Problem Tenants in Massachusetts? We’ve Dealt With Them

We work with Personal Representatives who have inherited a property with difficult tenants. Here’s a glimpse into how we’ve navigated this type of situation in the past…

The Duplex in New Bedford

We worked with a homeowner to purchase the above duplex on Union Street in New Bedford a few years ago. The homeowner was extremely motivated to sell because of the situations they were dealing with involving problem tenants in BOTH units.

The 1st floor tenant had 2 evictions and a foreclosure on his record and hadn’t been making rent payments for this property in the last 2 years. The 2nd floor tenant was ALSO not paying rent.

All of this missing rent meant that the owner could not make the mortgage payments. The property was entering into the beginning stages of foreclosure with the owner at risk of getting nothing in return for the property.

The property was also falling into disrepair. Both tenants had pets that, sadly, were not getting the care they needed which led to interior damage of the property. The owner did not live near the property, did not have the rental income to deal with the damage to the property, and was also trying to deal with the loss of a family member.

How We Navigated These Problems

Because we had dealt with issues like this previously, we felt confident to move forward with the purchase and agreed on a fair price with the owner.

Suzanne worked directly with the 1st floor tenant over a span of about 9 months to help him get access to a new living situation that worked for him. This was no easy task as this gentleman did not have family he could live with and had not made rent payments in 2 years.

He eventually located a viable living situation elsewhere in Massachusetts with a friend. We ended up giving him cash for keys and he packed up everything, signed the cash-for-keys agreement, and moved out of the property. He was really happy to get out.

The 2nd floor tenant was not as easy. Despite our best efforts to collaborate with the them in the same way we did with the other tenant, we ended up having to serve a formal notice of eviction. There was a legal battle and eventually the tenant moved out.

Once the tenants had both vacated the property, the next challenge was restoring a property that had been badly damaged. We worked with a local realtor who helped us locate the specialists we needed to remediate the damage done by the tenants and then we updated the property and listed it on the market.

Are You Having Tenant Issues?

Our local company is experienced in these kinds of situations. With the Union Street property, we were able to get the owner out of foreclosure and put cash in their pocket. Where other buyers were afraid to purchase this property with the tenant issues I described, we DID NOT shy away. We were able to navigate a difficult tenant situation with nuance and efficiency, even helping one of the tenants find a new viable living situation.

If you are finding yourself in a similar situation with problem tenants in Massachusetts and/or a damaged property, please call us at 978-206-1300 to see how we can help and to get a fair cash offer.

We’re here to help you!