There you are, working away, minding your own business, just trying to make your way in life. Then the boys in blue show up and take you away to jail! How inconvenient.
Here’s a couple of tips to help keep that from happening:

1. It’s not about you. We just said that you were behaving yourself and working hard. You’re a model citizen.
2. It’s about them. What about that party you’re planning? Have you thought about the guest list beyond just compatibility? Are you still going to invite Old Uncle Gus the gangster thug? Is that a good idea?
3. You’re responsible for the conduct of your guests. Any trouble they cause, stuff they bust or laws they break could blow back on you. Remember what your mother told you about the company you keep? Turns out she was right.
4. What about your own? How many times have we seen it that Smiling Innocent Junior is secretly dealing drugs out of his or her parents’ apartment? Try explaining to the blue boys that you knew nothing about that. They’re going to think you were the brains behind the operation!
5. That’s what insurance is for. Hey, you got all your stuff at a garage sale anyway, so why bother with renter’s insurance? But what if your stove fire burns down the whole building and somebody gets hurt? Once again, you’re wearing the orange and looking through those bars. Better get renter’s insurance, it can be as little as $8-$10 per month.

Let’s review. Bad things happen to good people. You can’t pay your rent. But instead of doing the “man up” on this thing and talking to your landlord, or instead of moving out in the middle of the night, you’ve always had a thing for men in uniform so you’re trying to arrange a date with the local sheriff.

Or in other words, against all advice, perhaps owing to needless embarrassment, you’ve completely ignored this one. Which seems to be working out. For a while. Because the eviction process is slow.

The process starts with a 5-Day notice. This notice actually requires you to either pay your rent or move out in five days. If you don’t, you’re subject automatically to double the rent should this one wind up in court. Wouldn’t calling the landlord be better? Continue reading →

In the event of trouble, talk to your landlord.

It was the last thing you were expecting. You go to work like any other day, but then you get laid off. Or you come home and find out your roommate moved out in the middle of the night. Or there’s a car accident and now you’ve got medical bills and car repair bills and time off of work…Ouch!

So you can’t pay your rent anymore. What should you do now? Continue reading →