What To Do If Renter Is A Drug Dealer?

[pineda]

I just read the post from citykid re: illegals are ruining my neighborhood and it make me think of something to ask you all.

A friend of mine just bought two rent houses on the same lot. While helping him clean up one of them to get it ready for a new tenant, I noticed that at the other house located on the lot there were a lot of people stopping by, but only for about 5 minutes and then they were gone.

The tenant would be waiting outside his house for them just before they showed up, and then he would greet them when they arrived and they would go inside the house and then the visitor would come back out alone after five minutes and take off.

This went on about 10 times in about 5 hours time. I can only surmise that the renter living there is dealing drugs or something, but I'm not sure what to do next. I don't want the drug-dealing tenant to come after my friend and his family, since he knows where they live.

Any suggestions?

[jm1fd]

This went on about 10 times in about 5 hours time. I can only surmise that the renter living there is dealing drugs or something, but I'm not sure what to do next. I don't want the drug-dealing tenant to come after my friend and his family, since he knows where they live.

Any suggestions?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Call the cops....

If he pays the rent on time and keeps it in good shape, just let it be.....

[pineda]

He does pay the rent on time and his place is immaculate, but still...

By the looks of his clientele, they looked to be college kids from the nearby university, and I hate to think that my friend, by turning his eyes the other way, is helping to perpetuate a bad situation involving these kids.

[dbigtex56]

Hate to sound cynical, but bitter experience has taught me that HPD is largely indifferent to complaints of this nature. It's worth a try; hope your friend has better luck (or better connections) than my neighbors and I did.

Maybe mounting fake surveillance cameras on the other house...? or taking pictures of the customers and their cars? Dealers tend to be paranoid; use it to your advantage. Good luck.

Another idea: tell the tenant that you've heard from a reliable source that the police are watching, and in the spirit of friendship you're warning them. This ploy might be effective, and wouldn't put the landlord in the position of being the 'bad guy'.

[skwatra]

anonymous tip maybe?

crime stoppers site

if the supposed drug dealers have no reason to suspect you this should be safe. hopefully he's not on this forum.

though i'm just guessing, hopefully someone on here is more knowledgeable on a situation like this.

[skwatra]

Maybe mounting fake surveillance cameras on the other house...? or taking pictures of the customers and their cars? Dealers tend to be paranoid; use it to your advantage. Good luck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that could be really dangerous...

[kjb434]

Drug dealers are usually quite paranoid especially if they are dealing and use crystal meth.

If you smell fowl oders coming from the house, he could be using the place as a crystal meth kitchen. This is enough probable cause for cops to get a warrant to search.

[bachanon]

if there are no noise complaints or destruction of property, rent is paid on time and the owner has checked for a clean criminal and credit record, i would think that there is nothing to worry about with the exception of a meth lab on the property (in which, as kjb434 said, you'd smell a foul odor).

one issue, the DEA has been known to confiscate/hold hostage rental property leased/rented by drug dealers. you would have to foot the bill for mortgage, taxes, damage, etc. until the investigation and possibly the case was over. also, if the government should feel that you "looked the other way" they can seize your property and sell it.

[pineda]

So much for looking the other way!

I just did a little checking into what bach just mentioned, and it's called "forfeiture of assets", whereby the rental property owner can lose their property if the suspected drug dealer, in trying to get a lesser sentence, tells the DEA that he openly dealt drugs at the property in question, with the owner's knowledge, which to the DEA reads as "consent".

It gets worse... There are class-action lawsuits that have been filed by neighborhoods who hired an attorney to say that because of the alleged drug-dealing going on at a rental property, whether the owner knew or not, that their property values have been diminished and they are seeking economic damages and attorney fees.

Sounds like it's time to get an attorney for my friend, and find out whether the previous owner had knowledge of the situation. How to do that, I don't know?

[SpaceCity]

The property can be forfeited by the government. The landlord is also aiding a felon in his crime by allowing the landlord's property to be the hub of criminal activity.

Jail time and forfeiture of property is not worth the monthly rent check. Get rid of the tenant.

[debmartin]

i hope your friend can solve this problem without too much hassle. in the future, he should "lease" instead of "rent" his place, as there are different laws pertaining to rental and lease agreements. i sold my rental property last year because the market was good and the whole landlord thing is too much work. as you are finding out, the property owner has a great deal of responsibility, not like it used to be where you throw a sign in the yard and shake hands on a deal when the right person came by.

that said, it is also very important when doing criminal and background checks to verify sources of income. one sign of drug dealing is someone with accumulated material goods out of proportion with obvious means. in english, someone without a job who drives an expensive car, wears expensive clothes and jewelry and has cash to flash could be a drug dealer. they could also be someone with a trust fund. besides drugs, people without "day" jobs could be involved with organized crime, gangs or be FBI agents like a neighbor i had a few years back. the old fashioned tried and true interview, backed up by references is still probably the best way. credit checks should indicate an individual's employment history, which is very important, and you can also ask for personal/professional references which speak for character. don't be scammed by phone numbers only, get a name AND address for each reference - enterprising frauds can set up elaborate false references by phone, and there is always the chance you could be dealing with identity theft when dealing exclusively by internet or fax.

several of my friends who elected to lease out their larger homes have been scammed by the person signing the lease - good job, credit, references, etc. a few months after move-in, old neighbors called one of my friends to say the house was always full of people coming and going and it turned out the guy on the lease was collecting from "friends" who were staying there temporarily while looking for places of their own. so you must spell out your policy on guests like how many and how long, etc. and whoever said the cops are not concerned was telling it like it is, they usually don't appreciate the extra work involved with checking out tips on drugs, prostitution, gambling, illegals etc.

debmartin

[torvald]

Another idea: tell the tenant that you've heard from a reliable source that the police are watching, and in the spirit of friendship you're warning them. This ploy might be effective, and wouldn't put the landlord in the position of being the 'bad guy'.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The quote above seems the safest to me. If you do, leave them an anonymous note. if you talked to them they might try to pressure you to tell them who

[Guest danax]

The police would want you to contact them and let them handle.

[rps324]

I have had to deal with this situation more times than I can count in my previous life as a good old white-trash apartment manager.

I was always very nice about it, but firm. I would go straight to them and let them know "there is too much traffic in and out of this apartment. I have received complaints from other people and now I have noticed it. What's going on with so many people popping in and out so quickly?"

I was never ugly, or even accusatory. I was always deliberately vague. They always know though, and they know you know. You can bet they are more paranoid than anything. 8 out of 10 times they would move within a couple of weeks. Some times you would have to take it an extra step and tell them that if they go ahead and move, you will let them out of their lease and so long as they clean up and don't tear the place up, you will give them their deposit back. If they are dealing, they don't want any undo attention or additional hassles. It usually covered the 9th position. On the 1 out of 10 either I would get them for non-payment of rent, or if their lease was coming up I would give them a 30 day owner wants possession, or wait until they were 2 minutes late on their rent and not accept it. Then file eviction for non-payment of rent. Evicting for non-payment of rent is usually pretty easy, if not lenghty. Eviction for other reasons is far more difficult and the burdens of proof can be a problem. It works out better if you can just get them to go.

This may not be the perfect solution, and others may not find it appealing or agree with it, but all I know is it worked for me on many occassions.

[tamtagon]

I dont think recreational drug use should be against the law.

[wendyps]

Before you do anything, please keep in mind you are not SURE this person is dealing drugs....you suspect, and I agree with your logic, however, there could be something going on that you know nothing about.....just wanted to throw my two cents in :>