Support Payments directed at Rent and Landlord not being paid and threatened

[Quality123456]

New York - Duchess County: This is a strange question, but I am Homeowner [I suppose if you want to call me a landlord], whom simply temporarily rented out my home to a family that is now going though a divorce]. I have never raised the rent in 3.5 years [which is now lower than 50% of the market rent rate for the home [amazing what COVID did], have always responded to any maintenance issue promptly and been nothing but kind to the family which I thought I had developed a friendship with. I have done my best at being "the best" landlord. Unfortunately, the legal tenant, the husband, left the home in March and the Wife and her two children [residents] remained in the home with the verbal agreement she would take over the lease and the home maintenance tasks [such as mowing the lawn and running the water softener]. The Wife assured me that she had plenty of money stashed away from the husband and we in no way should worry about the rent. Then came the non-payments, filled with excuses and more recently she has taken to threats by creating dangerous situations in the home and trying to make it look like I am neglectful. I am now concerned she is creating a dangerous environment for her daughters by intentionally causing damage to the house, then waiting to notify me [as she knows I will proactively react and take action right away]. I now live in fear of what she may do next, especially if I start the eviction process, don't have the funds to hire a lawyer [yes, I should have raised the rent long ago], and she is refusing to leave and pay rent. There is much more to this story, but anyways, there is a court order which stipulates that the support payments she is receiving must go to rent [with my address listed]. I am just wondering how to notify the court of this contempt and misappropriation of funds, since I am neither the plaintiff or defendant, nor a lawyer. Also, she had her child advocate scold me when I sent an e-mail to both her and her soon-to-be ex-husband [the only tenant on the only lease I have] notifying them of the 30 end-of-lease notice; as she has a protective order out against him. Thus, I have been instructed not to contact the ex-husband.

 

[quincy]

Your other thread was reported as a duplicate. Only one thread is necessary on this forum.

 

[adjusterjack]

Quality123456, you have made serious mistakes and now you are paralyzed with fear.

I urge you to hire a lawyer to handle the termination and eviction of your non-paying tenants.

Fail and you are destined so suffer costly problems for many months.

Once you get out from under this, never again rent out your house. You are not cut out for the landlord business.

 

[quincy]

Even if the ex-husband is barred from contact with his wife and barred from the rental, you are not barred from contact with the husband or barred from your rental.

The husband is still obligated under the terms of the lease to make the rent payments. It is not your job as the landlord to see that the temporary support payments received by the wife are applied to the rent.

Both the husband and the wife need to be evicted. I agree with adjusterjack that this eviction is best handled with the help of an attorney. If you are threatened, call the police.