[quote=henrysd]In southern Riverside county a few years ago, it was about 40 days in a semi optimal scenario – tenant answered court paper to Unlawful Detainee law suit, but didn’t show up in court hearing. It could be 25 days in most optimal case if tenant doesn’t answer court papers. For sophisticated tenant and they go to the court hearing and they can find excuses like medical issues, judge can give them a few extra months to stay. They may do multiple hearing and each hearing grants a few months of extra stay.
I don’t remember number exactly. I think roughly at those numbers:
Sounds like a month or more is the norm in CA.
While some may believe a long eviction process is pro-tenant, it actually hurts them, in at least two ways:
1. Knowing how expensive it is to get rid of a problem tenant, landlords get more choosy it who they rent to. Accordingly, the lower income applicant, or one with more red flags on their application, gets passed over until the perfect candidate shows up.
2. For the same reason, landlords demand higher security deposits since they know that that is all they are going to get from an eviction.
My deposits are $300, and I take chances on a lot of questionable applicants. I know that in 17 days they can be out.
3 days notice
2-3 days file unlawful detainee and delivered tenant copy
7-10 days wait tenant answer for court papers.
If tenant answer received, schedule court hearing which will happen 15 days later
if no tenant showing in court hearing, judge awards the landlord victory immediately. The process can get very long if sophisticated tenant shows up and he will use all kinds of excuses he learned from tenant lawyer.
Another 7-10 days for sheriff to execute lockout.
I believe San Diego county has similar numbers.[/quote]
It appears that a month or more for an eviction is the norm in CA.
This longer eviction process sounds like it is pro-tenant, but it actually hurts tenants in two ways:
1. Landlords are afraid to rent to lower income tenants or those with red flags on their application, knowing that it is more expensive and time-consuming to get rid of a problem tenant. Instead, they will wait for the perfect candidate to come along, thus hurting the poor. Some of those poor or weak candidates may be perfectly fine tenants, if given a chance.
2. For the same reason, landlords raise security deposits, knowing that is usually all they will get out of a deadbeat in an eviction.
Once again, our legislators pass feel-good and nice-sounding laws that turn out to be counterproductive.
