Sheriff Lock-Out
- Lock-Outs will take 10-14 days for the Sheriff to complete. Holidays may take longer.
- You must arrange for a locksmith or change the locks yourself.
- Be at least 15 minutes early and wait outside for the officer.
- The officer will knock on the door. If there is no response, he/she will ask you to open the door.
- If the tenant is there the officer will give them 5 to 15 minutes to remove their personal belongings and leave.
- The officer will then inspect the premises and deliver possession to the owner or person representing the owner.
- If there are possessions left behind, they must be stored 15 days from the date of eviction and a notice must be mailed to tenant stating how much the tenant must pay to retrieve their belongings with the date and time of meeting.
- A charge of the daily rental value (on reverse of the writ) can be charged for each day that the belongings are stored.
- The tenant must be allowed to claim their possessions during normal business hours throughout those 15 days. THE TENANT OR ANYONE NAMED ON THE WRIT MAY NOT ENTER THE PREMISES. Another person may enter to remove possessions, and he/she must be out by 5:00 p.m.
- If the tenant never contacts you and the total value of everything abandoned is less than $700.00 the Landlord may dispose of the remains as he deems fit. Throw away, sell it, or keep it. It is strongly suggested that pictures be taken, as you can be sued at a later date.
- If the total value is more than $700.00, the property must be: 1. Inventoried with a letter to the Tenant. 2. Advertised in a local legal newspaper and sold at a public auction (by a licensed auctioneer) and the money turned over to the county tax collector. 3. The contents may be immediately removed from the premises and placed in storage. 4. Cars also qualify as personal property. 5. Animals are always a special problem, if you have one, call us!