Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 07/31/2009 - 11:08
I'm scheduled to go to housing court next week to evict my tenant for nonpayment. I found out from a neighbor that he moved out this week. I don't live there, it's an investment property. I called housing court to find out what my options are but they told me there was nothing I could do, I had to wait for the hearing because he could show up (yeah right!). I asked what would happen if he didn't show and was told, by default, I would win. Woo Hoo! I asked how I go about getting paid and was told I could file a motion to attach his wages but that the motion is generally not granted. Big help. What are my options? How do I find him to get the money he owes?
Editor's Response
Yeah, I know. The chances of getting your money are slim (realistically). However, you should definitely not enter the apartment until you obtain the judgment and order from the court. You do not want to be accused of doing a self-help eviction. As for collecting judgments, that is something I have never had to do before (thankfully). But if you google collecting a judgment in Massachusetts, you will find a nice collection of articles on the subject. Good luck.