How do you vacate a verbal tenant agreement?
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How do you vacate a verbal tenant agreement?
My sister lives in a trailer I own and pays no rent. Her only responsibility is the electric bill which is in my husband’s name. Now she “forgets” that she has to pay that bill. What do I need to do to evict her legally? Time, letter of eviction, and that sort of thing. I also want to shut of the electric before the bill is out of control, but I do not know how much notice I need to give her.
Asked on August 11, 2011 Pennsylvania
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If your sister is paying no rent and her only responsibility is to pay the electricity bill as part of her agreement to live in your trailer, she essentially seems like a tenant as opposed to a guest. Guests pay nothing to reside in a person's property. Tenants pay something be it a monthly rental, do chores, or pay the electricty bill which is not being done in this case.
I would give you sister thirty (30) day written notice to vacate your trailer and serve it upon her personally. If she does not vacate in this time frame, your next option is to file an unlawful detainer action against her, serve it upon her and go to court assuming she answers the summons and complaint in the required time frame. If she fails to do so, you can enter her default.
I would hold off shutting the electricity down at the trailer until after your sister vacates it.
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