Neighbors taking all what they want
By Julz
@junnah25 (55)
Cavite City, Philippines
July 16, 2012 8:42pm CST
We have a house in a subdivision in a near village. Tenants used to live there, but they left us with a lot of unpaid bills. I can't do anything since my mom don't let me do anything. My mom don't listen to me whenever I suggest to force them to leave since we have verbal contract that they will stay for 3months yet they stay for almost a year and not paying bills and rent on time.
They left us a lot of burdens, it took us some time before we able to pay all the unpaid bills they left. What even worse is that, we didn't know that they tampered the electric meter so they can still use it even if the company already disconnected their electricity.
When they leave, they left our table, their chicken cage and some personal things they don't use anymore.
My question is, do we have the right to take all those things they left?
But then, the thing is, the neighbors took all of it without our knowledge.
4 responses
@Raine38 (12257)
• United States
17 Jul 12
Wow, oh my, we are also planning to rent out our apartments in a village real soon; I hope we will not have the same problems.
Anyway, you can always enlist the help of your local chairman to "legalize" everything; if there's something that you can recover from the units which they have clearly abandoned to recompense yourself. I'm sure they have local laws with regards to that. Also, next time, it won't hurt to draft a written contract of lease so they will know that there are rules to follow in renting someone else's property.
You may also want to change the locks, just in case they were able to secure themselves some duplicate keys.
@junnah25 (55)
• Cavite City, Philippines
17 Jul 12
Thanks for the advice. We did change every locks, including the water and electric meter. We did try to get the help of the village chairman, but they did nothing and the neighbors said, they have relationship with the tenants. We decided not to accept tenants anymore.
About your plan of renting out your apartment. I just suggest that if you can, try to require them of giving you a copy of their Identification cards, or NBI clearance in addition to the contract of lease.
@Raine38 (12257)
• United States
17 Jul 12
Wow, now that sucks. Maybe the next higher in rank than the chairman be of help? That is if they are not related :) It's really hard to get small justice over petty things like this just because some people don't care since they got "connections". At least you still have your property, that's something those tenants can never take away from you :)
yes, that's a good suggestion. And also there's the problem of tenants not paying on time, despite the imposition of security deposits and advance rents. I guess in every business undertaking there will always be glitches. At least in real property, the value of land never depreciates. (BTW, thanks for the "best response" :))
@junnah25 (55)
• Cavite City, Philippines
22 Jul 12
Thanks for the response. Honestly, I do feel that we have the right to take all those things they left, but at least now it won't be a problem anymore. Just this morning a man came here in our house asking if were going to rent it out. We refused saying were not going to accept tenants anymore. Were surprised that the man knows where to find our house.
@jmhie25 (14)
• Philippines
17 Jul 12
Yes you have the right because its your house,they've left it already. They're not going back to get it. But as you have said your neighbor took all of it. Since its not your things let them have it then lock your house and be alert next time. Not all people can be trusted..
@skyandgrassplot (1497)
• China
17 Jul 12
The situation is very complicate...
But I think,no matter how wrong your tenants was,their stuff still belong to them,even if you pay their bills.But you still have the right to get their stuff but should in a legal way.You should come to your police office to request them.
