Evicting a roommate

Unfortunately as far as my experience goes, it is hard as heck to get someone out of your place if they won't leave on their own. 

I bet if you make it uncomfortable enough for him he will leave on his own. But I would get the paperwork ball rolling in the mean time. 

Good luck!

I had a sketchy roommate that I wanted to get rid of.

I called my police officer friend after police from my city showed up at my door.

My policeman friend's advice? Lie.

He explained to me that landlord/tenant laws were so complicated, that if I made up a lie that scared him out, it'd be the quickest and easiest process to get him out.

I told him that the police called the homeowner (they didn't) and that she said he needed to be kicked out immediately for causing issues that led the police to our house (also not true). I then played nice guy and said she wanted him out by the end of the day, but I'd help him out and let him stay until the end of the week (total lies).

Guess what? I played nice guy - he up and moved out.

Maybe you could say the sheriff will show up at the end of the 10 day peiord to be sure he was out - and then offer him to get his stuff in line and help him move out before the police have to come remove him from the property.

Not the best course of action, but possibly the quickest. Good luck.

If he's threatening you can you maybe get a temporary restraining order against him coming near you, like  you would a domestic violence situation?

Just trying to be creative here.  As a tenant, he has rights.  But actual criminal activity might cause him to lose some rights.  In that same line of thinking: if he DOES attempt to drive impaired again, do keep calling the police.  With luck you can at least get him in the pokey overnight.

That's not being creative, that's exactly right.  Use his drug abuse and his physical violence.

Or.....just throw him the hell out and let him do all the legal work......9 out of 10 times it's just too much trouble on that end as well.

I would look into this.

If he is that in to drugs, chances are there are some at the house. You could just let him know that the police will be welcomed in with open arms any time they want.

Might cause him to move on his own if he knows you all are going to rat him out.

1. Restraining order. Drug use and violence.

2. File the paperwork. Spend the money and get him out.

seems like it would depend on if you have a formal lease agreement with him, on paper.  if you do, and it says no drugs and fighting i would think it's pretty cut and dry.  in that case i'd follow the proper procedures.

if it's just a friend that you're letting stay with you with no type of lease ageement, then it sounds like you're better off getting together with the other occupants and confronting him about leaving.  they type of dude that get's druged up and fights with his roomates proly isn't going to fight for his rights if there's no lease contract.  you really think he's going to call the police and say, "hey my roomates want to kick me out becuase i was druged up and started a fight with them, will you help me out so i can stay there"?  i doubt it. 

Do you have an actual rental agreement/contract with these friends? If not, I'd just tell him to get the F out. 

If you do, well then it needs to be a little more legal than that. And that takes time. 

Most states it doesn't matter if you have a signed agreement or not. If he has stayed there for a given amount of time (30 days) he has established residency and you have to go through the formal process of eviction.

So don't throw his stuff out. If you do he can come back at you for wrongful eviction and god forbid anything is broken or lost, you will be liable for it. Throwing his stuff out could really come back to bite you if he wants to be a tool about it. 

I like the drug dog idea, get him arrested and let him sit in the can rather than in your house.

I agree with not throwing his stuff out. You can be found civily liable for any loss or damage done to his property if you throw it out before he is properly evicted.

I haven't read the entire thread, but since there is no lease etc..  Can you just say this his behavior and drug use are unacceptable, please move out by the end of the month..?

I'd just be worried about the potential issues of the police finding drugs in MY house, even if they didn't belong to me.

If the drug dog finds drugs, wouldn't the guy just say that some other house member planted them to get him in trouble? 

TW

Have you talked to your roommate and told him that you want him out?  If not, that should be the first step. 

You only have give him notice and seek an eviction order if he refuses to leave. 

Just demand that he leave immediately.  If he does, problem solved.

If he refuses, then you have to resort to the whole legal process.