Do I have to give tenant access to basement in case of a tornado?

[quincy]

Yes, that's what I was responding to. He just strikes me as being very misanthropic and that outlook doesn't really work for me for a landlord. JMO.

It doesn’t work for me for not only a landlord but for a human being.

 

[NoKids4Me]

I wonder if OP realizes that getting the tenants out is no guarantee that they still won't try to make use of the basement in case of a tornado? If they find another home nearby - which seems likely given the school issue mentioned - then they may just try it anyhow, under the right circumstances.

 

[Tornado86]

I wonder if OP realizes that getting the tenants out is no guarantee that they still won't try to make use of the basement in case of a tornado? If they find another home nearby - which seems likely given the school issue mentioned - then they may just try it anyhow, under the right circumstances.

Man you guys are really putting the fear in me. Now I almost feel like I need to show them a picture of the door to the basement so they can see how impossible it would be to get in there with limited time. We had also been considering getting the property fully enclosed with a tall fence. So maybe that would help as a general deterrent.

 

[quincy]

I wonder if OP realizes that getting the tenants out is no guarantee that they still won't try to make use of the basement in case of a tornado? If they find another home nearby - which seems likely given the school issue mentioned - then they may just try it anyhow, under the right circumstances.

Yes, the tenants could.

In fact, everyone in the entire neighborhood could decide to make use of Tornado86’s basement.

Even if there IS no tornado.

 

[stealth2]

Man you guys are really putting the fear in me. Now I almost feel like I need to show them a picture of the door to the basement so they can see how impossible it would be to get in there with limited time. We had also been considering getting the property fully enclosed with a tall fence. So maybe that would help as a general deterrent.

I think it’s an unrealistic fear.

 

[quincy]

I think it’s an unrealistic fear.

***note to self: cancel neighborhood pizza party scheduled for 4pm Saturday in Tornado86’s basement***

 

[stealth2]

***note to self: cancel neighborhood pizza party scheduled for 4pm Saturday in Tornado86’s basement***

I almost spewed wine through my nose!!!

 

[quincy]

I almost spewed wine through my nose!!!

 

[LdiJ]

Man you guys are really putting the fear in me. Now I almost feel like I need to show them a picture of the door to the basement so they can see how impossible it would be to get in there with limited time. We had also been considering getting the property fully enclosed with a tall fence. So maybe that would help as a general deterrent.

As someone already said, your fear is unrealistic. I almost feel like we owe you an apology. This is a legal forum that is supposed to be limited to legal advice, but somehow your thread has veered way off that topic because some people got their "dander up" at the way that you presented yourself. I am pretty certain that the people who gave you a hard time would never give unsupervised access to their homes to virtual strangers just in case a natural disaster ever hit.

I can also pretty much guarantee that had you come here with a story about how you gave your tenants unsupervised access to your home "just in case" some natural disaster happened, and they robbed you blind, that those same people would have been telling you how foolish you were to give those people unsupervised access.

Heck, your homeowner's insurance might not even cover you in such a circumstance. You don't need to get them out, or build a fence, or do anything else other than make sure you have a good lock on the door. You just need to tell them that you are sorry, but you cannot give them access to your home when you are not home. If you like, you can allow them to break the lease and move out if they cannot accept that response.

 

[quincy]

… I almost feel like we owe you an apology. This is a legal forum that is supposed to be limited to legal advice …

And your chastisement of forum members is legal “advice” in what way?

The legality, as a note, was addressed in the first response and reiterated several times after that. Opinions are always offered as a bonus.

 

[LdiJ]

And your chastisement of forum members is legal “advice” in what way?

The legality, as a note, was addressed in the first response and reiterated several times after that. Opinions are always offered as a bonus.

I was speaking to the OP, not the other members. If you took that as a chastisement that is your issue.

 

[quincy]

I was speaking to the OP, not the other members. If you took that as a chastisement that is your issue.

You were speaking for the other members, however (“I almost feel like we owe you an apology”). And that is what I take exception to. You can apologize for yourself and what you post all you want.

 

[cbg]

There is no question that legally, the OP is entitled to keep anyone out of his home and that under normal circumstances, he is entitled to his privacy. However, anyone who has seen the movie Twister knows that tornados operate on their own timetable, unlike their coastal sisters hurricanes which generally provide several days notice, and do not always give people time to get to shelter. While I acknowledge their legal right to do so, I would hope that any decent human being would concede that when lives are at stake, their privacy is less important that people's lives. Tornados are exceptional situations and I would be ashamed of any human who would not grant shelter to someone whose other choice was dying, whether they were present or not. And I'm including you in that, L. I don't live in tornado country and hurricanes don't come this far north often, but we do get them, and blizzards, and anyone who needs shelter from the storm is welcome to my basement whether I'm there or not. I can afford to replace a window and there's nothing in my basement that I'm ashamed to have people see.

 

[Bali Hai Again]

Breaking into someone’s home could get you legally shot in some tornado states or in any weather condition. Just another factor to consider before doing that.

 

[quincy]

Breaking into someone’s home could get you legally shot in some tornado states or in any weather condition. Just another factor to consider before doing that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I have already cancelled the pizza party. Geesh.