How to get a tenant’s inoperable car towed off a landlord’s rental property is the question this week for Ask Landlord Hank. Remember Hank is not an attorney and he is not offering legal advice. If you have a question for him please fill out the form below.
Dear Landlord Hank:
I have a duplex.
The tenants have an inoperable car in the driveway that they owe a lot of money on and don’t have the money needed to get it fixed.
They’ve asked the dealer to come take it back but the company won’t do it. What are the options to force the dealer to come take it? -Sandi
Dear Sandi,
Check your lease.
In most leases there is a clause concerning vehicles that says something like this: “Vehicles must be currently licensed, owned by tenant, registered, operational and properly parked. Vehicles not meeting the above requirements are unauthorized vehicles subject to being towed at tenant expense.”
This is tenant responsibility.
I would ask your tenants to contact the dealer to tell them to remove the car or that it will be towed, and not only will the dealer not be receiving any more money on this car, he won’t have the car either.
Sincerely,
Hank Rossi
Each week I answer questions from landlords and property managers across the country in my “Dear Landlord Hank” blog in the digital magazine Rental Housing Journal. https://rentalhousingjournal.com/asklandlordhank/
Editor’s note: Check your local and state regulations on issues such as this as it varies across the country.
As a child, Hank Rossi sometimes helped his father take care of the family rental-maintenance business. In the mid-’90s he got into the rental business for himself. After he retired, he started a real-estate brokerage business with his sister that focuses on property management and leasing. Visit his website: https://rentsrq.com.
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