment since at least April 2020 and haven't paid rent since that time, but you bought the property in October 2020 despite the fact that a deadbeat tenant was living there? If that's what you're saying, why would you do that? At the time you bought the property, did you have a plan for getting these folks out?

Is there a way to let the court know that this is not his address?

You can let any court know anything you like, but you ought to think long and hard before interjecting yourself into someone else's legal issues that apparently have nothing to do with you.

 

[Ohiogal]

Trying to understand the timeline. Are you saying that Joe and his family have been living in the home/apartment since at least April 2020 and haven't paid rent since that time, but you bought the property in October 2020 despite the fact that a deadbeat tenant was living there? If that's what you're saying, why would you do that? At the time you bought the property, did you have a plan for getting these folks out?



You can let any court know anything you like, but you ought to think long and hard before interjecting yourself into someone else's legal issues that apparently have nothing to do with you.

STEPHAN is a LL who knows what he is doing. That is NOT the point of his question. And yes, criminal cases affect landlords.

 

[quincy]

Florida.

(Long story, trying to evict tenant Joe that moved a whole family in and did not pay rent in 8 months. We bought the property two months ago.)

Joe has his driver's license suspended and drove anyway. He got caught and has a criminal case and an appointment in January (arraignment).

On his driver's license, he uses an old address from five years ago. It is his parent's home, but he is not welcome there, as he has been drug dealing from there.

Funny conscience: We own that house also, bought it two years ago.

Is there a way to let the court know that this is not his address?

You can contact the prosecutor.

Although I would think that the prosecutor already knows that the address on the suspended drivers license is the parents’ address and may already be aware of his new residence, it wouldn’t hurt to inform the prosecutor anyway.

It is too bad you did not make the house purchase contingent on the seller evicting the family first. That would have saved you some headaches.

 

[STEPHAN]

Thanks for all your help. I very well remember when I signed up here in 2012 and asked for help as a landlord while I had no clue what I was doing. You advised me to quit being a landlord or to study up and make it professional. I am still thankful for that advice!

And I did. I read tons of books. And while I am not brokering property to other people, I also became a fully licensed real estate professional. I have an employee that is a full-time property manager.

We own 70+ units and yes, I know what I am doing. This house has 10 units and all but three are fully under control. There is a lot of money on an escrow account and the seller guarantees the rents until the contracts run out end of February. Funny detail: The seller is a CPA and a lawyer, but he has no clue about property management.

Anyway: Joe has moved his belongings to a new place, but told the court in the eviction process (for lease violation in dealing drugs) that he is still living in our apartment.

I found the other case and my idea was that this way I can force him to give his new address to the court.

All I see on the docket is a citation (criminal violation), failed to yield to pedestrian while DL suspended, and a notice of arraignment hearing.

There is a judicial officer listed. It is a judge, but I can not get hold of anybody in her office.

I don't know the criminal procedure at all.

 

[quincy]

Thanks for all your help. I very well remember when I signed up here in 2012 and asked for help as a landlord while I had no clue what I was doing. You advised me to quit being a landlord or to study up and make it professional. I am still thankful for that advice!

And I did. I read tons of books. And while I am not brokering property to other people, I also became a fully licensed real estate professional. I have an employee that is a full-time property manager.

We own 70+ units and yes, I know what I am doing. This house has 10 units and all but three are fully under control. There is a lot of money on an escrow account and the seller guarantees the rents until the contracts run out end of February. Funny detail: The seller is a CPA and a lawyer, but he has no clue about property management.

Anyway: Joe has moved his belongings to a new place, but told the court in the eviction process (for lease violation in dealing drugs) that he is still living in our apartment.

I found the other case and my idea was that this way I can force him to give his new address to the court.

All I see on the docket is a citation (criminal violation), failed to yield to pedestrian while DL suspended, and a notice of arraignment hearing.

There is a judicial officer listed. It is a judge, but I can not get hold of anybody in her office.

I don't know the criminal procedure at all.

So ... what is it exactly that you are asking for here?

My understanding from your posts is that Joe has one address (his parents’ address) on his drivers license, is using your address in the eviction proceeding, and now has an unknown new address.

If Joe has already moved out, why are you still trying to evict him? Or are you having to evict everyone who moved in with him?

You could contact the police department that arrested him and ask for the name of the prosecutor.

 

[STEPHAN]

To clarify: The apartment was not turned over. He still has some stuff there. The power is turned off. The girlfriend and her kids are gone. He does not sleep there anymore, but neighbors saw him drug dealing. So I still need to evict him.

I am not familiar with the criminal procedure. As far as I can tell, he was not arrested (this time).

I thought I could maybe write a letter to the court. I see no prosecutor on the case. Will there be one for sure? Should I just call the DA's office?

 

[quincy]

To clarify: The apartment was not turned over. He still has some stuff there. The power is turned off. The girlfriend and her kids are gone. He does not sleep there anymore, but neighbors saw him drug dealing. So I still need to evict him.

I am not familiar with the criminal procedure. As far as I can tell, he was not arrested (this time).

I thought I could maybe write a letter to the court. I see no prosecutor on the case. Will there be one for sure? Should I just call the DA's office?

He has an arraignment in January so there is a prosecutor lurking somewhere, I imagine. You can call the prosecutor’s office.

Did you ever report the drug dealing (at both of your rentals) to the police?

For the eviction, your rental is his last known address so you are okay to use that for the eviction.