I can no longer afford to rent my apartment.

[kklblue]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Minnesota

I have recently taken a reduction in income which is causing to not be able to afford the place I live. My rent is 1300 a month and my lease expires in October. There is no way I will make it until then. Getting a roommate or a second part time job is out of the question. I have sold, pawned everything just to make it.

Can anyone explain what my options may be.

I am thinking I probably am going to have to move to someplace that is about half the price.

Any advice is sincerely appreciated.

Thanks

Kris

 

[cbg]

Getting a roommate or a second part time job is out of the question.

Why?

 

[Proserpina]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Minnesota

I have recently taken a reduction in income which is causing to not be able to afford the place I live. My rent is 1300 a month and my lease expires in October. There is no way I will make it until then. Getting a roommate or a second part time job is out of the question. I have sold, pawned everything just to make it.

Can anyone explain what my options may be.

I am thinking I probably am going to have to move to someplace that is about half the price.

Any advice is sincerely appreciated.

Thanks

Kris

This really isn't a legal question, but one of budgeting/accounting.

If you don't pay the rent you'll likely get evicted and sued for the remainder of the unpaid lease. If you're in a one-room efficiency, I can understand how getting a room-mate just likely isn't feasible. Do you have any friends or relatives who can help you out short term? Maybe a loan?

Why not a second job?

 

[betachains]

If you absolutely cannot come up with rent, you will be evicted and sued. Since it sounds like you have no money at all, the landlord will find it hard to collect. BUT, with that on your record, it will be tough for you to rent in other places for many years and will be charged more.

Can you talk to your current landlord about your troubles, and work out a lump-sum settlement to get out of the lease?

 

[FarmerJ]

Have you talked to your LL about this ? Summer months are the prime moving months in our state and it will be alot easier for your LL to find a new customer.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

Discuss with your landlord if you can be let out of your lease if you find a suitable applicant to take your place.

Gail

 

[nextwife]

Why is a roommate out of the question? Or what about a second job until the lease runs out? I used to work two jobs, when I needed extra money- I am now a LL myself, but there were points in my life I had to take on extra jobs to cover my expenses, or to build up sufficient emergancy savings. It's really YOUR responsibility to find a way to cover what you agreed to pay, not the LL's.

 

[kklblue]

A roommate is out of the question because I live in a 3 bedroom and have myself and 3 kids already living here. As far as the job, I have already taken on a second job. Its not about budgeting money, its about not, not having enough income any longer to pay the rent. If I don't pay, I understand he will evict me.

And for those who ask: my ex-husband owes me $91K in back child support. My next court hearing is June 11 to see if they will hold him in contempt. But that is an entirely different forumn.

I guess my question is, what is the eviction process. I can try and talk to my landlord but the end result is, he wants his rent.

How does the eviction process work. Is it pretty quick?

 

[las365]

Why do you assume you have to be evicted? Are you planning to stop paying rent and still stay there until a Court orders you to leave? How long has it been since you paid rent?

Talk to your landlord. An individual has a lot more flexibility than an apartment manager. You won't know what he is willing to work out with you (if anything) until you ask.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

I agree with the suggestions to discuss this with your landlord. Sometimes tenants can "break" a lease by paying a penalty (often a month or two of rent). In other cases, a landlord is willing to let a tenant out of a lease if they find a suitable replacement.

What initiates an eviction is if the tenant does, well nothing; including not moving out of the rental unit but not paying rent. That leaves the landlord no option but to begin the process of eviction. This typically involves presenting the tenant with a written notice to "cure" (i.e., repair) the issue (i.e., pay the rent in this case) within a certain number of days; if not done, the landlord then files for the eviction through the local court system.

Once filed, the tenant is notified that such a request has been filed and they have a certain number of days to respond to the court. If they respond a hearing is set up where both sides can argue why the eviction should or should not be granted. If they do not respond within the required time (or a hearing is set up but the tenant does not show up) the eviction is granted. The next step is to turn this over to the local law enforcement who oversees the actual eviction. In this process (if the tenants still remain in the unit) the landlord can clear the rental unit of the tenants possessions and change the locks, all overseen by law enforcement to make sure this goes smoothly and without violence.

How long this all takes often depends on how busy the particular court that handles evictions is.

What ticks a landlord off (and leaves them no option BUT to file for an eviction) is if the tenant does....nothing; doesn't pay their rent, doesn't move, makes no effort to find a suitable replacement.

Gail

 

[commentator]

I believe this person is really looking forward to going to court in June and telling the judge she is on the verge of being/has been evicted. Therefore, I suspect nothing will be done constructively until then. When a problem is presented, and the person shoots down all the obvious solutions (out of the question) there is another agenda. If this person and children are evicted, it will certainly make the ex look like the devil, won't it? However, it may not work out the way it should, and it is very true that once evicted, a person becomes a terrible liability to any future landlord and this will follow you for a long time, regardless of whose fault it was.

 

[st-kitts]

A roommate is out of the question because I live in a 3 bedroom and have myself and 3 kids already living here. As far as the job, I have already taken on a second job. Its not about budgeting money, its about not, not having enough income any longer to pay the rent. . Is it pretty quick?

In 2005 you mention having 11 and 13 year old children and in (or around) 2005 you also mention having a 19 year old son who was getting divorced after a short 6 month marriage... Have you had more children since 2005, or are these kids you refer to now, in fact, adults?

 

[FarmerJ]

By chance are you in a metro county ? I only ask because a few of the counties up here sad to say wont lift a finger RE bringing in a parent who is not in more than 100K arrears sad to say. Any who try to do your best to see if you and your LL can come up with a solution.

 

[Searchertwin]

I believe this person is really looking forward to going to court in June and telling the judge she is on the verge of being/has been evicted. Therefore, I suspect nothing will be done constructively until then. When a problem is presented, and the person shoots down all the obvious solutions (out of the question) there is another agenda. If this person and children are evicted, it will certainly make the ex look like the devil, won't it? However, it may not work out the way it should, and it is very true that once evicted, a person becomes a terrible liability to any future landlord and this will follow you for a long time, regardless of whose fault it was.

I agree with you. She has something else up her sleeves. Re-reading all her previous post, she sounds like someone who uses every excuse instead of blaming herself. Easier to blame husband for not paying child support, having trouble with her bankruptcy, and trouble with in-laws.

 

[Searchertwin]

A roommate is out of the question because I live in a 3 bedroom and have myself and 3 kids already living here.

No, it not out of the question. It would be a solution. The children are older according to previous posting, and they can share a room.

As far as the job, I have already taken on a second job.

I think someone is fibbing here. You only said this when someone mention to take a second job or you would have indicated in the first post.

Its not about budgeting money,

From previous post, yes, it is about budgeting. Filing bankruptcy, and than going to a pay day thing for money. After filing bankruptcy you should have learn not to get into more debt. But some people never learn. And yes, I have a son that hasn't learn from filing a few years ago. He waiting for some time to pass, to file again. And he constantly going to these pay day things. I just don't understand.

If I don't pay, I understand he will evict me.

Yes, he will.

I can try and talk to my landlord but the end result is, he wants his rent.

Yes, that's the bottom line. Wouldn't you want your money? Of course, you are fighting your husband for some. No difference.